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In the Military Gregg K. Kakesako |
100th soldiers
find little bliss
in training for Iraq
Soldiers of the Army Reserve's 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry, will spend the better part of the next two months in the desert of Fort Bliss, Texas, training and conditioning for its yearlong mission in Iraq.
Maj. Michael Peeters, the battalion's executive officer, reports that the 100th's 600 soldiers, including more than 200 from Hawaii, are housed at Forward Operating Base McGregor, located in New Mexico, about 30 miles north of the main installations of Fort Bliss.
The 100th occupies 10 buildings with the enlisted soldiers housed in what Peeters described as a huge "circus tent" that can be air conditioned or heated, depending on the temperature. Showers, toilets and washers and dryers are located in an adjacent tent. Officers and senior sergeants are billeted in U-shaped buildings with two to six soldiers to a room.
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Immediately adjacent to the 100th Battalion are other members of the 29th Infantry Brigade, the Hawaii Army National Guard unit to which is the 100th is assigned for the next 18 months. The last brigade team soldiers arrived at Fort Bliss on Oct. 7.
Peeters said a soldier's "typical day" begins at 5 a.m., followed by physical training. "Soldiers are in formation after breakfast and showers by 8 a.m.," Peeters said.
"Training is conducted from approximately 9 a.m. to midnight, depending on the training schedule and requirements."
When training permits, the soldiers return to McGregor at 5 p.m. for dining and then go back to the field for night phases of training. Soldiers get two hot meals a day in the dining hall with MRE lunches in the field.
Lights out is 10 p.m. for soldiers not conducting night training.
"Normally, soldiers use their personal time on e-mail or cell phones to their families, watching TV or DVDs, playing computer games, listening to music or catching up on sleep."
Peeters said the use of cell phones is not allowed during training hours.
"Soldiers move always with full 'battle rattle' -- Kevlar helmet, body armor, LBV (load bearing vest) and their weapons, as will be the practice in Iraq.
"The training tempo is rigorous, intense and personal time is rare," Peeters added. "When the training and equipment maintenance schedule permits, company commanders break their soldiers to make PX (post exchange) runs" -- a 40 minute bus ride.
McGregor does have a small PX operating from a van which carries health and personal items, snacks, beverages, magazines, pocket books, batteries and small electronic items.
The 29th Brigade will train at Fort Bliss until Dec. 20 when they will be given a two-week liberty to return to their homes for the Christmas holiday. After holiday, the 29th Brigade will be sent to Louisiana's Fort Polk for a month of final evaluations and combat certification.
The nuclear aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis will arrive at Pearl Harbor today for three days en route to its homeport in San Diego after a five-month deployment. The Stennis strike group includes the frigate USS Ford, cruiser USS Lake Champlain and destroyer USS Howard. Besides participating in the RIMPAC exercises here earlier this summer the Stennis strike group visited Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.
Moving up
» Pearl Harbor: Cmdr. John Russ has assumed command of the nuclear attack submarine USS Honolulu, relieving Cmdr. Chuck Harris.» Camp Smith: Vice Adm. Gary Roughead has succeed Lt. Gen. Robert Dieker as deputy commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. Dieker will retired Dec. 1 after 32 years of service.
sources by reporter Gregg K. Kakesako, who covers military affairs for
the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. He can be reached can be reached by phone
at 294-4075 or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com.