In the Military
For and about Hawaii's servicemen and womenBy Gregg K. Kakesako
See also: For Your Benefit
Kaneohe Marine
spokesman backs role
of journalists in IraqMarine Maj. Chris Hughes, on leave as spokesman for Marine Corps Base Hawaii to Kuwait, says that embedding journalists with units fighting the latest Iraqi war "was the way to go."
In an interview published Monday in the Weekly Standard, Hughes said that keeping journalists away from nearly every post-Vietnam conflict shouldn't have happened.
"The thing I've always liked about having media present is it tells that Marine or soldier just how important their job is. If CNN is in your fighting hole, what you are doing is important. And that's tremendous. I think Marines and soldiers will do anything they're asked, but I think they want people to know what's happening. They want folks to know how it went down, what they did. They don't want to die, and not have told their story."
Hughes, said journalists, Marines and soldiers "are more like each other than we are different. Any Marine or soldier worth their weight wants to be where things are happening. They want to find out if they've got what it takes, if they can function at the highest level. And this is it. I think people who work in the media are the same. And I think that's gonna be one of the great lessons learned from this experience. We knew that once, and we forgot it."
>>>><<<< The Go For Broke Educational Foundation, a Los Angeles-based organization, will debut an 82-minute documentary on the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Honolulu Academy of Arts."A Tradition of Honor" was co-produced by Yonsei (third generation Japanese Americans) Craig Yahata and David Yoneshige and depicts the events of World War II through the testimonies of 55 Nisei veterans from Hawaii and mainland relocation camps.
A panel discussion will follow, with local veterans from the 100th, 442nd and MIS.
Tickets can be reserved through the Educational Foundation at 310-328-0907. Cost is $15 per person; $12 for seniors, veterans, students and foundation members. Net proceeds from the screening will go toward the foundation's Hawaii Education Program.
>>>><<<< The Korea Herald reports that the aircraft carrier battle group USS Carl Vinson will remain near the Korean peninsula after completing a military exercise ending Wednesday. The Vinson arrived at the southeastern port of Busan in South Korea on March 13.Rear Adm. Evan Chanik, commander of the battle group, said: "We will remain in the West Pacific for the time being after the exercise is over. We came here again to fulfill our commitment to the region to help stabilize the area. We can work anywhere from this particular area, to Southeast Asia and to Mariana (Trench)."
>>>><<<< Army News Service reports that APO ZIP codes for units in Kuwait and nearby countries are available only to family members and close friends of deployed soldiers due to terrorist concerns. Programs that allowed the general public to send mail addressed to "Any Service Member" were canceled more than a year ago.While these programs were popular with the public during Desert Storm and other operations, officials said security concerns and transportation constraints with military mail led to their cancellation. Web sites such as anyservicemember.navy.mil and Army Knowledge Online e-mail are suggested as alternate contact methods.
Family members who send regular mail need to use the soldier's full name (without rank), unit and APO address. Letters to Kuwait will normally take seven to 10 days, according to the Military Postal Service Agency. Priority parcels will take 10 to 15 days; Surface Air Mail packages, about 24 days.
Moving up
>> Tripler Army Medical Center: Command Sgt. Maj. Joel R. Jenkins relieved Command Sgt. Maj. Steven W. Burton, who is retiring.
"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.
