At Your Service
For and about Hawaii's military

By Gregg K. Kakesako

Sunday, June 17, 2001

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[IN THE MILITARY]

>>FOR YOUR BENEFIT
>>MILITARY CALENDAR

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Asia Center
confused on China

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By Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.com

The Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies was forced to postpone a May seminar in part because of confusion over the Bush administration's China policy.

Until the postponement, the center, since it was created in 1995, has always abided by the "one China policy," said Jim Lackey, its executive director. That meant representatives from Taiwan could attend its classes and seminars but had to pay their own way.

Lackey said the seminar planned for May 15-17 at its Fort DeRussy complex was postponed when three of the center's top leaders were called out of Honolulu. The center had invited and paid the way for a China scholar to attend.

But Lackey acknowledged that Adm. Dennis Blair, who as Pacific Command commander in chief is in charge of the center, decided that the seminar would not be held until the current confusion over the administration's policy toward China and Taiwan is clarified.

There also have been complaints by conservatives in Washington over the center's China policy, with threats to withhold part of its $12 million annual budget.

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Marine Commandant Gen. James Jones has given final approval for a new uniform and new boots, the first uniform change in 20 years.

The new Marine battle dress uniform, or cammies, is made of 50/50 polyester-cotton blend featuring a unique "pixel" camouflage green, brown and black pattern. The new infantry combat boot and the new brown jungle desert boot will be made from rough-side-out leather that doesn't need shining.

Marines should see new uniforms by the end of the year. They will be authorized to wear the current battle dress uniform pattern, which is issued to all military forces, until 2005.

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Moving up

>> Wahiawa: Navy Capt. Laura C. Marlowe to commanding officer of Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Pacific, relieving Capt. Donald F. Kerrigan.

>> Schofield Barracks: Col. Arnaldo Claudio William Harmon to head the Military Police Brigade, replacing Col. Louis A. Traverzo.

>> Lt. Col. John T. Hansen to head the 3/4 Cavalry, replacing Lt. Col. Jeffrey T. Kappenman.

>> Lt. Col. William Getz to head the 25th Engineer battalion (Topographic), replacing Lt. Col. William Harmon.

>> Lt. Col. A. Thomas Ball Jr. to command 1st Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, relieving Lt. Col. Joseph E. Thome Jr.

>> Col. Scott J. Schisser to command the 25th Division's Aviation Brigade, replacing Col. Doyle D. Broome Jr.

>> Pearl Harbor: Cmdr. Phillip Sawyer to command of the nuclear submarine USS La Jolla, relieving Cmdr. Capt. Michael McLaughlin.

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[FOR YOUR BENEFIT]

VA can help treat diseases related to radiation exposure

Question: I was stationed in Nagasaki, Japan, as part of the occupation forces immediately following the end of the World War II. I have heard that exposure to radiation could cause cancer and other problems. Is the VA involved in the treatment of diseases possibly related to radiation exposure?

Answer: Yes. Congress established a presumption of service connection for 16 different cancers in veterans exposed to "ionizing radiation." Veterans are presumed to be service connected if they participated in a radiation-risk activity and later developed one of the diseases, which currently include some forms of cancer, and leukemia.

Radiation-risk activities include active duty service with the occupation of Hiroshima or Nagasaki, internment as a prisoner of war in Japan or on-site involvement in atmospheric nuclear weapons tests.

The good news is the VA has proposed regulatory changes to add several more forms of cancer, including those of the bone, brain, colon, lung or ovary, to the list of illnesses.

If the proposed regulatory changes are approved, veterans will have an easier time applying for, and receiving, compensation for their illnesses, and they would bring veterans benefits up to the same standards used for civilians under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act of 1990.

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[CALENDAR]

June 20

Vietnam Veterans of Maui County. General Membership meeting. Kahului Armory (next to McDonald's on Puunene Avenue) 6 p.m. More info. David Cerna, edgofc11@aol.com or 874-6970 or VVMC Web site (www.vvmc.org)

June 23-24

Single Marine and Sailor Program's Summer Classic Softball Tournament. Marine Corps Base Hawaii. For more information, call Dawn Williams at 254-7593.

June 25 to 28

Pacific Air Forces' Korean War Air Power Symposium. Hilton Hawaiian Village. For more information, call 449-3936.

[DEPLOYMENTS]

U.S. Navy (Pacific Fleet)

Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf

USS Chosin (CG 65)

USS Columbia (SSN 771)

Western Pacific

USS Chicago (SSN 721)

USS Kamehameha (SSN 642)

USS Santa Fe (SSN 763)

USS Los Angeles (SSN 688)

USS Frederick (LST 1184)

Hawaiian area

USS Charlotte (SSN 766)

USS Columbus (SSN 762)

USS Greeneville (SSN 772)

USS Hopper (DDG 70)

USS Lake Erie (CG 70)

USS Russell (DDG 59)

USS Tucson (SSN 770)

Eastern Pacific / West Coast U.S.

USS O'Kane (DDG 77)

U.S. Army

Louisiana: 25th Division.

Sinai: 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment

Alaska, Kosrae, San Diego, E. Micronesia: 84th Engineers

East Timor, Thailand: 25th Division, 9th Regional Support Command (U.S. Army Reserve)

Bosnia, Kosovo, Germany, Albania: 25th Division, 9th Regional Support Command

Madagascar: 412th Engineers

Thailand, Malaysia: US Army Pacific, 9th RSC

South Korea: 411th Engineers

Japan: 500th Military Intelligence

Vietnam: Tripler

Hawaii National Guard

Washington: 487th Artillery Battalion, Hawaii Army National Guard, Fort Lewis

Utah: 297th Air Traffic Control Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard

Iceland: 203rd Air Refueling Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard

Italy: Company B, 29th Support Battalion, Hawaii Army National Guard

Germany: HHC, 29th Separate Infantry Brigade, Military Police Platoon, Hawaii Army National Guard

Coast Guard

Guam: HH-65 helicopter

American Samoa: USCGC Washington, USCGC Walnut

Marine Corps

Okinawa: 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment; C Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment

Thailand: Combat Service Support Detachment 79