ONTARIO - Fresh from an 18-month deployment to Iraq and squarely in the middle of a battalion-wide reorganization, Ontario's Oregon Army National Guard unit is focused on two critical goals: recruiting and jumping back on tanks.

“Recruiting is No. 1 right now because for an Army unit to run efficiently it must have soldiers to do that,” said Lt. Eric Vandewalle, commander of Ontario's Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry.

While recruitment takes center stage, an emphasis also will be placed on a long-term familiarization process with the unit's former mainstay, the M1A1 Abrams main battle tank.

“Most of the soldiers here came to this unit because they like tanks. They're good at tanks and they miss being on them,” Vandewalle said.

“One big goal is to get back on tanks and get back to the level we were before the deployment.”

The Ontario Guard unit spent a number of years training on the M1A1, both at monthly drills and during a two-week annual training stint south of Boise, Idaho at the Orchard Training Area.

When the unit was mobilized for duty in Iraq, though, its mission was changed from tanks to light infantry. The switch meant the citizen-soldiers said goodbye to the big 60-ton battlewagons and instead embraced Humvees.

“We became very proficient about what we did on the infantry side,” Vandewalle said. “The lessons we learned we need to make sure we remember.”

Now, though, Charlie Company must put the 18 months of light infantry training aside and relearn the Abrams tank.

“There will be a learning curve. In some ways we're back to square one,” said Charlie Company Training Staff Sgt. Terry Lewis.

Lewis, 33, said the Ontario unit is lucky in some respects because it was not forced to switch its main mission a second time under the reorganization, unlike some other units in Eastern Oregon's 3rd Battalion.

“Our training will be easier, than say, The Dalles, which is going to Bradley (Fighting Vehicles),” Lewis said.

Vandewalle also conceded the unit must take a long journey back in terms of expertise with the M1A1, but he said his company is looking forward to the process.

“We're rusty. We've been off tanks for two and a half years. But we're extremely glad we're back on tanks,” he said.

The reorganization, which also affects Guard units in Idaho, may actually help Charlie Company in the long run. Just like Eastern Oregon, many Idaho units are wading through a reorganization process - a process that translates into fewer tank units in Idaho.

Ontario's Charlie Company, for example, will be one of the few, if not the only, tank unit in the Treasure Valley. That could mean, Vandewalle and Lewis said, that those Guardsmen in Idaho who want to continue to be tankers have really only one place to go: Ontario's Charlie Company.

“We're the only tank unit within a couple hundred miles,” Lewis said.

For Vandewalle, the future for his company hinges, in large part, on recruiting and retaining citizen-soldiers, and building even stronger ties with the communities along the Snake River and southeastern Oregon.

Vandewalle said Ontario's Guard unit is fortunate because there are a number of incentives attractive for prospective recruits.

“For starters, there is a good, regular paycheck involved for a part-time job. There is the GI bill for college and a program that waives 100 percent tuition for college students,” Vandewalle said.

Vandewalle said the 100-percent tuition wavier program is probably the initiative he likes the most.

“It is very important because anymore it takes a secondary education to get a good job. The reality is, you need a college education,” Vandewalle said.

“Our unit also provides, I believe, great opportunities to men and women in this community.”

Vandewalle, an Ocean Shores, Wash., resident, said another critical focus for Charlie Company will be serving the community.

“This community has welcomed us with open arms. That connection is important. We want to build on that bond. And the local Guard unit is important because we have a commitment to the state of Oregon. We are ready to handle natural disasters or stuff like fires that pertain directly to Eastern Oregon,” he said.

Vandewalle, who lived in Ontario for four years and attended Treasure Valley Community College, personifies his commitment to the area nearly every month when he drives nearly 10 hours to attend the monthly Guard drill.

“I love this community and want to get back. Until then, though, I have a long drive,” Vandewalle said.

While the 3rd Battalion, and Charlie Company, moves through the lengthy reorganization process, the prospect of another long deployment anytime soon remains dim.

“There is always the possibility of a deployment, but we just got back (from Iraq) so it will probably be a while,” Vandewalle said.

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On the Net:

Oregon Army National Guard: http://oregonarmyguard.com/armory-locations.htm