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442nd Infantry
helps open school
in Iraqi village

Members of Hawaii's 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment helped to open a secondary school recently in the village of Al Shahabi near Balad in Iraq. Attending the ceremony were Lt. Col. Colbert Low, commander of the 100th Battalion, and his staff who joined the mayor of Yethrib in handing out tablets and pencils to the schoolchildren.

Low said more than 90 children will attend the new school, the first secondary school in the community. "It is the newest building in the town and the community was extremely pleased with the new school," Low said in an e-mail.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony Low shared chai tea with the headmaster of the school. Low's battalion is one of three assigned to the 29th Brigade Combat Team from the Hawaii Army National Guard. The 100th Battalion is stationed Logistical Support Area Anaconda near Balad.

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Brig. Gen. Michael C. Flowers, chief of staff of the Kosovo Forces (Main) at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo will become the new commander of Joint Prisoner of WarMissing in Action Accounting Command at Hickam Air Force Base. He will replace Maj. Gen. W. Montague Winfield who is slated to command the U.S. Army Cadet Command at Fort Monroe, Va.

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Three hundred officers and sailors on the Pearl Harbor-based destroyer USS Paul Hamilton will leave May 9 for a 4 1/2-month deployment to southeast Asia and will participate in several multinational sea war games in the war against terrorism. The guided-missile destroyer is commanded by Cmdr. Warner Julinka.

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In addition to getting a refund of 2004-05 University of Hawaii tuition fees, UH students who were activated with the Hawaii Army National Guard and Army Reserve will be reinstated to their original course of study with no loss of credit or privileges.

Rep. Mark Takai, who is a Hawaii Army National Guard officer going on active duty, asked the UH to consider such a policy. Last week Doris Ching, UH vice president for student affairs, said the university will honor such a request.

Takai said there are about 300 National Guard and reservists now deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan who have had to put their education on hold. Some of these National Guard and reservists were accepted into UH medical and nursing schools and will now be able to join the next available class on their return, Takai said.

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Schofield Barracks' Military Assistance to Safety in Traffic helicopter medevac 24-hour service last week received a $1,500 donation from Hawaii Air Ambulance, Queen's Medical Foundation and American Medical Response.

The money will be used to refurbish the helicopter crew headquarters of the 68th Medical Company at Wheeler Army Airfield.

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The 15th Airlift Wing's cultural resources management program at Hickam Air Force Base last week was awarded the Defense Secretary's annual Environmental Award. Hickam's program includes three historic districts that are made up of 505 architectural and archaeological properties eligible to be listed in the national register.