7,200 more Hawaii-based troops heading out

Most will deploy to Iraq this year while the Hawaii Army National Guard goes to Kuwait

By this fall there will be nearly 12,200 Hawaii-based troops on active duty in either Iraq or Kuwait, including soldiers from Schofield Barracks, Marines from Kaneohe, and Hawaii Army National Guard and Army reservists.

The Pentagon announced today that 42,000 troops, including 25,000 active duty Army soldiers, will be sent to Iraq this fall.

The call up includes 3,500 soldiers in Schofield's 25th Infantry Division 3rd Brigade Combat Team and the 1,000-member division headquarters unit.

The 3rd Brigade returned home last October from a 15-month deployment in Iraq and will spend barely 12 months at home before heading out again.

Under the current policy combat tours in Iraq last 15 months which means units like the 5,000-member 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team — which left Wahiawa in December — won't be home until early next year.

Also leaving this summer for Iraq are 1,000 Kaneohe Marines from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines and 1,700 citizen soldiers from the Hawaii Army National Guard's 29th Infantry Brigade and the Army reserve's 100th/442nd Infantry.

The breakdown of Hawaii troops coming and going:

Leaving

» 1,700 soldiers of the Hawaii Army National Guard's 29th Infantry Brigade and the Army Reserve's 199th Battalion/442nd Infantry. Kuwait-bound in Sept-ember / October.

» 1,000 soldiers from Headquarters 25th Infantry Division. Iraq-bound in the Fall.

» 3,500 soldiers from the 25th Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team. Iraq-bound in the Fall.

» 1,000 Marines from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. Iraq-bound in the Summer.

Returning

» 70 soldiers from 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation, Hawaii Army National Guard from Iraq in the Summer.

» 5,000 soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and other soldiers assigned to Fort Shafter from Iraq in March 2009.