Schofield gets lighter cannons

Eighteen of the Army's newest towed M-77 lightweight 155 mm howitzer cannons have been received by the 25th Infantry Divisions 2nd Brigade Stryker Combat Team. The howitzers were sent to the 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery regiment, at Schofield Barracks.

The new artillery weapon is 7,000 pounds lighter than the M-198 155 mm cannon it replaces. Because it is nearly half the weight of the 15,758-pound M-198, two of the new, lighter-weight artillery guns can be transported by a C-130 cargo plane.

The 2nd Brigade is the fifth Stryker combat brigade in the Army. However, all training and construction work surrounding the Schofield Barracks unit have been halted because of a federal lawsuit. The Army has been ordered to complete a supplemental environmental impact statement evaluating places other than Hawaii where the Stryker unit can be located.

Army Brig. Gen. Bernard S. Champoux, former assistant 25th Infantry Division commander, has been nominated for appointment to major general. Champoux is currently serving as deputy chief legislative liaison in Washington, D.C.

Champoux also served as commander of the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, at Schofield Barracks from July 1998 to June 1999.

The Honolulu chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League will hold a symposium surrounding the actions of Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, who is the first military officer to face a court martial for refusing to fight in Iraq. It will begin at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at the University of Hawaii's architecture auditorium. The featured speaker will be Watada's father, Bob; Jon Van Dyke of the University of Hawaii Richardson School of Law and Watada's attorney, Eric Seitz.

"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.