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Briefs........................... A-4, B-2CTF Thunder................... A-6Fall Teen Camp ............. B-3Makua Tour.................... B-4

LIVING HISTORY DAY B-1

HAWAII ARMY WEEKLYVol. 33 No. 40 Serving the U.S. Army community in Hawaii October 8, 2004

USARHAWhousingprivatized

By Sharee MooreEditor

U.S. Army Garrison, Hawaiiforged a partnership with ActusLend Lease Oct. 1 to build, ren-ovate and maintain Army hous-ing for the next 50 years. Theunion will yield many long andshort-term benefits for Soldiersand their families.

Col. Howard Killian, com-mander of the US ArmyGarrison, Hawaii said the con-tract simply means, “We’regoing to get new housing – lotsof it.” During the first 10 years,almost 8,000 Army homes willeither be replaced or renovatedand community centers will beadded to every neighborhood.

Keith Nishioka, a seniorstaff member with theResidential CommunityInitiative Program said,“Under the old military con-struction system, only 100Army homes were revitalizedin a year, so the Army needed tofind a way to improve housingfor Soldiers’ and their familiesmore quickly and efficiently.”

U.S. Army Garrison, Hawaiiand Actus Lend Lease haveformed a partnership calledArmy Hawaii Family Housing,LLC, which will manage theproperties and replace or reno-vate our Army housing invento-ry.

“These replacement homesaren’t your typical Army-issueset of quarters, these are morecommensurate with what youwill see if you bought a houseon the economy,” Killian said.Soldiers can expect to get agarage, central air and all ofthe new technology the home-building industry has devel-oped over the last few years.

“The biggest challenge is forpeople to quit thinking thatthey live in a home that’sowned and operated by theArmy – because you don’t,”Killian explained.

Army Hawaii FamilyHousing LLC began maintain-ing neighborhoods Oct. 1. So,instead of going to the self-helpstore on Fort Shafter andSchofield Barracks to borrowtools and pick up other items,residents now go to the neigh-borhood community centers.

Spc. Sean Kimmons

Staff Sgt. Chris Golde, a squad leader with Co. A, TF 1-21 Inf., patrols a displaced Kurdish camp inNorthwest Kirkuk, Iraq, as the sun sets behind him.

See “Housing” Page A-5

Gimlets patrol Kurdish camp

Hispanic HeritageFestival

The 11th AnnualHispanic Heritage Festivalwill be held Saturday atKapiolani Park andBandstand in Honolulufrom 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.There will be entertain-ment, food booths, arts andcrafts specialty items, cul-tural displays and chil-dren’s activities. This yearalso features the AnnualHispanic Family HealthFair presented with theHispanic Center of Hawaii.Admission is free. Call 941-5216 or 285-0072 for infor-mation.

Wheeler Middle SchoolTown Hall Meeting

The Town Hall Meetingwill be held Oct. 14 at 5 p.m.at the Wheeler Middle Schoolcafeteria. All military fami-lies are invited to addressschool concerns, the status ofthe Action Plan, and to dis-cuss the School CommunityCouncil. Call Wayne Yoshinoat 655-2414 for more infor-mation.

Army Hawaii Women’sVolleyball Teams Wanted

Schofield Barracks,Helemano, WAAF, TAMCand Fort Shafter Activeduty female Soldiers andwives of active dutySoldiers Army (battalionlevel) within the geographi-cal limits of Hawaii areallowed to enter one team.All entries must be receivedby the USAG-HI SportsOffice, building 556, Stop112, Schofield Barracks,before close of business Oct.18. First meeting will be at1:30 p.m., Oct. 25 at theKa’ala Recreation Center,building 556, SchofieldBarracks. For more infor-mation call USAG-HISports Office at 655-0856 or655-0101 or e-mail irvine-ba@schofield.army.mil.

AnnualAntiterrorism

Exercise from Nov. 1-18

Exercises will be accom-plished through a series ofshort notice, one day situa-tional training exercises. TheAntiterrorism office and U.S.Army Garrison Hawaii areendeavoring to create anexercise with minimal impacton the community’s activitieswhile protecting families,installations and islandsfrom acts of terrorism. CallRobert C. Marsh at 655-5212for more information.

Retractions for theOct. 3 Edition of HAW

Chief Warrant OfficerChris Bryant wrote the arti-cle titled “aviator logs 10,000flight hours, eclipses mile-stone.”

Fabiola Hurtado DeMendoza and Bobby DelaRosa are pictured in the arti-cle titled “USARHAW cele-brates Hispanic Heritage.”

Spc. Francis HortonCJTF-76 Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIR FIELD,Afghanistan – As the days tick away,edging closer to the first nationalelections in Afghanistan, coalitiontroops and United Nations electionsworkers are making sure that theAfghans are taking a leading role.

“The Afghans are involved ineverything,” said Maj. JoeGleichenhaus, planning officer forthe 25th Infantry Division (Light)and Combined Joint Task Force 76.

Though coalition forces are doingeverything to support the Afghanelections, troops are trying to stayout of the way for the most part.

“This is a joint endeavor,”Gleichenhaus said.

A joint endeavor that has been ineffect with an interim governmentfor the past three years sinceCoalition Soldiers and Afghan forcesousted the Taliban threat in 2001.Now, for the first time inAfghanistan’s history, Afghans aretaking matters into their own hands.

From registering fellow Afghansto setting up counting and ballot sta-tions, the Afghans have proven they

are eager for their first taste ofdemocracy.

But the Taliban threat remains,and Gleichenhaus said they’ll dotheir best to disrupt the elections.

Much of the elections security isleft up to local police forces ratherthan coalition troops, Gleichenhaussaid. This will also prove the abilityof Afghan security forces.

“We have provided informationexchanges and logistics support,”Gleichenhaus said. “We will supportthem with all assets we can.”

Gleichenhaus is confident thatthe elections will go relativelysmoothly.

“There’s going to be some inci-dents, however, it won’t stop the peo-ple from voting and electing a presi-dent,” Gleichenhaus said.

Original coalition and UnitedNations estimated that five millionAfghans would register to vote. Tenand a half million Afghans regis-tered to vote, exceeding all expecta-tions, said Gleichenhaus.

“It demonstrates the people’sresolve for this to happen,”Gleichenhaus said. “We areextremely optimistic for a successfulelection.”

Looking toward the future ofAfghanistan, these elections are thefirst of many possible landmarks,linking Afghanistan to a partnership

with the international communityand a combined resolve that leads toa lasting peace and a stable prosper-ous country.

Afghan elections tomorrow

Sgt. Frank Magni

Afghan women register to vote at the Kandahar city voter registra-tion center. To date, more than 10 million people have registered tovote in time for Saturday’s election.

Master Sgt. Terry AndersonCJTF 76 Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIR FIELD,AFGHANISTAN – One ofthe most decoratedinfantry divisions in theUnited States Army addedanother story to it’s historyduring a ceremony hereOct.1.

Soldiers from the 25thInfantry Division (Light),along with coalition troops,received their shouldersleeve insignia for FormerWartime Service, or com-bat patch, during the cere-mony. The significance ofthe 25th ID (L) combatpatch ceremony was notlost on division andCombined Joint Task Force76 Command Sgt. Maj.Frank Ashe.

“This is the first time in30 years that TropicLightning Soldiers arecombat vets, serving in oneof the most highly decorat-ed divisions in the Army,”Ashe said. “And for theceremony to take place onthe division’s 63rd birth-

day, that’s a great big dealfor all our veterans.Showing the world every-day that our division hastop-notch Soldiers.”

Ashe, along with CJTF-76 and 25th ID(L) com-mander, Maj. Gen. Eric T.Olson, handed out combatpatches and Global War onTerrorism Service and

Expeditionary medals totroops in front of BagramAir Field’s JointOperations Center.

