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In the Military Gregg K. Kakesako |
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2 isle doctors
head to GermanyIn another e-mail to the Star-Bulletin, Maj. Albert Yazawa, an Army Reserve doctor from Maui, writes that he is assigned to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, along with another Army Reserve doctor from Hawaii -- Capt. John Nguyen, a fellow Iolani School and University of Hawaii Medical School graduate.
"I convinced him to join the Army Reserves for a little money after telling him that there was no way he'd get called up unless we went to war with North Korea," Yazawa writes. "We were supposed to be backfill for Tripler (Army Medical Center), so imagine my surprise, as well as his, I'm sure, when he got the call to mobilize for active duty in April. At least he got three weeks' notice; I only had eight days. John was supposed to start an anesthesiology residency ... in July. This call-up has forced him to delay entry his residency training until January."
Yazawa graduated from Iolani in 1985. Nguyen is a member of Iolani's class of 1990.
"As fate would have it, we were called up within weeks of each other and deployed to the same installation of Landstuhl," Yazawa added. "What are the odds? We continue to count our blessings daily as there were many other alternatives in less-friendly environments. Being here with another guy from Hawaii working in the same profession has made our life away from family and friends in Hawaii much more bearable. In fact, we have both been extended here, and to know that you have a buddy from Hawaii here in the same boat with you definitely helps. I can't begin to imagine how those guys from the 29th Infantry Brigade feel about the recent call-up, but I can say one thing with some certainty, and that's being deployed with other guys from back home in Hawaii just makes things a little more bearable."
Maj. Gen. James M. Dubik, who commanded the 25th Infantry Division from November 2000 to July 2002, will be appointed to the rank of a three-star lieutenant general and will become the commanding general of I Corps and Fort Lewis in Washington.
Last week, the Army announced plans to transfer 3,900 troops, soldiers of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, from Fort Polk to Fort Lewis to create another Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
The Army's first two Stryker teams were based at Fort Lewis -- one of them is now in Iraq -- and additional Stryker brigades have been created in Alaska and Hawaii. The addition of 3,900 troops at Fort Lewis would bring the total number of soldiers based there to about 24,500.
Dubik is now the director for joint experimentation at U.S. Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Va.
The Senate last week confirmed the promotion of Maj. Gen. John M. Brown III to the three-star rank of lieutenant general and as commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific at Fort Shafter. He will replace Lt. Gen. James L. Campbell, who will become director of the Army Staff at the Pentagon.
This year's Outrigger/USO Hawaii 10K-5K run on Aug. 8 at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe will honor American men and women fighting in the Middle East.
Funds raised by the race support the operation of USO Hawaii, which has centers at Honolulu Airport and Hickam Air Force Base, and provides last-minute refreshments for troops awaiting unit movement to the war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq. Participants may enter either a 10K or 5K event. Both timed races will begin at 7 a.m.
Registration fee is $18 for applications received by Aug. 1. Late entries ($20 fee) will be accepted Aug. 7 at: The Running Room, 819 Kapahulu Ave.; the Semper Fi fitness center on the Marine base; and Martinez Gym at Schofield Barracks. Entries also will be accepted at the race site.
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Pearl Harbor
>> Capt. Michael Zieser has assumed command of Submarine Squadron 1, relieving Capt. Cecil Haney.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
"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.