In the Military Gregg K. Kakesako

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye received the Medal of Honor flag during a presentation of the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks on Aug. 20. Inouye received the flag from Capt. Terry H. Zoch, commander of Echo Company, 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment. After the ceremony, Sen. Inouye and his wife, Irene, greeted the men from The Military Order of the Purple Heart: Henry Lee, Lucio Sanico, Francis Yasutake and Donald Cook.

Inouye receives Medal of Honor flag

Caslen said it is this "warrior ethos" that makes "our soldiers the best and brightest in the world." The 25th Division commanding general added during the Aug. 20 ceremony: "He (Inouye) demonstrated the importance of leadership, service, and commitment at every level, and he continues to serve all of us today."

Inouye was presented the flag by Capt. Terry H. Zoch, commander of Echo Company, 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment. Zoch said the senator specifically requested a commander from Echo Company to present him with the flag to honor his men from the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Inouye served as a lieutenant and platoon leader in the 442nd RCT and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in a battle in Italy where he lost an arm. His award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in June 2000. The Medal of Honor flag was created in 2002 for display by living Medal of Honor recipients and primary next of kin of Medal of Honor recipients.

U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka and Navy Capt. Gregory R. Thomas, commander of Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, will be the guest speakers at Tuesday's ceremonies on the battleship USS Missouri commemorating the 63rd anniversary of the end of the war in the Pacific. The ceremony will begin at 8:45 a.m. which will coincide with the time of day that representatives from 10 nations signed the formal "Instrument of Surrender" to officially end World War II on Sept. 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri as it sat at anchor in Tokyo Bay.

The Army's green and white mess uniforms will be phased out by 2014 and will be replaced with one featuring a dark blue jacket and light blue pants, according to a message sent out last week by Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston.

The dress blue uniform has roots in U.S. Army uniforms that date back to the Revolutionary War, and is usually worn during ceremonies and formal occasions. The current dress green uniform was adopted in the 1950s, and is the Army equivalent of a civilian business suit. The Army decided not to adopt the gray shirt it had been considering. Instead, a heavier, more wrinkle-resistant short- and long-sleeve white shirt will be worn with the blue coat.

New recruits will begin receiving dress blues, instead of dress greens, in their initial basic clothing issue beginning in 2010. More details on the uniform can be found at: www.army.mil/asu.

MOVING UP

» Col. Robert Rice, former deputy of operations at US Southern Command in Miami, Fla., has assumed command of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, who has retired.

Schofield Barracks

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