It’s 1st Sgt. CharlesSasser’s first combat patchin a 20-year Army career.He’s a ranger-qualifiedinfantryman who hasserved in Egypt onMultinational Force and

Observer duty. Sasser saidreceiving the TropicLightning combat patch isthe culmination of twodecades of service toAmerica.

“It really means a lot tome personally and profes-sionally,” said Sasser, first

Master Sgt. Terry Anderson

Maj. Gen. Eric T. Olson, commander, Combined Joint Task Force 76 at BagramAir Field, Afghanistan, salutes a 25th Infantry Division (Light) Soldier after pre-senting him with a combat patch, during a ceremony Oct. 1.

See “25th ID (L)” Page A-5

Combat patches, 25th IDs birthday

Voices of Lightning

“I live in Medonca Parkand we do not have the samesecurity as SchofieldBarracks with the constantgate guard. People can, anddo, come and go as theyplease.”

What is your biggest safety concern?

Michelle AcreeFamily member

Capt. Christopher LoweHHC, 45th CSG (Forward)Commander

Sgt. Jerry JamieTAMC

Spc. James Mitchell2nd Bn, 11th FA Rgt.Cook

Kathi GougaertsFamily member

Michelle CastilloFamily Member

“I worry most about drink-ing related incidents. About90 percent of the serious inci-dent reports that I comeacross alcohol is a factor.Late nights and drunk driv-ing do not mix.”

“Transitioning Soldiersover seas. Soldiers are get-ting kidnapped and pickedout in crowds, even whenthen are just on vacation incertain countries.”

“I worry about the lack ofexperienced drivers on theroads.”

“The safety of my childrenis my biggest concern. I workso the security on post is a bigconcern of mine.”

“When my daughter and Idrive down the highway, care-less drivers are always cut-ting me off. It is the sameway in parking lots wherepeople drive faster than theyshould.”

OPINION & COMMENTARYHAWAII ARMY WEEKLY

Friday A-2 October 8, 2004

We want to hear from youThe Hawaii Army Weekly wel-

comes letters and commentariesfrom readers. To submit call theeditor at 655-4816 or e-mail edi-tor@hawaiiarmyweekly.com.

The deadline for articles isthe Friday prior to the week ofpublication. Send all articles inMicrosoft Word or text format.

KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq –Ever since I arrived to this coun-try in late January, I’ve beensubject to things I’ve never wit-nessed before in my life.

I have seen poverty at a severelevel, where families live in one-room mud huts and beg along theroadside for unwanted Meal,Ready to Eat food items.

I have seen the aftermath ofenemy rockets fired inside baseperimeters and ImprovisedExplosive Devices detonated onour vehicles.

I have heard the outspokenthoughts of Soldiers confused ofwhy we are here in this strug-gling country.

I have seen and heard thelong-lasting hatred that stillbrews between the Arabs andKurds in certain areas ofNorthern Iraq.

And sadly, I have partaken inthe many memorial ceremoniesfor our fallen comrades.

I admit there have been manynegative incidents in the eightmonths since 2nd BrigadeCombat Team, 25th InfantryDivision (Light) took over thearea of operations around thecity of Kirkuk.

But there has been balance tothese bad times.

The nearly 3,000 Soldiers of2nd BCT in Iraq have observedand even participated in numer-ous positive events.

It seems like everydaySoldiers join in ribbon-cuttingceremonies for new facilities thatare benefiting all Iraqis.

In fact, since mid-February,2nd BCT has been allocated morethan $20 million of Commander’sEmergency Response Funds thathas paid for the completion of336 Iraqi construction projects.

These projects affect manyIraqis – the ones who use the

facilities as well as the unem-ployed laborers who were paid towork on the construction proj-ects.

It is the same way throughoutIraq. Multi-National Forces inIraq and the Iraqi people areimproving the infrastructure ofthis country together.Unfortunately, it is a longprocess, and other units will haveto continue it in the future.

The overall attitude of Iraqisin this AO has become very wel-coming over the past eightmonths. When I go outside thegate on various missions, a goodamount of that time my arm is inthe upright position returningwaves to friendly Iraqis.

Also, the Iraqi children aresomething else. Almost everytime an Iraqi boy or girl catchesa glimpse of an American Soldiertheir faces light up with joy. Inreturn, the smiles of these Iraqichildren help keep Soldiers inhigh spirits and reminds them ofwhy we are here making thiscountry a better place.

Another thing that hasamazed me is the teamwork ofIraq’s different ethnicities in theIraqi Security Forces. Within theISF, Kurds, Arabs, Turks andAssyrians all work effectivelyalongside each other in dailyoperations.

Hopefully, other Iraqis canreplicate this ethnic cooperationthroughout every corner of Iraq.

For the longest time, it seemedlike there wasn’t a day thatpassed without a rocket or mor-tar attack on Kirkuk Air Base.Now, they do not occur as often.

Multiple security missionsconducted by 2nd BCT units andthe ISF have considerably helpedwith this ongoing problem.

In addition, Hesco barrierswere emplaced around the livingareas by Company B, 65thEngineer Battalion Soldiersabout six months ago. TheseHesco barriers can absorb out-side shrapnel or an impact fromenemy ordnance, therefore, pro-tecting the area within the barri-

ers.The way Hesco barriers sur-

round the living containers, yousometimes feel like a mouse in amaze. But I would rather feellike a mouse than a lemming,who knows death is around thecorner or in their case off of acliff.

On a sadder note, we have lostfive of our 2nd BCT comradesduring this deployment. It’ssomething that hits close to homewhen you hear of a fellowSoldier’s death.

When we all came into Iraq,we knew there was that possibili-ty of never returning home.Nevertheless, you put thosethoughts into the back of yourmind, so you won’t hesitate orfalter in your missions.

We are the lucky ones to bestationed in this AO than inother parts of Iraq, though. Justask Soldiers from Task Force 1-14 Infantry who were in Najaftwice conducting military opera-tions against Al-Sadr’s militia.I’m sure they’ll tell you all aboutthe countless attacks theyreceived down there.

The loss of a Soldier’s lifeoften brings up the question ofwhy we are still here conductingoperations in Iraq. This questionis overwhelming, and its answerscan vary.

I believe we should stay untilwe improve Iraq’s infrastructureand implement a democratic soci-ety.

Despite the bad things youhear in the daily news reports,the positive is outweighing thenegative. In the civilian newsmedia, the bad news is the goodnews. For me, the good news isjust that – good news.

As a military photojournalist,I get to see what most Soldiersdo to ensure a free Iraq to itspeople. I travel along on theirdaily missions and see the guid-ance and aid they offer to theIraqis.

And from what I have seen inthe past eight months, 2nd BCTSoldiers are making a huge dif-ference here.

Journalist recounts goodnews of OIF II deployment

Spc. Sean Kimmons25th ID (L) Public Affairs

Commentary

Sept. 27, 2 p.m. I was talkingwith some Soldiers, at one of theplane hangers on the airbase,who was about to go on R&R.Two explosions rocked the

ground. I walked outside andsaw smoke coming from thenortheast of where I was stand-ing. The airbase alarm wassounded and personnel startedmoving to concrete bunkers.After the “all clear” was given, Iwalked to the headquarters com-mand post and got the update.

It seems two rockets or mor-tars were fired at the airbase.One impacted in an open area on

the airbase but the other fellshort in a neighborhood by thetrain station. No casualties, justsome property damage and someshaken up residents. After doingan analysis on the impact area, itwas determined that the roundswere fired from outside the city.

This seems to be a new tacticresurfacing. Our enemy has beenall but shut down within the cityby our constant presence. Thereare no areas that we don’t patrol,therefore they know coalitionpatrols are likely to find them ifthey try to attack us.

