The 186th Regimental Combat Team landed on Palawan on 28 February in order to secure airfields there from which the Japanese lines of communication in the South China Sea could be blockaded.

To capture airfields even closer to the Dutch East Indies and the strategic oilfields of Borneo, planners selected the southern tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula on Mindanao as the next target.

The 162nd secured the abandoned landing strip of Wolfe Field half a mile inland and spread out in an advance in all three directions outwards from the beachhead.

The 163rd secured the rubble of Zamboanga City, destroyed in preinvasion bombardment, and captured San Roque Airfield, which was quickly repaired to serve as an airstrip.

In addition, the difficult terrain that turned into mountainous rain forests to the north further hampered operations as only poor trails existed in the sector of the Japanese defenses, forcing the division to slow its advance so that bulldozers could construct roads for supply and evacuation.

Backed by continuous artillery and close air support, the 162nd and 163rd methodically advanced northwards, causing the Japanese defenses to disintegrate on 20 March.

[12] While the rest of the regiment was still on Zamboanga, a reinforced company from the 162nd landed unopposed on Basilan island on 18 March and swept it and the surrounding islets of Japanese presence, finding none.

Company L of the 162nd sent its intelligence and reconnaissance platoon on 26 April to clear the small Sibago island northeast of Basilan of its Japanese defenders, beginning the regiment's last combat action in the Zamboanga sector.

The platoon landed unopposed after a bombing raid and PT boat strafing, but lost one wounded and fell back to nearby Lanhil island when it came under fire from a hidden Japanese position.

It had taken five days for three platoons and two guns with dive bomber and PT boat support to take control of the small island at a cost of one killed and two wounded.

One battalion combat team from the 162nd landed at Digos to guard the rear of the 24th Infantry Division, while the remainder went to the 31st's sector to secure the region from the coast of Illana Bay inland to Kabacan.

By this point, the Pacific Northwest National Guard character of the division was mostly diluted by replacements from across the country, casualties and the departure home of veteran servicemen: only 12 percent of the officers were Guardsmen, compared to 70% in 1940.

At Zamboanga, the division began training for the amphibious landing that was planned to begin the invasion of Japan, before news came in of the Japanese surrender on 15 August.

[9] The division was transferred to X Corps and slated for the occupation of the Kure and Hiroshima area on western Honshu, announced by MacArthur in a press conference on 10 September.

[17] After three weeks at Kure, the regiment was sent to Onomichi, Fukuyama (and Matsue on 28 October to dispose of Japanese war materiel and conduct occupation duties.

Many soldiers of the division took home Japanese small arms and other items as war souvenirs,[18] and in the 162nd all of the recipients of the Combat Infantryman Badge were given scarves that had been intended for kamikaze pilots.

After Thanksgiving, a surprisingly high number of new soldiers who had just arrived from the United States signed up in a reenlistment drive, having been promised Christmas leave at home, angering veterans who were pushed down the list for transportation as a result.

[2] Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment deployed to Japan to participate in the annual bilateral U.S.-Japan cold weather training exercise NORTHWIND 96.

Members of C Company, 1st Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, located in Eugene, Oregon, deployed to Saudi Arabia in June 1999 through April 2000 to provide security for Patriot sites there.

[20] Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment deployed to Asahikawa, Japan to participate in NORTHWIND 94 to partake in extreme cold weather training.

Some time later, the platoon stealthily left their vehicles at an empty building, went up the stairs, and set up a hidden ambush position in an elevated floor level.

When the Mahdi Army came by setting up their mortar, the Americans sprang their ambush and opened a barrage of fire with their machine guns and sniper rifles.

For a long while, the Mahdi insurgents were firing randomly in any direction, diving for cover, or trying to find the hidden American ambush position in complete confusion.

But the American high command denied the request and refused to fire heavy artillery in the urban area in fear of civilian casualties.

[21] The American platoon of the 162nd Infantry Regiment again stealthily moved out of their base to set up a hidden position to ambush and kill insurgent IED placers.

The American platoon leader though feeling sympathy for the young pregnant Iraqi woman reluctantly denied the family’s request to leave and risk being sold out to the enemy.

The American platoon knowing that their position was compromised gathered all their equipment including their claymore mines and safely withdrew back to base.

[22] The American platoon of the 162nd Infantry Regiment received a tip of an enemy insurgent financier whose cell was responsible for the death of 40 Iraqi National Guard troops hiding in a car lot.

A Gold color metal and enamel device 1+1⁄8 inches (2.9 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Azure, a fess Gules fimbriated Or between in chief a fasces and in base a giant cactus, both of the last.

That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Oregon Army National Guard: On a wreath of the colors Or and Azure, a demi-disc Gules charged with the setting sun with twelve light rays Or (the shoulder sleeve insignia of the 41st Division), behind a beaver sejant Proper.