FORT HOOD, Texas » Hawaii's
29th Brigade Combat Team is going back to war.
More than 600 people — many of them from the islands
— made a special trip yesterday to Fort Hood, Texas, near
Waco, to give the "Lava Brigade" a Hawaii send-off
as it prepared to leave for a nine-month tour in Kuwait at the
end of the month.
It will be the 29th Brigade's third wartime mobilization —
the first was in 1968 for the Vietnam War. Then it was the Iraq
war in 2004. This time it will be Kuwait with convoy missions
north into Iraq as far as Mosul, and manning security outposts
at U.S. military installations in Kuwait.
Of the 2,200 citizen-soldiers in the brigade, 1,700 are from
the islands. The remaining 500 soldiers are members of the 45th
Fires Brigade, an artillery unit from the Oklahoma Army National
Guard.
Nearly half of the 500-seat covered bleachers were filled with
family members from Hawaii and dignitaries including U.S. Sen.
Daniel Akaka, U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie and state Sen. Mike
Gabbard. The military heads of the National Guard from Guam
and Oklahoma as well as Oklahoma U.S. Sen. James Inhofe also
were present.
Gov. Linda Lingle did not attend yesterday's ceremony, but
Maj. Gen. Bob Lee, state adjutant general, told brigade members
before yesterday's hourlong ceremony that she will host a special
dinner for them at Fort Hood on Sunday when they return from
their four-day pass.
A touch of the islands was injected with the addition of the
450 orchid leis bought by the Windward Oahu Lions clubs and
presented to soldiers of the brigade's 1st Squadron, 299th Cavalry,
by Tokuo and Agnes Tani. The couple's son, 2nd Lt. Gary Tani,
and nephew, 2nd Lt. Kealihi Ichimura, are members of the unit,
whose mission will be to escort military convoys from Kuwait
to northern Iraq.
Tanya Siufanua brought her 3-month-old son, Ashton, to see
his father, Staff Sgt. Rocky Siufanua, a member of the 100th
Battalion. The three will spend the next four days visiting
San Antonio.
Married for just two years, Tanya Siufanua acknowledged that
"it will be lonely" with her husband away for nine
months. "But I have the baby to keep me busy."
Her visit to Fort Hood was marred when her luggage was broken
into and items including her son's clothing were stolen.
Also attending yesterday's ceremony was Shan Resinto, who was
traveling with three other "Army wives from Kauai."
They flew to Killen, where Fort Hood is located, to spend the
next four days "relaxing and just cruising" with their
husbands before they deploy for Kuwait. This will be the second
combat tour for her husband, Staff Sgt. Eddie Resinto, and his
friends Staff Sgt. Lloyd Agrade, Spc. Jack Pescador and Spc.
Efren Yanos.
Lee told reporters before the ceremony that 84 percent of the
1,700 soldiers from Hawaii have made at least one combat tour.
Some of the soldiers have made as many as four.
In a written statement, Akaka reiterated his "commitment"
to the families of the 2,200 soldiers standing in formation
at Fort Hood's Sadowski parade ground in front of the III Corps
Headquarters. "Each and every troop member needs to know
that that while they are away protecting and defending our nation
that their loved ones will be treated and cared for as part
of our ohana, or family."
Please contact me if I can help you. My phone is 586-6830 and
e-mail is sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov.
Mahalo for the privilege of serving you!
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