Sept. 28. We received someintel on one of the top bad guysin the area. Capt. Derek Bird,company commander andSoldiers from 2nd Platoon movedout to do some surveillance.After pinpointing the possibleresidence, the Soldiers moved inand apprehended the suspect.

This is the biggest fish wehave nabbed to date. This pieceof garbage is one of the cell lead-ers of a terrorist group thataligns itself with Ansar al-Sunna,a Sunni Muslim group that hasclaimed responsibility for the

beheading of 12 Nepalesehostages. A lot of the credit forthe bust goes to one of our inter-preters, “Mike.” He was able toidentify this guy right away. Sgt.1st Class Richard Woodruff, 2ndPlatoon sergeant from PompanoBeach, Fla., said nothing but“high fives” after transportingthis guy to the base detentioncell.

After returning to the patrolbase, Pfc. Michael Rogerson,Statesville, N.C., 2nd Platoonmedic, and the rest of the platoonwere able to deliver some sup-plies to the pediatric hospital.This is one of the things that the

Soldiers really enjoy. We arehoping to help this hospital morein the future.

This week, we picked up a fewnew sectors. They are west oftown, so we have sent numerouspatrols out to recon the new ter-rain. On Thursday our Soldiersreceived a tour of one of theareas by the South African secu-rity team hired to guard it. Theyare building barracks for theNew Iraqi Army that will be posi-tioned in the area. Staff Sgt.Robert Ryder, Portland Ore., toldme that they showed him wherenumerous rockets have beenfired, so we have conducted anti-rocket observation posts andpatrols in the area.

Woodruff said “We’ll continueto do these anti-rocket missionsuntil the rocket fire either movesout of the area or ceases.”

Oct. 1. 2nd Platoon discovereda small cache just outside a smallvillage in some abandon build-ings. They recovered an RPG,some rounds and an anti person-nel mine.

Another problem we are facingis the influx of squatters in thearea. The local residents areupset because they want the landthat the squatters are trying toclaim. We’ll have to keep an eyeon these new areas to try to quelltensions in the area.

A Soldier’s story

By 1st Sgt. Robert JenningsCo. A, 1-21 Inf. Bn.

Commentary

The Hawaii Army Weekly is an author-ized newspaper and is published in theinterest of the U.S. Army community inHawaii.

All editorial content of the Hawaii ArmyWeekly is the responsibility of the U.S. Army,Hawaii Public Affairs Office, SchofieldBarracks, Hawaii 96857. Contents of theHawaii Army Weekly are not necessarily theofficial views of, or endorsed by, the U.S.Government or the Department of the Army.

The Hawaii Army Weekly is printed byThe Honolulu Advertiser, a private firm in noway connected with the U.S. Government,

under exclusive written agreement with theU.S. Army, Hawaii.

The Hawaii Army Weekly is publishedweekly using the offset method of reproduc-tion and has a printed circulation of 15,300.

Everything advertised in this publicationshall be made available for purchase, use orpatronage without regard to race, color, reli-gion, sex, national origin, age, marital sta-

tus, physical handicap, political affiliation, orany other non-merit factor of the purchaser,user or patron.

If a violation or rejection of this equalopportunity policy by an advertiser is con-firmed, the printer will refuse to print adver-tising from that source until the violation iscorrected.

The appearance of advertising in thispublication, including inserts and supple-ments, does not constitute endorsement bythe Department of the Army, or TheHonolulu Advertiser, of the firms, productsor services advertised.

Commander Col. Michael McBridePublic Affairs OfficerCapt. Kathleen TurnerPublic Affairs Chief

Sgt. Kendrick WashingtonCommand Information Officer

Ed Aber-SongEditor

Sharee MooreStaff WritersJoy Boiselle

Spc. Charles HayesLayout

Tony Verceluz

Editorial Office: 655-4816/8728

Fax: 655-9290

E-mail: e-mail the HAW direct at

editor@hawaiiarmyweekly.com or

ed.aber-song@schofield.army.mil

Address: Public Affairs Office

Bldg. 580, Stop 215

Schofield Barracks, HI 96857

Web site:

http://www.25idl.army.mil/haw.asp

Advertising: 521-9111

HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY

Hawaii Army Weekly A-3October 8, 2004 NEWS

Story by Spc. Dijon Rolle17th Public Affairs Det.

K A N D A H A R ,Afghanistan –– Soldiersfrom 3rd Battalion, 7thField Artillery Regiment,currently deployed toKandahar Airfield, aregoing into the surroundingcommunities to find moreways to help local resi-dents.

To facilitate this effort,Soldiers from 3rd Bn., 7thFA Rgt., and Col. DickPedersen, Combined TaskForce Bronco commander,were on hand to speak withlocal mullahs, or religiousleaders, during a meetingheld at the KandaharProvincial ReconstructionTeam. The mullahs fromKandahar meet monthlywith Coalition forces to dis-cuss issues and concernswithin their community.The main focal points ofSeptember’s meeting wereongoing reconstructionefforts in the Kandaharregion, education and secu-rity, particularly for themullahs themselves. Themullahs and their familieshave been targeted by anti-Coalition militants fortheir continued cooperationwith Coalition forces.

“I am very aware thatyou as mullahs, true schol-ars of Islam, are assumingrisk because you pursuewhat is right and what istrue,” said Pedersen. “Bystanding up for what istrue and what is right, (youare) soldiers in your ownright. You are Afghanheroes – patriots.”

Pedersen also urged the

mullahs to share informa-tion from the meeting withtheir people to help dispelmisconceptions surround-ing the Coalition’s presencein Afghanistan, and to reit-

erate the fact that every-one, including the interna-tional community, mustwork together to accom-plish the tasks at hand.

“The Afghan people,Coalition forces and theinternational communitymust come together for thisrebuilding,” said Pedersen.“This way, the Afghan peo-ple can harness theresources of the world inorder to rebuild their coun-try.”

After the meeting, 3rdBn., 7th FA Rgt., Soldiersvisited the KandaharShaeed Abdul Ahad KarziOrphanage to meet withadministrators and resi-dents there. The orphanagealso serves as a school forboys and girls from kinder-garten to middle school. It’scurrently undergoing major

reconstruction so it canhouse nearly 250 children.The battalion is consider-ing adopting the orphanageand helping to supply itwith necessities like furni-ture, bedding and schoolsupplies.

While no official decisionhas been made yet, 3rd Bn.,7th FA Rgt., ExecutiveOfficer Maj. WilliamOxtoby, toured the areaand assessed the conditionsthere.

“It’s one of the manythings that we can dobesides our regular mis-sions to give somethingback to the people,” saidOxtoby. “I think it means alot to the people here, and Ithink it’s doing somethingfor this country andstrengthening ties betweenAfghanistan and theUnited States.”

Maj. James Schaefer,CTF Bronco chaplain, isworking with several unitsthroughout the brigade,including 3rd Bn., 7th FARgt., to encourage them to“adopt” different localschools and organizationslike the orphanage. Thepartnership gives unitsanother outlet to directlyimpact the rebuilding andstabilization ofAfghanistan.

“This is important forthe Coalition because partof our purpose is to stop thegrowth or movement of evilforces,” said Schaefer. “Atthe same time, it helpsthese young men andwomen get an opportunityto grow, to learn a tradeand also be productive forthis country.”

Soldiers work toimprove communities

Spc. Sean Kimmons

Sgt. Richard Rider, a personal security detachment member from HHS, TF 2-11FA, holds an Iraqi girl in Kirkuk on Aug. 13. Many Iraqi children in this city havebecome friendlier to U.S. Soldiers during the past eight months.

“…the Afghanpeople canharness the

resources of theworld in order to

rebuild theircountry.”

