In the Military
For and about Hawaii's servicemen and womenBy Gregg K. Kakesako
See also: For Your Benefit
Groups donate $200,000
to USS Arizona expansionThe Atherton Foundation and AIG each have contributed $100,000 to the USS Arizona Memorial Fund Campaign, bringing the total raised to nearly $3 million -- nearly a third of the way closer to the campaign's $10 million goal.
The USS Arizona Memorial Fund campaign, a partnership between the Arizona Memorial Museum Association, National Park Foundation and National Park Service, was originally launched in May 2001 to raise $10 million to fund a major expansion and endowment of the USS Arizona Memorial Museum and Visitor Center in Pearl Harbor.
>>>><<<< The 225-foot Coast Guard buoy tender Walnut with its crew of 50 is on its way to the Persian Gulf area as part of the buildup for a possible war on Iraq.The vessel left the Guam area Friday, where it has been since Jan. 18 helping with the typhoon relief effort.
>>>><<<< Rear Adm. Steven Kunkle has been relieved as commander of the USS Kitty Hawk battle group after being accused of an "inappropriate relationship" with a female officer. Vice Adm. Robert Willard, 7th Fleet commander, took the action following an Article 15 hearing Thursday at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan. Kunkle also received a punitive letter of reprimand.On Feb. 7, the Kitty Hawk received orders to head to the Central Command area of operation. Capt. Dick Corpus, the battle group's chief of staff, will serve as acting battle group commander until a new commander is named. Kunkle has been assigned temporarily to Commander Naval Forces Japan pending further review. In September, Willard fired Capt. Thomas Hejl, citing a loss of confidence in his leadership abilities to lead the Kitty Hawk.
>>>><<<< It's not only reservists and active-duty units getting the call-up for a war in Iraq. The London Daily Telegraph reports that the Pentagon has told hundreds of journalists who want to cover the war that they should be ready to depart for the Middle East on Friday.The newspaper said reporters were only told which fighting units they would be attached to and when they would be given anthrax and smallpox inoculations.
Editor & Publisher magazine on Friday reported that media traveling with U.S. forces will be prohibited, during an operation, from reporting "specific information on friendly force troop movements, tactical deployment, and dispositions that would jeopardize operational security or lives. ... Embargoes may be imposed to protect operational security" but "will only be used for operational security and will be lifted as soon as the operational security issue has passed."
The magazine said the military will strictly prohibit "information regarding future operations" and information "identifying postponed or canceled operations." Also banned is the release of names of military installations "or specific geographic locations of military units ... unless specifically released by the Department of Defense" or operation commander. "News and imagery products that identify or include identifiable features of these locations are not authorized for release," it said.
"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.
