In the Military
For and about Hawaii's servicemen and womenBy Gregg K. Kakesako
See also: For Your Benefit
Navy Rear Adm. Bernard J. McCullough III has been selected as the next commander of the Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific. McCullough will be leaving the job as deputy director for operations and plans at the U.S. Joint Forces Command. His new command includes the Pearl Harbor Naval Base and its Navy-Marine Corps community in Hawaii with nearly 81,000 military, family members and civilian employees. He starts his new duties early next year. New commander selected
for Navy Region Hawaii
>>>><<<< The USS Constellation battle group, with 5,000 sailors, is in Hong Kong this weekend for a six-day visit. Besides the carrier Constellation, the battle group includes guided-missile destroyers USS Higgins and USS Milius, guided-missile cruisers USS Valley Forge and USS Bunker Hill, the guided-missile frigate USS Thach, the combat support ship USS Rainier, and the Pearl Harbor-based submarine USS Columbia. Six of the warships left San Diego on Nov. 2 on a six-month deployment to the North Arabian Sea area and were expected to play a role in the U.S.-led war on terrorism. The Rainier had departed from Bremerton, Wash.
>>>><<<< The promotion of Hawaii Army National Guard Col. Vern Miyagi to the rank of brigadier general was approved by the U.S. Senate on Nov. 19. However, Miyagi's promotion is on hold since there are no one-star jobs available in the Hawaii Army Guard, where he is chief of staff.
>>>><<<< The Army Reserve in the Pacific has three new command sergeants major, which is the highest rank for noncommissioned officers. They are Raymond Irie, the new command sergeant major for the 411th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Heavy), Susan H. Shishido in the 657th Area Support Group and Hattie Wagnon for the U.S. Forces Japan Support Group.
>>>><<<< Coast Guard Petty Officer Kilohana Akim, a 1995 Mililani High School graduate, was a member of the Navy's women's volleyball team, which won the gold medal at the 2002 Armed Forces Women's Volleyball Championship held at Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Tennessee in September.
Akim is a Coast Guard gunners mate and small arms instructor at the Pacific Area Armory Detachment. Her team went undefeated during the week-long tournament.
>>>><<<< The F/A-18E Super Hornet, the Navy's newest combat aircraft, made its combat debut on Nov. 6, when aircraft from the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln struck air-defense sites in southern Iraq from the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. The Super Hornets were from Strike Fighter Squadron 115.
"In the Military" was compiled from wire reports and other
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.
