14 isle airmen
join buildup

The Air Guard crew specializes
in secure communications

---

By Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.com

Fourteen more Hawaii Air National Guard communication specialists have joined the continuing military buildup for a war against Iraq.

The 14 airmen, who left the islands this weekend for an undisclosed location, join 24 Hawaii Air National Guard personnel who were activated last February.

There are also another 40 Hawaii Air National Guard law enforcement specialists from 154th Security Forces Squadron who have been on extended active duty for more than a year.

As of March 5 the Pentagon has mobilized 173,553 reservists in support of the Iraqi campaign. By services this means that the total number of Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 127,487; Naval Reserve, 8,004; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 23,109; Marine Corps Reserve, 15,022; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 2,931.

The 14 activated Hawaii Air National Guard specialists are members of the 201st Communications Group, which has units on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. Their mission is to provide secure satellite, microwave and Internet communications.

The 24 other Hawaii Air National Guard, who have been on active duty for more than a year, belong to the 297th Air Traffic Control Squadron and are normally stationed at Kalaeloa. These reservists provide air traffic control and radar approach control for U.S. military aircraft. In 1997, the unit was deployed to Hungary in support of the peacekeeping operations in Bosnia.

Also awaiting deployment orders at Pearl Harbor is the cruiser USS Chosin, which will join the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz battle group. The carrier, which left San Diego last week, has been ordered to the North Arabian Sea area as part of the six aircraft carrier buildup.

Already in the Gulf region are the Pearl Harbor-based Aegis destroyer USS Paul Hamilton and the frigate USS Reuben James. Both belong to the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln battle group.

Also in the Red Sea region is the destroyer USS O'Kane, which left Pearl Harbor Jan. 17, and doing counter-drug operations in the eastern Pacific is the frigate USS Crommelin from Pearl Harbor.

There are seven Pearl Harbor-based nuclear attack submarines currently at sea with the USS Cheyenne and the USS Honolulu last reported to be with the Lincoln battle group.

Other reservists called to active duty over the past few months are 20 Seabees from the 30th Naval Construction Regiment and another 10 Seabees from Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303 -- both units are located at Pearl Harbor.

The Pacific Army Reserve has added three military historians to the pending war effort, while 40 Marine reservists from the 4th Force Reconnaissance Company left Kaneohe Bay on Feb. 9.

Also leaving Kaneohe Bay the same day were 250 active duty Marines belonging to the 1st Radio Battalion.

The Coast Guard at Sand Island has added the buoy tender Walnut with its crew of 50 to the war buildup in the Persian Gulf region.