From Urban Operations to Demolitions: 41st IBCT Trains for Horn of Africa Mission

By Maj. Wayne ClyneApril 21, 2025

From Urban Operations to Demolitions: 41st IBCT Trains for Horn of Africa Mission
1 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team fire M4 carbines during weapons qualification at Range 73, Yakima Training Center, Wash., March 30, 2025. Individual weapons qualification was a critical component of Operation Djibouti Dawn Annual Training, ensuring combat readiness for the upcoming Horn of Africa deployment. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Maj. Wayne Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL
From Urban Operations to Demolitions: 41st IBCT Trains for Horn of Africa Mission
2 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Peter May, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, fires an M500 shotgun during a weapons familiarization range at Yakima Training Center, Wash., April 1, 2025. Soldiers qualified with multiple weapon systems during Operation Djibouti Dawn Annual Training in preparation for their Horn of Africa deployment. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Maj. Wayne Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL
From Urban Operations to Demolitions: 41st IBCT Trains for Horn of Africa Mission
3 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Camron Hall, Hotel Company, 141st Support Battalion, monitors a Soldier engaging targets in the hallway of the live fire shoothouse at Range 24, Yakima Training Center, Wash., April 6, 2025. Range safety personnel maintained close supervision throughout all phases of the urban operations training to ensure safe execution of live fire exercises during Operation Djibouti Dawn Annual Training. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Maj. Wayne Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL
From Urban Operations to Demolitions: 41st IBCT Trains for Horn of Africa Mission
4 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oregon Army National Guard, practice room-clearing procedures in a glass house training aid at Range 24, Yakima Training Center, Wash., April 6, 2025. The glass house, constructed with handrails instead of the traditional engineer tape, provided a full-scale mock-up of the live fire shoothouse layout for squads to rehearse their movements before conducting live fire training. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Maj. Wayne Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL
From Urban Operations to Demolitions: 41st IBCT Trains for Horn of Africa Mission
5 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment enter the live fire shoothouse at Range 24, Yakima Training Center, Wash., April 6, 2025. The urban operations training is part of Operation Djibouti Dawn Annual Training in preparation for the unit's upcoming deployment to the Horn of Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Maj. Wayne Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL
From Urban Operations to Demolitions: 41st IBCT Trains for Horn of Africa Mission
6 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A combat engineer from 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion sprints toward a designated breach point carrying a live Bangalore torpedo during a live-fire urban assault exercise at Yakima Training Center, Wash., April 3, 2025. Engineers were integrated with infantry platoons throughout Operation Djibouti Dawn to practice combined-arms tactics in preparation for their Horn of Africa deployment. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Maj. Wayne Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL
From Urban Operations to Demolitions: 41st IBCT Trains for Horn of Africa Mission
7 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – 240406-Z-ZJ128-1002

Staff Sgt. Steven Olson, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, in the foreground, and Sgt. Andrew Kline, 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, conduct an after-action review from the catwalk overlooking the live fire shoothouse at Range 24, Yakima Training Center, Wash., April 6, 2025. Instructors provided immediate feedback to squads after each iteration of the urban operations training to reinforce proper tactics and techniques during Operation Djibouti Dawn Annual Training. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Maj. Wayne Clyne)
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From Urban Operations to Demolitions: 41st IBCT Trains for Horn of Africa Mission
8 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – 250403-Z-ZJ128-1002 Staff Sgt. Charles Owen, squad leader with 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, delivers a situation report on buildings cleared during Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training at Range 25, Yakima Training Center, Wash., April 3, 2025. Urban terrain training provides soldiers with critical skills needed during Operation Djibouti Dawn Annual Training in preparation for their Horn of Africa deployment. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Maj. Wayne Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL
From Urban Operations to Demolitions: 41st IBCT Trains for Horn of Africa Mission
9 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – An infantryman and an engineer range safety detonate a claymore mine from a crater position during demolitions training at Yakima Training Center, Wash., March 31, 2025. Soldiers from the 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion conducted the demolitions range for infantry units, providing hands-on experience with explosive devices that may be encountered during the upcoming Horn of Africa deployment. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Maj. Wayne Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL
From Urban Operations to Demolitions: 41st IBCT Trains for Horn of Africa Mission
10 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Alex Begla, spotter, and Sgt. Jeffrey Machado, sniper, from the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment sniper section, establish a firing point and analyze the engagement area prior to an assault at Range 25, Yakima Training Center, Wash., April 3, 2025. The sniper team provided overwatch and intelligence gathering as part of the battalion's integrated combat operations training during Operation Djibouti Dawn Annual Training in preparation for their Horn of Africa deployment. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Maj. Wayne Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL
From Urban Operations to Demolitions: 41st IBCT Trains for Horn of Africa Mission
11 / 11 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A weapons squad from 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment fires an M240 machine gun from a support-by-fire position during a blank-fire iteration at Yakima Training Center, Wash., April 5, 2025. The training exercise prepared the crew for live-fire operations scheduled for the following day as part of Operation Djibouti Dawn Annual Training in preparation for their Horn of Africa deployment. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Maj. Wayne Clyne) VIEW ORIGINAL

YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, Wash. – "Claymore, Claymore, Claymore!" The warning echoes across the demolition range seconds before a deafening "whoomp" sends a cloud of smoke and debris skyward. Soldiers rise from behind cover, faces breaking into exhilarated grins as they witness the raw power of battlefield demolitions firsthand.

This explosive training represents just one facet of Operation Djibouti Dawn, which brought more than 400 Oregon National Guard soldiers to Yakima Training Center from March 28 to April 7, 2025, to prepare for an upcoming Horn of Africa deployment.

The operation assembled soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment (2-162 IN); 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment (1-186 IN); 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion (741 BEB); and support elements to focus on fundamental infantry and combat engineer tasks.

"The end state was to master the basics, be able to fire and maneuver, and have the engineers integrated to support operations," said Lt. Col. Ryon Skiles, rear detachment commander of 2-162 IN.

Training included weapons qualification, demolitions, live fire training at Range 24 squad level room clearing in a 369-degree shoothouse, and urban area platoon assault at Range 25. Following field training, units returned to home stations for administrative tasks and recovery operations.

"We qualified with every weapon system in the infantry battalion, from the .50 caliber machine gun to AT-4s and claymores," Skiles said. "The goal was hands-on experience to allow soldiers deploying to HOA to be competent and confident."

Approximately 150 Oregon soldiers will join Task Force Baton, a 1,150-member joint force from four states. The task force will support Special Operations Command and Africa Command missions across three countries.

Lt. Col. Sergio Hands, incoming Task Force Baton commander, described their mission: "Our main task is to support operations against local violent extremists, protecting critical assets in the area."

The deployment begins at Fort Bliss, Texas, in May 2025, with an expected return in April 2026.

What made this Annual Training unique was its collaborative approach across units. With multiple battalions operating at reduced strength due to concurrent deployments to Kosovo and Egypt, units pooled resources and personnel. Cooks from multiple units formed a single section to serve approximately 800 meals daily for approximately 400 soldiers, while medical support included 18 combat medics who received specialized training with the U.S. Army Air Ambulance Detachment stationed at Yakima.

Training progressed deliberately from classroom to application. "We went through a step-by-step three-day exercise, from crawling with dry fire to walking using blanks to the actual live fire," Skiles explained.

For many soldiers, this marked a return to fundamentals. "The soldiers were happy getting back to what they joined the Army to do," Skiles said. "It was about using your MOS to be successful."

Senior leaders consistently reported high morale among participants—especially significant for National Guard soldiers who balance military service with civilian careers.

For the deployment, Bravo Company, 2-162 IN, will form the core infantry element, supplemented by soldiers from other units. "We took on volunteers for this mobilization. This Annual Training was about getting everybody in the squads prepared," Skiles said.

"Annual training experiences like Operation Djibouti Dawn exemplify why the Oregon National Guard continues to be the military service of choice," said Brig. Gen. Alan Gronewold, The Adjutant General, Oregon National Guard. "Our soldiers receive world-class training that prepares them for both federal missions abroad and emergencies here at home, all while maintaining deep connections to the communities they serve."

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