IN THE MILITARY
Hawaii Guard Chinook
By Gregg K. Kakesako
copter back in service
Star-BulletinHawaii's Army National Guard has gotten one of its 14 grounded CH-47D Chinook helicopters airborne.
The 14 helicopters were put on the blocks at Wheeler Army Air Field on Aug. 6 as part of an Army-wide precaution when cracks in a transmission gear were found during an aircraft overhaul. No accidents or mishaps have been attributed to the suspected gears.
The Army grounded 466 of its Chinooks and the Army Guard followed, putting into overhaul 133 CH-47Ds located in eight helicopter companies spread over eight states.
Since then, part of the Army and National fleet has been returned to duty. However, 34 Army National Guard helicopters, including 14 in Hawaii, were awaiting new transmissions. Three sets of rebuilt transmissions have been sent to Hawaii.
Eight of the Chinooks belonging to the 25th Infantry Division have been returned to limited duty. One Chinook was used Sept. 24 to fight a range fire at Schofield Barracks. However, the helicopter's lift capacity was reduced and it was not allowed to carry a full bucket of water, Capt. Rich Spiegle, 25th Infantry Division spokesman said.
The management of Johnston Atoll, 824 miles southwest of Honolulu, was transferred from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to the Pacific Air Forces on Oct. 1.
Its primary mission will be to support the U.S. Army's Chemical Weapons Storage and Destruction programs.
The Pacific Fleet has assigned a third vessel to assist in the international peacekeeping effort in East Timor.
The 40-ton USS Belleau Wood, a helicopter carrier based at Sasebo, Japan, will join the Yokosuka-based guided missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay and the ammunition ship USNS Kilauea already in the area.
Nearly 900 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit are assigned to the 834-foot Belleau Wood, which also has a variety of helicopters, including four Marine Sea Stallions. The Marines are normally stationed in Okinawa.
Navy Petty Officer Jeffry Washington, son of Keiko Washington, recently took part in a multination Southeast Asia exercise as a crew member of the USS Comstock, an amphibious assault ship normally based in San Diego.
Washington, 27, is an air cushion landing craft loadmaster and engineer and is responsible for maintaining and repairing equipment.
He was among 1,500 Navy and Marine Corps personnel from the United States, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines to participate in Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training Exercise 1999.
