We've set a date!

Most of the 2/218th Field Artillery, of which Adam is a member, will not be home in time for Wednesday's demobilization ceremony in Portland, so they are getting their own ceremony Thursday in Forest Grove, Ore. Originally they were to get no ceremony, but there was major backlash, so the Guard relented.

Thursday's ceremony will be at noon at Forest Grove High School, 1401 Nichols Lane. The troops are expected to arrive at 11 a.m., and families will get to greet them then.

Other demob ceremonies, with information subject to change:

Portland: 2 p.m. Wednesday at the University of Portland's Chiles Center, 5000 N Willamette Blvd.

Eugene: 1:30 p.m. Friday at Lane County Fairgrounds, 796 W 13th Ave.

Medford: 3 p.m. Saturday at Spiegelberg Stadium, 815 S Oakdale Ave.; 3 p.m. April 27 at Medford Armory, 1701 S Pacific Highway

The first ones are back!

My BFF Jess and her husband, Eric, were in Sisters, Ore., during the weekend, and they caught a celebration for the first Oregon Guardsmen heading home after leaving Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Photos by Jessica Banister

It's official

Adam is no longer in Iraq. Operation Homecoming has begun.

The beginning of the end

Some members of the 41st are already at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the combination of what were Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base. It doesn't seem real that they are, in fact, coming home.