- Col. DickPedersen

Iraqi kids make friends

October 8, 2004A-4 Hawaii Army Weekly NEWS

BriefsFall Festival – A Fall

Festival will be held at HaleKula Elementary School,Schofield Barracks Oct. 23from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain orshine. This family activitywill include games, prizes,food, entertainment, silentauction, static displays andmuch more. Vendors,crafters, and FRGs wanted,booth price is $20. ContactAndrea at 624-1110 for infor-mation.

Hui O’ Na WahineLuncheon – The Hui O’Na Wahine of SchofieldBarracks will hold itsmonthly luncheon onThursday, Oct. 21, at theNehelani. Cost is $12.October is Breast CancerAwareness month, so joinus as we learn more aboutthe disease. The guestspeaker, Maj. Lomax, is thedeputy director of theObstetrician andGynecology specialty courseat Tripler Army MedicalCenter. She will provideattendees with up-to-dateinformation about breastcancer. Doors will open at10:30 a.m., and lunch is at11 a.m. If interested inbecoming a vendor call AmySnyder at 624-4989. Forreservations call Judi Rossiat 778-3704. Limited on sitechild care will be provided.Call central registration at655-3929 or 655-5314 tomake a reservation.

Free Packing Materials– spouses and families of mili-tary members who aredeployed overseas can get freepacking materials from thepostal service. To take advan-tage of this service call: 1-800-610-8734 and (press 1 forEnglish and then 3 for anoperator) and they will sendfree boxes, packing materials,tape and mailing labels.These products are to be used

to mail care packages to serv-ice members. Access thisinformation by going on theInternet: supplies.usps.gov

Call the 1-800-610-8734 toreceive priority mailing tape.Some of the items availableonline are: Box 7-12x12x8 ,Box 4-7x7x6, 106A - Labels, Form 2976A - Customs Form,Form 2976E - Envelope forCustoms Form.

Hale Kula ElementarySchool CommunityMeeting – Oct. 20 in the HaleKula Elementary School cafe-teria from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Allmilitary families are invited toattend the meeting to discussthe school goals and visionand to examine the data of theschool’s student achievements.Call Wayne Yoshino, Armyschool liaison officer at 655-2414 for information.

Deployment SurvivalNight at AMR Chapel –Adults and children are invit-ed to attend the AMR Chapel’sfree Deployment SurvivalNight Meal and Program thisTuesday. Guest speaker, DeeAthey, will talk about activeparenting skills. There will bea program for children inkindergarten - 6th grade andthe youth group will be meet-ing for 7th - 12th graders.Schedule for the night: 5:30p.m. is dinner and classesbegin at 6 p.m. All classes endat 7:30 p.m. Make sure chil-

dren (9 months - 4 years old)are registered for the freeSTACC Site Child care for thechapel. Call 833-5393 to reg-ister.

Parents may use chapelchild care during any of itsprograms and worship servic-es. Call the chapel at 833-8175 for more infomation andreservations for dinner andchild care. Leave a name,phone number, number ofadults attending, names andages of the children.

Honolulu Symphony –All military personnel areinvited to save 20 percentwhen they purchase tickets toHonolulu Symphony shows.For a complete listing of showtimes and more informationon the military discount, go towww.ticketmaster.com/promo/7463.

Annual SpookfestFundraiser on Wheeler –The annual Spookfest celebra-tion will be held Thursday,Oct. 28, from 6 – 7:30 p.m. atthe Armed Services YMCA onWheeler Army Air Field. Thisis a friendly fall festivaldesigned for pre-school chil-dren. Come in costume andplay games, win prizes andmake crafts. Snacks anddrinks will be available. Planto join us during this “spook-tacular” fundraising event tosupport the Play MorningProgram. There will be anadmission charge of less than$2. Call Dela LaFleur at 624-5645 for more information.

Blood DonationsNeeded – The Tripler ArmyMedical Center Blood DonorCenter is located on the hos-pital’s second floor,Oceanside and is openMonday through Friday, 8a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 433-6148.

The WelfareCommittee of the FortShafter Hui O Wahineserving Fort Shafter,Tripler, AMR, and CampSmith is currently accept-ing requests for financialassistance. In accordancewith Hui’s constitution,only requests submittedfrom charitable, education-al or community organiza-tions will be considered.Requests must include theorganization’s name, pointof contact with phone num-ber, and the amount offunds requested and howthey will be utilized.Deadline for requests isNov. 1, 2004. Distributionof funds will take place byNov. 15, 2004. For moreinformation contactMarcella Heilig at 833-1834. Mail requests to FortShafter Hui O Wahine,Welfare Committee, c/oMarcella Heilig, HaleIkena: Building 710, FortShafter, HI 96858

Off-post LoanerFurniture ProgramDiscontinued – TheAssistant Chief of Staff forInstallation Managementdiscontinued the Army off-post loaner furniture pro-gram in Hawaii. The on-post loaner program has notchanged. Those who haveloaner furniture and liveoff-post can continue to usethe borrowed furnishingsuntil the 90-day period isup or household goodsarrive. No new issues offurniture or appliances willbe granted for off-post resi-

dences. All incoming mili-tary are encouraged tobring washers and dryers intheir household goods ship-ment. Contact the DPWFurnishings Section at 655-1131 or Kelli Wilson, com-munity relations specialist,at 275-3122.

Upcoming Red CrossClasses – American RedCross Schofield Barracks willbe offering the followingclasses: Infant and ChildCPR, this Saturday, at theRed Cross Office from 9 a.m.– 2 p.m. Cost is $30. FirstAid, this Saturday, at the RedCross Office 2 – 6 p.m. Cost is$20. These classes are opento teens as well as adults.Also, the office will bestaffed, part-time, by volun-teers. Call before coming. Ifno one is available leave amessage and someone will getback to you. Call the office forregistration or information at655-4927.

Free Money for College– The Maj. Gen. JamesUrsano Scholarship Fundhelps Army families with thecosts of post secondary,undergraduate level educa-tion, vocational training, andpreparation for acceptance byservice academies for depend-ent children. Funds can beused for tuition, fees, books,supplies, and on or off cam-pus housing. Eligibility:Applicants must be depend-

ent children of Army Soldierson active duty, retired ordeceased while on active dutyor after retirement. The chil-dren of Gray Area Retireesare also eligible. Deadline isMarch 1.

For more specific informa-tion about deadlines and doc-umentation (students may

apply online after Nov. 1)visit Army Emergency Reliefon the Web at www.aerhq.org.Call (703) 428-0035 or e-maileducation@aerhq.org.

Abuse Shelter Open –The Joint Military FamilyAbuse Shelter provides a safeplace to stay, food, clothing andpersonal care items, trans-

portation, child care, crisiscounseling, information andreferral, advocacy, education,safety planning, and a 24-hour shelter and crisis hot-line. All services are free andopen to all branches of themilitary. Call the 24-hour cri-sis line 533-7125 for informa-tion or to talk to a supportcounselor.

By Sgt. Marie SchultU.S. Army Parachute Team

The U.S. Army Parachute Team, “Golden Knights,” willbe hosting the Sixth Annual Inter-Service ParachuteCompetition at Laurinburg-Maxton Airport inLaurinburg, N.C., Nov. 5 - 8.

The competition is open to all active-duty identificationcard holders, not on leave, (however they may be on per-missive TDY). Participants must have at least 150 jumpto compete in the four-way competition and 200 jumps tocompete in the eight-way competition. Participants with

less than 150 jumps will receive one on one coaching fromU.S. Army Parachute Team personnel.

The four-way competition will be held on Nov. 6 and aneight-way competition will be held on Nov. 7.

