Isle Guard gets
Afghan duty50 copter mechanics will form
the largest deployment
since the Vietnam War
The Army will send more than 50 Hawaii National Guard soldiers to Afghanistan -- the largest number mobilized since the Vietnam War.
The soldiers belonging to B Company of the Hawaii Army Guard's 193rd Aviation, normally stationed at Wheeler Army Air Field, have been alerted that they will be away from later this month though the Christmas holidays.
Maj. Chuck Anthony, Hawaii National Guard spokesman, said the soldiers are helicopter mechanics who specialize in the maintenance of UH-60 Black Hawks and CH-47 Chinooks. They make up the largest contingent of Army citizen soldiers from Hawaii to be mobilized overseas since the 29th Infantry Brigade was federalized for duty in Vietnam in 1968.
"This unit is unique," Anthony said, "because it is the only one in the National Guard that does regular maintenance on both Army Guard and active Army helicopters."
The Hawaii Army Guard helicopter mechanics will be attached to the 10th Mountain Division, which is from Fort Drum, N.Y. The unit, which has 250 soldiers, is commanded by Maj. Margaret Rains.
Within a month of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 18 Hawaii Army National Guard soldiers were mobilized for homeland security work at Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter. They remained on active duty on Oahu for a year.
As of July 2, the total number of citizen soldiers nationwide on active duty because of the war in Iraq amounted to 204,462.
By services, there were 137,564 in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve; 9,645 in the Naval Reserve; 33,357 in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve; 20,808 in the Marine Corps Reserve; and 3,088 in the Coast Guard Reserve.
The Pentagon said more reservists were being sent home, however.
Last week, nearly two dozen air traffic controllers with the Hawaii Air Guard's 297th Air Traffic Control Squadron returned home after participating in the latest Iraq war. Anthony said there are still nearly 75 Air Guard traffic controllers and security police in to the Persian Gulf region.