At Your Service
For and about Hawaii's militaryBy Gregg K. Kakesako
Sunday, July 8, 2001
Navy Capt. Natalie K.S. Young-Aranita, a 1975 Farrington High School graduate, has been chosen to participate in the Secretary of Defense's Fellowship Program in Palo Alto, Calif. Young-Aranita
joins FellowshipFor Your Benefit
Calendar and DeploymentsBy Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.comYoung-Aranita, daughter of Harry and Betty Young, recently relinquished command of the U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station in Sicily, Italy, after three years.
Brig. Gen. Joseph F. Peterson, assistant division commander for the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Stewart, has been assigned as the new commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood in Texas. With the assignment Peterson, a 1968 St. Louis High School graduate, will receive his second star.
A new combat boot for the Army has become a victim of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki's transformation plan and the federal law that prevented the Army from buying berets made in China.
An Army board in January recommended a new boot -- said to be more comfortable and offering better protection -- to be adopted by its Uniform Board.
However, that recommendation and others are on hold while Shinseki reviews whether the uniform board's current procedures are in line with the Army's transformation process. Other uniform changes include an optional permanent press battle dress uniform and an all-weather, double-breasted, unisex black overcoat.
The boots are made with Gore-tex and lined with Cambrelle, a Dutch fabric. Either a domestic manufacturer must be found or the Army will have to seek a waiver.
Long before Disney pictures decided to re-enact the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor members of the Confederate Air Force, a group of World War II aviation enthusiasts, were putting on the same show on the mainland using plenty of replica Japanese fighters and torpedoes.
This year organizers expect upwards of 10,000 spectators at its air show in land-locked Cape Giradeau, Mo., July 14-15.
Besides Japanese aircraft, the battle will include P-40 Tiger Sharks and a B-17 bomber. A few P-40 fighters were able to get airborne on Dec. 7, 1941, and a flight of B-17s arrived at Hickam just as the Japanese attack began.
The B-25 Dolittle raid on Tokyo five months after the Pearl Harbor attack also will be re-enacted.
Moving Up
Camp Smith>> Brig. General William B. Caldwell IV to deputy director for operations, J-3, United States Pacific Command, from assistant division commander (Operations), 25th Infantry Division (Light).
Pearl Harbor
>> Cmdr. Hank Miranda to command the destroyer USS Russell, relieving Cmdr. Robert Winsor.
Hickam Air Force Base
>> Lt. Col. Joseph Lenertz to command the 65th Airlift Squadron, relieving Lt. Col. Thomas Philipkosky.
Wheeler Army Airfield
>> Col. Peter Gitto to command 599th Transportation Group, relieving Col. John Bordwell Jr.
Sand Island
>> Lt. Lawrence Ellis to command the Coast Guard cutter Kiska, relieving Lt. Kevin Lopes.
[FOR YOUR BENEFIT] Question: I am a Vietnam veteran and recently learned of a study that links Agent Orange to a form of childhood leukemia. Having been exposed to Agent Orange when I was in the country, I am concerned about my children. Agent Orange victims
include children of vetsAnswer: A 1991 federal law required the Institute of Medicine, a division of the National Academy of Sciences, to review the effects of Agent Orange.
In April, the Institute found limited or suggestive medical evidence of a link between a deadly form of leukemia in children and a parent's service in Vietnam. The leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia or AML is considered one of the most difficult leukemias to treat, is almost always fatal and is linked to the herbicide Agent Orange.
This is not the first medical condition linked by the Veterans Affairs to Agent Orange. Some others include soft-tissue sarcoma, Hodgkin's disease, and type II diabetes.
The VA is seeking legislation to provide health care, financial payments and other benefits to these children.
In 1997, VA set up a program for the children of Vietnam veterans with spina bifida. That program provides health care benefits, vocational training and a monthly allowance based on the severity of the illness.
The VA assumes that every person who served in Vietnam was exposed to Agent Orange for purposes of compensation. If you are claiming disability from a herbicide-linked ailment, you don't have to prove exposure, only that you served in Vietnam. Nine diseases, including lung cancer and prostate cancer are on the list of diseases possibly linked to Agent Orange.
The VA also has a telephone hotline for Vietnam veterans to get Agent Orange information. Call 1-800-749-8387.
Local phone numbers are 433-1000 for benefits information, or 433-0600 for medical appointments and enrollment.
If you have questions about your benefits as a veteran, call Fred Ballard at the Veterans Affairs at 433-0049 or the Star-Bulletin at 529-4747.
[CALENDAR] July 9-13>>Tropic Lightning Re-enlistment Week. Schofield Barracks. Awards ceremony. July 13.
July 13-15
>>Marine Corps Base Hawaii's 12th Annual BayFest. Kaneohe Bay. Advance BayFest tickets are a $33 value and are available at all Oahu Papa John's Pizza locations for only $6. Each advance BayFest ticket admits one person into the festival and three E.K. Fernandez carnival rides and has two Papa John's Pizza coupons.
July 14
>>BayFest Strongman Competition. 5:30 p.m. Five-member teams race against the clock in the Truck Pull, Keg Stack and Axle Lift. The Strongman Competition registration fee is $50. Call 254-7593 or view http://www.bayfesthawaii.com for more information.
[DEPLOYMENTS] U.S. Navy (Pacific Fleet)Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf
USS Chosin (CG 65)
Western Pacific
USS Columbia (SSN 771)
USS Chicago (SSN 721)
USS Santa Fe (SSN 763)
USS Los Angeles (SSN 688)
USS Frederick (LST 1184)
Hawaiian area
USS Greeneville (SSN 772)
USS La Jolla (SSN 701)
U.S. Army
Sinai: 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment
East Timor: 25th Division, 9th Regional Support Command
Bosnia, Kosovo, Germany: 25th Division, 9th Regional Support Command
Alaska, Kosrae, E. Micronesia: 84th Engineers
Honduras: Tripler
Philippines: Pacific Region Veterinary Command
Guam: 411th Engineers
Sri Lanka: 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry
Hawaii National Guard
Italy: Company B, 29th Support Battalion, Hawaii Army National Guard
Japan: 298th Engineer Detachment, Hawaii Army National Guard
Coast Guard
Guam: HH-65 helicopter
Marine Corps
Guam: Aviation Support Element Kaneohe Exercise Koa Thunder
Okinawa: 1st Battalion/3rd Marine Regiment