Media are invited to watch the competition and inter-view Golden Knight coaches. Press rides will also beavailable, contact media relations to set these up ahead oftime.

For more information or directions to Laurinburg-Maxton airport contact Sgt. Marie Schult at 910-396-7203 or online atwww.usarec.army.mil/hq/GoldenKnights.

“Golden Knights” are recruiting

sergeant for Headquarters,Headquarters Company,25th ID (L). “But I’m notfinished. I’ll stay in theArmy until they ask me toleave.”

During his speech, Olsonsaid the patch and medalssymbolize more than justanother item to sew on theuniform.

“With this combat patchceremony here today, we areforever bonded to that pastand have a visible state-ment of shared commit-ment, value and hardship,”Olson said.

25th ID (L) units haveheld separate combatinfantry badge, combatmedical badge, and combatpatch ceremonies at loca-tions around Afghanistan.Ashe said not every divisionin the Army holds combatpatch ceremonies, and hisreason for holding one issimple.

“I have a saying called

the five to seven monthslump,” Ashe said. “You’rehappy that you’re halfwaythrough but you look aheadand you still see six monthsleft. The main reason we’redoing this ceremony is tohonor our troops and to givethem a positive experiencein the middle of a deploy-ment.”

Olson wrapped up hisspeech by saying 25thInfantry Division Soldiersare earning their keep inthe Global War onTerrorism.

“Our division’s victoriesin Afghanistan and in Iraqare the victories of allSoldiers and all units of theArmy, not just those fewwho participated inOperation EnduringFreedom or Operation IraqiFreedom,” Olson said.

Hawaii Army Weekly A-5October 8, 2004 NEWS

The community center is nowthe focal point to address allconcerns and maintenanceneeds.

More immediate benefits ofprivatization include fasterservice, lawn maintenance andrenovation.

In a six week time period,AHFH filled 8,000 serviceorders and served 9,800 resi-dents. AHFH promises torespond to maintenance callsbetween one and 24 hours.They’ll complete maintenancebetween 24 and 72 hours. It

used to take the Army 72 to504 hours to respond to a call.

The project company willalso take over the mainte-nance of front and side lawns.“We’re also going to bring insome landscape architects toimprove the appearance of thehomes themselves,” Killiansaid. The AHFH Web site saidin a few months, residents canalso expect to see vacant,decayed buildings torn downand new homes built in theirplaces.

“One of our goals is to makethese homes attractivebecause Soldiers get a choice.He’s going to get his BAH

whether he lives on-post or off-post … our challenge is tomake that Army home hischoice,” Killian said.

Soldiers who live off-posthave always received a BasicAllowance for Housing, orBAH. By law, when housing isprivatized service membersliving on-post must be paidBAH, too. Although, this“extra” pay is allotted toAHFH, it is still printed on theLeave and Earning statementand is counted as income.

As a result of this quirk inthe law, some service memberswill no longer qualify for cer-tain state and federal safety

net programs like the FoodStamp and Headstart pro-grams.

The Child Nutrition andWIC Act of 2004, Section 109,states that BAH will not affecteligibility for WIC, free lunchor reduced-price lunch pro-grams.

“The Army is pursuingsome equities in all the addi-tional and special pays beingreceived from deploymentsand trying to get legislationpassed for federal programsthat would ensure BAH isn’tincluded in the annual grossincome,” Killian said.

“We’re also in the process of

trying to share the same infor-mation with state and countyfolks to see what, if anything,they can do to give us somerelief and, of course, they’revery interested as it impactsthe National Guard andReserve Soldiers as well.

The purpose of privatiza-tion is to improve the quality oflife for service members, so if aSoldier is experiencing a back-lash as a result of this change,Killian offered some assur-ance.

In addition to whatDepartment of Army is doingto change the quirk in the law,“Our plan is to steer anybody

who relies on public aid pro-grams to a trained financialcounselor,” Killian began.

“We have those profession-als at Army CommunityService who are prepared to sitdown and try to lay out a plan.They can’t change the legisla-tions that government put onthese programs, but they canat least give you the straight-up answers … or get you tosomeone who is more of anexpert in that particular typeof care program,” Killian con-cluded.

(Editor’s Note: KirstenTacker contributed to this arti-cle.)

Housing From A-1

25th ID (L) From A-1

By Master Sgt.Terry Anderson

CJTF-76 Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIR FIELD,Afghanistan – He may be bestknown for his involvement in theIran-Contra scandal in the midto late-1980’s, but many troopshere looked at Marine Col. (Ret.)Oliver North, as an Americanhero.

North, now a best sellingauthor and Fox News correspon-dent, was in Afghanistan tocover the first overseas natural-ization ceremony ever conductedby the U.S. Citizenship andImmigration Services.Seventeen Soldiers took the oathof allegiance, completing thesomewhat difficult path ofbecoming American citizens.

“I got to be a part of a greatceremony today where 17 youngSoldiers got to be American citi-zens,” North said. “These arepeople who came to our country,volunteered to serve in ourArmed Forces and who respectthe values of freedom and libertywe’re now sharing with the peo-ple of Afghanistan.”

Earlier in the day, North andhis crew covered the 25thInfantry Division (Light) combatpatch ceremony on the division’s63rd birthday. 25th ID (L) andCombined Joint Task Force 76commander Maj. Gen. Eric T.Olson, along with Command Sgt.Maj. Frank Ashe, handed outTropic Lightning combat patchesand Global War on TerrorismExpeditionary and Servicemedals to troops.

Covering the military is apassion for North.

“I really do believe the

American people deserve to seehow well their sons and daugh-ters are performing in very, verydifficult circumstances,” Northsaid. “This is anything but com-fortable. We’ve got some of thefinest young people we’ve everhad serving in the uniform of thearmed forces of the UnitedStates.

“The American people deserveto see them when they’re outthere putting their lives on theline, defending us from peoplewho would take our lives in aheartbeat, if given the chance.”

North spent less than 24-hours in Afghanistan but hadtime to go with the Soldiers ofthe 58th Military Police compa-ny on a presence patrol aroundBagram.

“I think it’s great,” saidMaster Sgt. Peter Ladd, 58thMP Co. tactical operations NCO.

“Oliver North is a formerservice member himself, hetakes a lot of pride in the mili-tary and the Soldiers know a lotabout him. This is great for themorale of the Soldiers and forour unit to be picked to escorthim.”

North and his cameramanwent on a two-hour patrolaround the airfield. It was a rel-atively uneventful patrol,although insurgents were spot-ted trying to fire rockets atBagram the night before.Despite the inherent dangers ofcovering troops in a war zone,North loves his job.

“All I do is cover Soldiers,Sailors, Airmen, Marines andGuardsmen. I tell people I havethe best job in the world becauseall I do is hang around withheroes like you,” North said.

Master Sgt. Terry Anderson

Oliver North listens to a pre-convoy briefing from Master Sgt. Peter Ladd, tactical operations NCO, 58thMP company, before going on a presence patrol around Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.

25th ID Soldiers meet Oliver North

By Sgt. Stephanie L. Carl17th Public Affairs Det.

FARAH PROVINCE,Afghanistan –– Leadershipfrom the coalition, the U.S.Embassy, the Afghan nationalgovernment and Farah Provincegathered at the site of the FarahProvincial Reconstruction Teamfor its official opening Sept. 15.

For approximately threeweeks, members of the PRThave been working to not onlyestablish their home in FarahProvince, but also establish asolid, working relationship withthe members of the province.

“Just a few days ago, therewas a ditch under where yourfeet now are,” said Lt. Col. AndySanter-Pinter, Farah PRT com-mander. “Looking around, youcan see the buildings that havebeen erected, built by the skill ofmany laborers of Farah.”

This statement is symbolic ofjust one of the roles the PRT willplay in Farah Province.

