Isle troops Iraq-bound
Wahiawa merchants grapple with
next year's deployment of 8,000
Schofield troops to two hot spots
Merchants in Wahiawa, heavily dependent on troops stationed at Schofield Barracks for their business, are trying to figure out how to survive a population dip when 8,000 soldiers leave early next year for deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq.
"The federal government, when they people out, they don't think about what happens to the people of the cities or towns around them," said Tom Hrdlicka, owner of Tom's Golf Shop on Wilikina Drive.
Schofield soldiers
NOW: 200 in Iraq
in the Mideast
FEBRUARY 2004: 4,500 leaving for Iraq
APRIL 2004: 3,500 leaving for Afghanistan
Hrdlicka said he understands the military needs to move people. "I spent 30 years in the Army. I wound up here in '77, retired in '81 and opened this business," he said.
But he also understands that his golf equipment retail and repair business gets about 35 percent of its business from people at Schofield, and that's got him worried.
Counting dependents, Schofield and nearby units make Wahiawa the home of nearly 21,000 military-connected people. Some businesses said they were concerned soldiers' spouses and children might move to mainland hometowns with the troops gone for a year.
City Council Chairman Donovan Dela Cruz, who represents Wahiawa, said troop departures always hurt business in the area.
Some local entrepreneurs said they are waiting for Peter Bulanow, owner of the Kemoo Farm restaurant and retail business just across from the Schofield entrance, to get back from a trip so they can get their heads together and see if there is anything they can do as a team.
"I'm terrified, really," said Jeff Rezents, owner of Military Tinting International on Wilikina Drive, who said he gets about 75 percent of his auto window tinting business from the base.
"I'm just trying to figure out ways that I can drum up business in the meantime," to tide him over while the troops are away, Rezents said. He said he plans to print leaflets and go out and try to reach people in different parts of the community who are not now his customers.
"Everybody here is just going to take it in the teeth when that happens," he said.
Lance McLain, owner of Dragon Tattoo, which has done business on Kamehameha Highway for 14 years, said Wahiawa is such a small town and "basically a satellite of Schofield" that it is bound to be adversely affected.
"When you take that many people out of this area, it's like 8,000 that aren't coming into Wahiawa to buy a hamburger at McDonald's or get their muffler fixed at Midas or drop into Zippy's for a meal," he said.
McLain said he doesn't really expect a run-up in his businesses from soldiers getting tattoos before they go. "What do I know? I'm just a tattoo guy, but I'm seeing from a lot of these people that there's tension in the air," he said.
"This is a war, let's face it. They're nervous. They're edgy. Especially if they've got kids or they're married, this is a very stressful time for them," McLain said. "They can get killed."
Molly Walker, owner of Molly's Smokehouse, said there is definitely going to be a negative impact on her business. The Wahiawa restaurant is popular with soldiers and their families, she said.
"I have a big military following," she said. "I expect my percentages, especially the military, to go down."
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Change of plans to send
Hawaii troops to IraqThey will be there -- in addition
to Afghanistan -- for a full year
In a change of plans that beefs up and extends deployments from Schofield Barracks, about 8,000 soldiers are now scheduled to go to Iraq as well as Afghanistan next year as part of two separate 12-month rotations.
The 25th Infantry Division (Light) and U.S. Army said the Tropic Lightning Division will be deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom- Afghanistan.
Last July, the Army announced that 7,000 Tropic Lightning soldiers would be dispatched to Afghanistan. Today's announcement sends an additional 1,000 troops and expands their mission to Iraq.
The deployment is the largest for the 25th Infantry since the Vietnam War. Recently, more than 100 soldiers returned from Iraq.
About 4,500 soldiers will be sent to Iraq as early as February. Another 3,500 soldiers will go to Afghanistan, perhaps as early as April.
"The Tropic Lightening Division is proud to have been selected for these challenging, diverse missions in our global war on terrorism," said Maj. Gen. Eric Olson, Commanding General of the 25th Infantry.
Olson added, "Whether in the mountains of Afghanistan or the deserts of Iraq, the soldiers of America's Pacific Division are proud, ready and eager."
In a statement, the Army said the soldiers' mission will be to "conduct stability, sustainment and combat operations."
The deployed soldiers will have specialties that include: Field artillery, military police, military intelligence, engineers, air defense artillery and support and logistics personnel.
Tropical Lightning soldiers have served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the first Gulf War in 1991.
The new 12-month rotations are part of a new policy required throughout the Army to provide teams prepared to counter any threats.
