Oregon Army National Guard battalion reconnects with historic infantry lineage
The redesignation reconnects the battalion with an infantry lineage that traces back nearly 140 years to 1888, when citizen-Soldiers in Eastern Oregon first organized to serve their communities and state.
Col. Andrew William Vidourek hosted the ceremony, with Lt. Col. Jorge L. De Anda and Command Sgt. Maj. Gabriel G. Sapp representing the battalion's official party. Second Lt. Kumsa A. Lemessa served as master of ceremonies. The event included a lineage reading, casing of the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry colors, uncasing of the 2nd Battalion, 186th Infantry colors, and a rebadging ceremony in which Soldiers replaced their unit patches.
"This is a significant milestone in the history of the Oregon Army National Guard," Vidourek said. "We gather for a ceremony that honors both where this organization has been and where it is going."
The battalion's roots stretch back to the Spanish-American War, when Soldiers serving as the 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry crossed the Pacific, took part in the capture of Guam and became the first American troops to land in the Philippines in 1898. During World War I, Oregon Soldiers were reorganized into the 41st Infantry Division, known as the "Sunset Division," and deployed to France with the American Expeditionary Forces.
The unit's infantry legacy continued into World War II as part of the 41st Infantry Division's "Jungleers," fighting through the Pacific island-hopping campaign. One of the regiment's defining moments came June 16, 1944, when the 2nd Battalion, 186th Infantry led an assault against entrenched Japanese defenders on the island of Biak, overrunning fortified caves and bunkers in one of the Pacific theater's most difficult fights.
Following the war, the organization reorganized several times before becoming the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, transitioning to heavy armor and earning the nickname "Eastern Oregon's Own." The battalion deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004 and Operation New Dawn in 2010, and Soldiers of Adder Company deployed in support of Operation Spartan Shield from 2023 to 2024. In 2011, the battalion became the first National Guard unit to field the M1A2 SEPv2 Abrams tank.
"Closing these colors is bittersweet," De Anda said. "We all spilled sweat, spent long weeks away from home and mastered the skills of heavy armor and mechanized warfare. Be proud of what we've built and what we've accomplished under that crest. However, as we stand on this parade field today, we must remember a fundamental truth: the power of this unit has never resided in our equipment or the designation on our guidons. It has always resided in the character of the Soldiers who have answered the call."
De Anda pointed to the battalion's community roots as evidence of that continuity, noting that 100 years ago, Soldiers of Company Echo mustered on a drill floor above a drugstore in downtown La Grande with little equipment but full commitment.
"We are and have always been Eastern Oregon's own," De Anda said. "Our strength comes from the communities that have answered the call for over a century, from Pendleton to Ontario, Hermiston and La Grande, Baker City, Burns. We are the citizen-Soldiers who leave our families, our farms, our classrooms and our jobs to serve. No change in nomenclature or equipment will ever alter that identity."
As the newly designated 2nd Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, the unit will become Oregon's first mobile infantry battalion, built as a lighter, faster and highly mobile formation. The battalion conducted annual training at Camp Rilea this summer and plans to deploy a task force to Honduras next year to train alongside partner nations. The unit is also integrating infantry squad vehicles and expanding its use of unmanned aerial systems.
"You are now responsible for a remarkable piece of Oregon military history," De Anda told the formation. "You inherit much from those that came before you. Your responsibility is not to admire that history, but to build upon it."
In an interview before the ceremony, Vidourek reflected on the significance of reconnecting the battalion with its infantry roots.
"I know their hearts are with 3-116 Cav, but the reality is this organization has redesignated many times over the last 140 years," Vidourek said. "To go back and touch that lineage that started 140 years ago, Soldiers that fought in Guam, World War I, World War II, the historic Battle of Biak, and now we're redesignated as that infantry regiment, it's pretty cool. It's a cool thing to be a part of. It doesn't happen very often. A lot of times a Soldier will go through a whole military career and not be a part of something like this."
Both commanders closed their remarks by thanking the Soldiers' families for their support and calling on the battalion to carry the legacy forward.
"Every generation is asked the same question: will you be ready when your nation calls?" Vidourek said. "For nearly 140 years, Oregon Soldiers have answered that question with their actions. The Soldiers standing in formation today are the next chapter of that story. Eastern Oregon's own."
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