“With funding and the help ofmilitary engineers, securityforces and others, we will helpaddress the concerns of the peo-ple,” he said.

Knowing the PRT will beable to assist Farah Province inreconstruction efforts that mir-ror the efforts of the 13 othercoalition-run PRTs throughoutAfghanistan, members of thenational government were anx-ious to lend their support.

“This is an important step,”

said Dr. Fahid, Ministry ofHealth representative who goesby only one name, to the atten-dees at the opening ceremony. “Ihope this PRT will give the sup-port to Farah Province like otherPRTs do.”

In establishing their relation-ship with the government andthe residents of Farah Province,the members of the PRT havebeen focusing on the kind of sup-port that is most needed in thearea of western Afghanistan.The biggest response has beensecurity.

With an increased Coalitionpresence and the help of theirsecurity forces, the PRT hopes todevelop a secure environment toactively pursue reconstructionprojects. But the two go hand-in-hand, as Maj. Gen. Eric T. Olson,Combined Joint Task Force-76commander, pointed out.

“There’s an important linkbetween security and recon-struction,” he said. “The moresecurity there is, the morereconstruction efforts can devel-op. And the more reconstructionwe have in progress, the moresecurity there will be.”

These efforts, combined witha strong relationship with thepeople of Farah, will be the keysto helping the province progress.This is a goal that the PRT isdetermined to accomplish.

“I truly believe Farah is onthe right path to success,” saidSanter-Pinter. “We can do ittogether. We will do it together!”

October 8, 2004A-6 Hawaii Army Weekly NEWS

Photobyline

Lt. Col. Andy Santer-Pinter (left), Farah PRT commander; Maj. Gen. Eric T. Olson (center), CJTF-76 command-er; and Asadullah Fallah, Farah provincial governor, use ceremonial scissors to cut the ribbon signifying theopening of the Farah PRT in Western Afghanistan.

New PRT broadens coalition’s community efforts

By Sgt. Frank Magni17th Public Affairs Det.

FORWARD OPERATINGBASE SALERNO,Afghanistan – Coalitionforces maneuvering through-out Afghanistan can employa variety of weapons at amoment’s notice to supportground efforts.

From rotary and fixedwing aircraft, to artillery andmortars, there is more thanmeets the eye available toeach maneuvering force inOperation EnduringFreedom.

In an effort to test the fullgamut of combined arms inRegional Command East,Combined Task ForceThunder conducted aCombined Arms Live FireExercise.

The exercise marked thedebut of the M-198 howitzerin Afghanistan, and show-cased its enhanced rangeand capabilities.

The CALFEX also incor-porated aviation elementsfrom throughout the coali-tion.

But during an exercisethat centers on the employ-ment of weapon systems, it isthe communications that arereally tested, said Maj. J.R.Mendoza, CTF Thunder firesupport officer.

“This CALFEX tested

communications over largedistances,” said Mendoza.“Ground forces had to com-municate accurate and up-to-the-minute data that hasto get to many different peo-ple.”

Replicating real-world sit-uations, the command ele-ment was located in a differ-ent area than the artillery,ground forces and aircraft.This distance elevated thecommunication and commu-nication equipment as one of

the most important pieces ofequipment employed, saidMendoza.

Combining fluid commu-nication with all the workingelements of the combined-arms arena achieves a “syn-ergistic effect,” saidMendoza.

Mendoza said this syner-gistic effect uses all thestrengths of each elementinvolved, while minimizingthe disadvantages inherentto each combat system.

The ultimate benefit tousing the entire combined-arms arsenal is that maneu-vering ground forces willgain more fire power andcommand of the battlefield.

In addition to the coordi-nation and communicationsexperience the unit gainedby conducting the CALFEX,another benefit was the uti-lization of the M-198 how-itzer.

The introduction of theweapon system to the

CALFEX not only benefitedthe howitzer sections thatoperate the weapon, but alsothe forward observer whocalls for fire.

“One advantage to thisCALFEX is the ground forcesthat are calling for fire arethe same individuals thatwould be doing it real-worldsituations,” said ChiefWarrant Officer Jim Gomez,TF Thunder targeting officer.“This exercise validated theweapon’s capability andaccuracy.

“It also demonstratedsome of the advantages thehowitzer has over otherweapon systems,” he said.

As the largest caliber sur-face-to-surface weapon sys-tem being employed in the-ater, the howitzer has a verylong range. Its range can beincreased when it fires arocket-assisted projectile.During the CALFEX, theRAP was the primary roundused in the M-198.

“The M-198 has the abilityto reach out and engage tar-gets from incredible dis-tances,” said Capt. BrendanRaymond, Battery F, 7thField Artillery Regiment,commander.

In addition to its range,the howitzer can alsorespond to ground forces in afraction of the time it wouldtake to get rotary or fixed

winged aircraft to targets.“We have howitzer sec-

tions on stand-by around theclock,” said Raymond. “Assoon as we get our (targetlocation), we can have around down range withinminutes.”

Even though the CALFEXwas conducted during theday, in favorable conditions,the advantages to usingartillery over other weaponsystems is its versatility inunfavorable weather condi-tions.

“Day, night, fog, rain (or)snow, artillery can be fired atanytime,” said Gomez. “Thehowitzers will always bethere to support the groundforces.”

Although not all the M-198 capabilities were demon-strated during the CALFEX,Mendoza said everybody wasvery impressed with thehowitzers.

“Until you see the roundsfalling in the impact area,you don’t realize how accu-rate they are,” saidMendoza.

He also said the exercisemet all the training objec-tives put forth by CTFThunder.

“It went extremely well,and achieved everything wewanted,” he said. “Everybodywas in the right place at theright time.”

Sgt. Frank Magni

An M-198 howitzer fires a high explosive, rocket-assisted projectile from FOBSalerno during a combined arms live fire exercise.

CTF Thunder fires in CALFEX

25th Infantry Division (Light)&

United States Army, Hawaii

ArmyOnlinewww.25idl.army.mil

COMMUNITY & SPORTSFriday B-1 October 8, 2004

HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY

Story and photos byJoy Boisselle

Staff Writer

While veterans reminiscedand children climbed on staticdisplays, more than 30 mili-tary reenactors lent an air ofauthenticity to the TropicLightning Museum’s LivingHistory Day held Oct. 2 atSchofield Barracks. MuseumCurator, Linda Hee said,“Living History Day gives thepublic and Soldiers a bettersense of what former Soldierswere like by bringing historyto life.”

Held annually to coincidewith the 25th InfantryDivision’s organization day ofOct. 1, 1941, the event fea-tured static vehicle andweapon displays and reenac-tors dressed period perfect inmilitary outfits from theRevolutionary War to theVietnam War. Participantsincluded the Hawaii HistoricArms Association, the Militaryvehicle PreservationAssociation, The Hawaii CivilWar Round Table, and the25th ID (L) Jazz Combo.

Confederate reenactorDamian Paul said with a grin,“This is the only time men gettogether to compliment eachother on their outfits.” Hereferred proudly to the factthat many of the uniforms arevintage or reproductions usingonly materials and techniquesused from the era depicted.

Reenactors agreed that themain reasons they participatein events like Living HistoryDay were to honor Soldiers,past and present, and to helpeducate the public in an inter-esting way. Adam Lipka,dressed as a military police-man during the sixties, said, “Icouldn’t get into the militaryfor medical reasons, so I dowhat I can do to honor thosewho put it all on the line forour freedoms.”

Lipka estimates his hobbyhas cost between $50,000 and$60,000, but includes a 1952jeep and a 2 1/2 ton truck, alsoknown as a ‘deuce and a half.’

