In the Military

Gregg K. Kakesako

COURTESY OF GENE CASTAGNETTI
Three generations of Castagnettis were present at the commissioning of 2nd Lt. Christopher Castagnetti, center, including grandfather Gene, a retired Marine colonel, left, and father Frank, who also served in the Marines.

Ceremony spans 3 generations

A second lieutenant's grandfather and father see his commissioning

Three generations of the Castagnetti family were represented this month when Christopher Keonie Castagnetti, a 2002 Kamehameha Schools graduate, was commissioned as a Marine Corps second lieutenant at Quantico, Va., at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Castagnetti was the recipient of the Officer Candidate Schools leadership award for achieving the highest leadership grade in his class of 856 officer candidates. He also received the Marine Corps officers sword for his outstanding leadership achievement in attaining the highest grade point average.

He is a graduate of Holy Cross College. Attending the commissioning were his grandfather, Gene Castagnetti, a retired Marine colonel who is the recipient of the Silver Star medal for action in the Vietnam War and is the director of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific; his father, Frank Castagnetti, who served six years in the Marine Corps and is the adult mental health case manager for the state in Hilo; and Mark Castagnetti, an uncle and a Honolulu firefighter.

On Tuesday, the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island will receive a F-15A Eagle jet fighter that once belonged to the Hawaii Air National Guard and the active Air Force's 49th Tactical Fighter Wing at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.

The F-15A Eagle was the first U.S. fighter that could accelerate while in a vertical climb to 65,000 feet. The jet will join the museum's recently acquired F-14 Tomcat jet fighter, which was added in July.

The museum's F-15A was delivered to the Air Force in 1977 and assigned to the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing. When the 49th Wing transitioned to the F-117, this Eagle was transferred in June 1992 to the Hawaii Air National Guard.

The museum has raised more than $16 million for the renovation of Hangar 37 - a World War II hangar that survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The museum restoration plans includes hangars 79 and 54, and the red-and-white-striped control tower.

MOVING UP

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS

» Col. Steve Grove has assumed command of the 500th Military intelligence Brigade, relieving Col. Christopher Ballard.

PEARL HARBOR

» Cmdr. Timothy Kott has assumed command of the destroyer USS Hopper, relieving Cmdr. Jeffrey James.

» Capt. Randall Moore has assumed command of the Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, relieving Capt. Robert Carter.

"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.