New Kauai lieutenant
has Mideast experience

LIHUE >> To say that 2nd Lt. Chad Daniels stands out in Kauai's Company A is a bit of an understatement: He's the only Caucasian in the unit, he's at least a foot taller than anyone else and he's the company's newest member.

Chad Daniels: His 11 years in the National Guard took him to Afghanistan and Kuwait

But that isn't the important distinction.

Daniels, 30, served as an infantry sergeant in Afghanistan, and for a Hawaii National Guard unit about to deploy to Iraq, he is a walking encyclopedia of everything the unit needs and wants to know.

"I've only been with the unit a little more than a week," Daniels said in an interview yesterday. "I was curious to see how they would treat me, and frankly, they've been great."

Daniels has 11 years in the Army, all of it in the National Guard. He has had extended active-duty tours in Kuwait, Egypt and, most recently, Afghanistan, where he was a member of the 244th Army Liaison Team, a part of the U.S. XVIII Airborne Corps.

"Afghanistan was an amazing experience. I had a great time," he said. "I'm not kidding. I enjoyed it very much."

After his tour in Afghanistan, Daniels transferred from the Illinois National Guard to the Hawaii National Guard and moved to Oahu. The Hawaii Guard is short of officers, and he was sent immediately to Officer Candidate School and then the Infantry Officer Basic Course.

"I was all set to go to Pathfinder School and then Ranger School, but they said Company A was going to deploy and they needed a lieutenant, so here I am."

Company A is going through some major changes as the soldiers train at Fort Bliss, Texas, and Fort Polk, La.

"They're jungle fighters. All their training has been Vietnam-style training. I understand they've done a little MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) training in an abandoned hotel, but MOUT is going to be their primary focus."

At the top of his list is extensive first-aid training for everyone in the unit.

Another high priority is cultural training. With his numerous tours in Arab countries, Daniels has become a true believer in "country briefs," studies of everything that pertains to the country where they are being deployed.

"You really want to win their hearts and minds. You have to go in with a smile. You don't want to have a hard look on your face," Daniels said.

"They have been deluging me with questions, and I've promised them I'll share everything I've learned," he said.