Lipka’s interest and invest-ment in his hobby is not theexception. He is more the rule,as except for the Museum’shistorical vehicles and equip-ment, all the items on displaythat day were privatelyowned.

Civil War reenactor, BruceBainum, said, “It is really notthat costly. You buy itemspiece by piece, little by little.”He and others recommendedauction sites, like eBay, andhistorical preservation groupsas good sources for those whoare wanting to get started.

Another reenactor Sgt. KirkWeaver, 13th Military PoliceDetachment, dressed to repre-sent the storied TexasRegiment from the Civil War.Completing his ensemble withbare feet as was common inthose days, he said, “I alwaysloved the Civil War and I havedone reenactments since highschool. I enjoy representingmy past.”

Nearly 300 visitors enjoyedthe day trying on uniforms,holding weapons, and just lis-tening to the reenactors tellstories of life during their par-ticular era. Lt. Col. DanSmythe and his 10 childrenjust happened by the event ontheir way home.

Smythe said, “We homeschool our kids and just hap-pened to be discussing some ofthe time frames depicted heretoday.” He added, “This is

neat. It is great to be able toshow them the history insteadof just teaching it from books.”

For one visitor, books couldnot add to his first-handknowledge of the equipmenton display. Korean andVietnam War vet and retired1st Sgt., Floro Rivera said, “Iwas a tunnel rat with the 25thDivision in 1966. Looking atall the weapons and equip-ment brings back a lot ofmemories.”

Another visitor, 10-year-oldIzea Green said, “My grandpawas in the military. This is areal experience for me to knowwhat my family and others didto protect our world.” Hisgrandpa, James Green, whoalso brought Izea to the eventserved in the Vietnam War.

For some, it was a day ofmemories. For others, it was afirst-time look at by-gone days.For all, Living History Dayprovided an eye-openingglimpse into the past of theAmerican Soldier.

The Tropic LightningMuseum offers a wealth ofinformation on the 25th ID(L)’s past , present and adetailed history of the Army inHawaii. The hours are from 10a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday -Saturday. For informationcall 655-0438.

This 1944 Sherman Tank permanently housed at the Tropic Lightning Museum wasthe last tank decommissioned in the Pacific.

Dazhanna Tolliver, 5, checks out the shiny bullets at the Civil War display.

Izea Green, 10,learns about life inthe 1860s fromCivil War reenac-tor, Bruce Barham.

Ryan Ault learns how tocarry a Civil War rifleunder the watchful eye ofSgt. Kirk Weaver.

2005 Army SoldierShow – Nominations arerequested for the 2005show. Nominations forvocalists, dancers, musi-cians and specialty acts arerequested. Nominations fortechnicians are beingaccepted for lighting,audio, video, costume andstage technicians.Preference in selection isgiven to performers show-ing versatility in musicalstyle and experience.Preference is given to tech-nicians having experienceand possessing a variety ofskills. Nominations mustbe submitted no later thanNov. 15. Log on towww.mwrarmyhawii.comfor more information or call655-0112.

$.25 games at WheelerBowling Center – EveryWednesday from 10 a.m. - 9p.m. pay $.25 per game and$.25 for shoes at Wheeler

Bowling Center. Call 656-1745 for information.

Pumpkin ColoringContest – Ages 12 andunder can enter to win afun-filled pumpkin. Entryblanks available at allArmy Youth Centers andTropics on SchofieldBarracks. Entries will bedisplayed at Tropics fromOct. 1-31. Grand PrizeDrawing will be held onOct. 30, 6:30 p.m. The win-ner will be selected by ran-dom drawing from all theentries submitted. Call655-0002 for more informa-tion.

Mongolian BBQ –Select favorites from avariety of meats and veg-etables, and have themgrilled to personal prefer-ences Oct. 20 at 5 p.m. atthe Nehelani on SchofieldBarracks, with seating atReggie’s. Meals are pricedby the ounce. Reservationsrequired by calling 655-0660

Exceptional FamilyMember Program –Monthly support groupmeetings for parents ofspecial education childrenare held at AliamanuChapel every thirdTuesday of each month at 6p.m. The third Wednesdayof each month at 6 p.m.meetings are held atSchofield Barracks ArmyCommunity Service. Call655-2303 for information.

Junior Bowling –Junior Bowling withinstruction for beginnersand bowling techniques forother experienced juniorbowlers is available everySaturday at the FortShafter Bowling Center.

Call 438-6733 for informa-tion.

Harvest Week at theTropics – The Tropics,building 589 on SchofieldBarracks, is hostingHarvest Week from Oct. 25– 31. On Oct. 25, 10 a.m.(for ages 5 years andyounger) and 6 p.m. (opento all ages) makeHalloween crafts for $1. OnOct. 26. at 6 p.m. listen tospooky tales and eat freepopcorn. On Oct. 27 at 7p.m. play blacklight bas-ketball and volleyball witha haunted twist, for ages10 and above. On Oct. 28 at10 a.m. and 6 p.m. partici-pate in pumpkin carving.Tropics will supply pump-kins to the first 20 regis-tered or bring your ownand learn some carvingtips. On Oct. 29, teens canparticipate in a monsterbash and costume dancefrom 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.Admission is $3. On Oct. 30from 6 – 9 p.m. participatein games, a costume con-test, a Scooby Doomarathon for kids or anadult scary movie with freepopcorn beginning at 8p.m. Eat caramel apples for$1.50. Prizes awarded forthe best costume in threeage categories. On Oct. 31trick or treat at the Tropicsfrom 5 – 8 p.m. Call 655-0002/5697 for more infor-mation.

Spouse’s Night Out –This free adults-only pro-gram at Army CommunityService on SchofieldBarracks is designed to getspouses out of the houseevery Thursday night from6:30 - 8:30 p.m. to have fun.On Oct. 14, Attitudinal

Healing (2 of 6), How toPrepare for Reunion,Before and After Make-Over, Create Your OwnFamily Web Page andQuilting. At the Tropicsenjoy Beauty Make-Over.Children ages 6 and up arewelcome to participate inTropics activities. MWRBlue Star Card holders willreceive free child care from6 - 9 p.m. by reservationonly at Peterson ChildCare Center. Call 655-3929by noon of the Tuesdaybefore each Thursday eventto make child care reserva-tions. Child care reserva-tions can be made twoweeks in advance. Pre-reg-istration for classesrequired, call 655-2736.

Come In, Cool Off andBowl – Bowl 12 games andchoose either a bank or atowel. Bowl 25 games andearn a bag. Earn as manyprizes as you like, excludesleague games bowled.Available at the SchofieldBarracks and Fort ShafterBowling Centers.

Tropic LightningItems for Sale – BuyTropic Lightning Coffee,whole bean or ground for$7.75 or Tropic LightningWater, 23.9 oz for $1.25 atthe Tropics, building 589on Schofield Barracks. Call655-0002 for information.

Family Day in Waikiki–Tour the Honolulu Zoo andWaikiki Aquarium thenchoose from one of theseactivities: shop at RoyalHawaiian Shopping Centeror the International MarketPlace, participate in surfinglessons on Waikiki Beach, orpicnic and relax in QueenKapiolani Park and more

Oct. 16. Free transportationwill be provided from theSchofield BarracksCommissary parking lot,departing at 8 a.m. Call forfees. Reservations required.Call 655-0111/655-0112.

Ala Moana ShoppingTrip – Shop at over 240stores and dine at one of the70 restaurants offered at theAla Moana Mall.Transportation will be pro-vided on Oct. 19, departingfrom the SchofieldCommissary at 9 a.m. andreturning at 2 p.m.Reservations required. Call655-0111/655-0112.

Are you interested ingetting a massage? – Basedon interest, a tour date will beset up and transportation willbe provided. Call 655-0111 or655-0112 for information.

