Isle Army Guard troops
on way to AfghanistanThe 60 soldiers will replace members
of their unit in Kandahar
Sixty members of the Hawaii Army National Guard's 193rd Aviation have left for Afghanistan to replace soldiers from their unit who have been in Kandahar since August.
This second rotation of Hawaii Army National Guard aviation mechanics belong to the 193rd's Bravo Company, which specializes in servicing helicopters. They left Hickam Air Force Base by Air Force transport on Wednesday afternoon.
There is no scheduled date for the return of the 60 members of Bravo Company who have been away for nine months.
Other members of the 193rd -- 200 aviators and mechanics belonging to Charlie Company -- have been in Balad, Iraq, since April 14 attached to the 1st Cavalry Division.
Also in Iraq and assigned to the 1st Cavalry are nearly 600 Army reservists from the 411th Engineer Combat Battalion. Of the 600 soldiers, 300 are from Hawaii.
Both Hawaii Army National Guard and Pacific Army Reserve officials said none of the units here are affected by the Pentagon's announcement Tuesday that another 37,000 Reserve and National Guard troops will be mobilized for duty in Iraq.