Kaneohe Marine earns Bronze Star

Marine Gunnery Sgt. Torain Kelley, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment at Kaneohe Bay, has been awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq between October and December 2004.

COURTESY PHOTO
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Torain Kelley was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq in a ceremony at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe on Friday.

His award was for two months of combat operations in and around the city of Al Fallujah as a member of B Company. In one instance, the citation said, Kelly's company was returning from combat operations in the Zaidon region of the Al Anbar Province when a suicide bomber struck his convoy, causing 17 casualties. Kelly is credited with establishing a defense and overseeing recovery efforts.

In another operation, his 15-man patrol was attacked and Kelly was wounded. Ignoring his wounds, Kelly established a defense, assisted in treating the wounded and led the counterattack, the citation said.

Maj. Gen. William Caldwell IV, who served as 25th Infantry Division assistant commander in 2001, will leave his job as commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division and become deputy chief of staff for Strategic Effects at the Multinational Force in Iraq.

Caldwell took over the command of the 82nd Division about two years ago, replacing Maj. Gen. Chuck Swannack Jr., who served as a brigade commander at Schofield Barracks. Caldwell also commanded a battalion at Schofield Barracks in 1994 and was deputy director for operations at the U.S. Pacific Command in 2002.

Pacific Army Reserve soldiers of the 322nd Civil Affairs Brigade have been working as volunteers in the Human Assistance Center in Baghdad where Iraqi citizens get medical help, wheelchairs, clothing or food. Staff Sgt. Angela Verna, a volunteer from Hawaii, said: "One little boy came in wearing hand-me-downs from older sisters and was thrilled to get boys clothing to wear."

The 100 Army Reservist soldiers from Hawaii deployed to Iraq in June and will be there for a year. They are commanded by Col. Joe Uson from Mililani.

The Hawaii Army National Guard's 117th Public Affairs Detachment and the 298th Engineer Detachment are expected to return home on April 4 after spending nearly a year in Afghanistan.

"In the Military" was compiled from wire reports and other sources by reporter Gregg K. Kakesako, who covers military affairs for the Star-Bulletin. He can be reached by phone at 294-4075 or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com.