Tropics SchofieldBarracks October FoodSpecial – Italian, ham,chicken salad, turkey, orroast beef sandwich with allthe fixings for $3.25. Add thesoup of the day for $1.50. Call655-0002 for information.

Teen Read Week – FromOct. 18 – 23, it’s Teen ReadWeek at the AliamanuLibrary. All teens (12 – 18years old) who borrow mate-rials during the week willreceive a treat. Teens whocomplete a reading interestsurvey will receive a prizeand a chance to win a posterfrom the American LibraryAssociation GraphicsCatalog. Call 833-4851.

Customized Engraving– Customize your special giftwith an engraved message.The Schofield Barracks Artsand Crafts Center can cus-tomize any wood, plastic andmetal items with yourrequested text or graphics.Photos, logos or names canalso be put onto coffee cups,mouse pads and more. Call655-6330 for information.

Modeling andMannerism Classes –Classes will be offered atSchofield Barracks andAliamanu Youth Centers inOctober. Modeling Classesare open to youth 6 - 18 yearsof age and offers a full courseon modeling employment,skin care and cosmetic appli-cation, basic level runwayskills, intermediate level run-way skills to include model-ing with partners, advancedlevel runways to include mod-eling with props, poise, man-nerism, script reading andacting, learn about photoshoots, portfolio photos andpromotional modeling con-tracts. Cost is $495 for a 14-hour course. Must have atleast four students enrolled toconduct the class. Call 655-6461 or 833-4932.

Free Tickets to HawaiiTheater – MilitaryAppreciation Night Oct. 14

starting at 7 p.m. to the pro-duction of WilliamShakespeare's “AMidsummer's Night Dream.”The performance is free andopen to active duty, Reserve,retirees, their family mem-bers, DoD employees andtheir guests. Tickets are cur-rently available to active dutyArmy personnel and theirfamilies at the Information,Ticketing, and Registrationoffice on Schofield Barracks,building 556. Call 655-9971for information.

Call Fort Shafter ITR,building 550, at 438-1985.Reservists, retirees, DoDemployees and their guestsmay pick up tickets begin-ning Sept. 30. (Limit two tick-ets per DoD cardholder).Tickets are limited and willbe distributed on a first come,first served basis.

Infant Play and Learn –Held every Tuesday morning,9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. atArmy Community Service onSchofield Barracks for par-ents with infants 0 – 12months old. Enjoy shortlearning sessions on varioustopics about growth, develop-ment and nutrition.Participate in enjoyabledevelopment activities duringfree play and circle time activ-ities. Call 655-2400.

Join the New TeenCenter – Are you betweenthe ages of 11 – 18? If so, wehave a place for you. TheSchofield Barracks TeenCenter now located in KaalaCommunity ActivitiesCenter, building 556, offersfun services designed espe-cially for you. Call 655-0451.

Family ReadinessGroup Assistance – ArmyCommunity Service offers anew program. Five part-time Family ReadinessAdministrative Liaisons, orFRALs, have been hired toassist family readinessgroups with newsletter pro-duction and battalion levelWeb pages on the DivisionWeb site. FRALs can alsoassist with phone tree for-mats and resource informa-tion and referrals. FRGs areencouraged to use this newprogram. Contact 655-2734for more information and toreach your assigned FRAL.

Blue Star CardBowling Special – BlueStar Card holders can bowlfor $1 a game at SchofieldBowling Center every week-day until 5 p.m. (excludingfederal holidays). Call 655-0573 for information.

Find Weekly LunchSpecials – Visitwww.mwrarmyhawaii.comto find all the weekly lunchspecials for all ArmyBowling Centers, GolfCourses and CommunityClubs. Can’t decide where toeat? Just visit MWR online.

October 8, 2004B-2 Hawaii Army Weekly COMMUNITY

October 8-14

Morning6:00 Sign on6:30 Fit for Life7:00 Bulletin Board7:30 SHAMU-Wild Babies7:55 PAMS Report 20048:00 Pentagon Channel 9:00 Pentagon Channel 10:00 ASAP-Fitness For Duty10:30 OIF Photo Montage 710:46 Bulletin Board11:30 Hawaii Hidden Beauty, Danger11:50 OIF Photo Montage 612:00 Pentagon Channel

Afternoon2:02 Hurricane Safety2:21 Voting 04’ Assist program2:28 OIF Photo Montage 22:23 PAMS report 20042:30 SHAMU-The Manatee 3:00 SHAMU-The Sea Turtle 3:40 OAHU-Aloha Begins3:50 OIF Photo Montage 54:00 Pentagon Channel

Evening6:00 Voting 04’ Assist Program6:03 Community Focus6:13 Living History Day6:15 Bulletin Board6:47 Arm Values Respect6:53 OIF Photo Montage 37:00 NFL-Tight on the Spiral8:00 OEF Deployment Ceremony8:30 OEF Deployment Luau8:50 History of JAG9:00 Anti Terrorism FP9:30 Oakland Army Base10:00 Youth Protection11:00 NFL-’58 Championship Game12:12 Bulletin Board

Overnight12:46 Pentagon Channel

SGT SMITH THEATER

TODAYAlien vs Predator

7 p.m. (PG-13)

SATURDAY OCT 9Without A Paddle

2 p.m. (PG-13)

Alien vs Predator7 p.m. (PG-13)

SUNDAY OCT 10Open Water

7 p.m. (R)

HICKAM MEMORIALTHEATER

TODAYExorcist: The Beginning

7 p.m. (R)

SATURDAY OCT 9Superbabies: Baby Geniuses

2 p.m. (PG)

Exorcist: The Beginning)7 p.m. (R)

SUNDAY OCT 10Superbabies: Baby Geniuses)

2 p.m. (PG)

Exorcist: The Beginning)7 p.m. (R)

WEDNESDAY OCT 13Suspect Zero)

7 p.m. (R)

THURSDAY OCT 14Suspect Zero

7 p.m. (R)

October 8, 2004B-3 Hawaii Army Weekly COMMUNITY

By Joy BoisselleStaff Writer

Usually a parent’s idea offun is 180 degrees out fromwhat their kid’s idea of funis. Not so, at the Fall BreakTeen Camp held at theSchofield Barracks TeenCenter from Sept. 27through Oct. 8.

The camp entertainedmore than 30 pre-teens andteenagers with a variety ofoff-post field trips and on-post themed activities.

According to KristineYasuda, Middle School andTeen Program Manager,besides providing afun–filled and safe experi-ence for camp participants,her goals included gettingthe word out to the commu-nity regarding the center’snew location and providingan affordable rate to par-ents.

The Fall Break TeenCamp was the brainchild ofYasuda and her staff. Theconcept was to take thecamp participants to asmany off-post venues as pos-sible at the lowest rate pos-sible.

“We wanted to provide areasonable rate to make thecamp affordable and attrac-tive to everyone,” she said.

In that effort, Yasuda andcrew succeeded chargingcamp attendees a fee of $25per week. The camp metMonday through Fridayfrom 12 to 7 p.m. Teensbrought sack lunches andspending money, but allother fees were included inthe weekly rate.

During the first week, thegroup traveled to theHonolulu Zoo, Waimea Bay,the Dole Plantation, andplayed miniature golf inKaneohe. On-post, the groupheld a Fear FactorCompetition based on thetelevision program, andattended a Teen CenterWorkshop entitled,

“Character Counts.” The second week, the

group journeyed to theBattleship Missouri, wentnature hiking, and skateboarded at the Pearl HarborSkate Park. On-post, theteens held a SurvivorCompetition and finishedtheir camp experience at theSchofield Lanes bowling cen-ter.

For Alexandria Cox, 13,the camp provided an easyway to make friends at anew post.

“We just arrived and thebest part of camp was hang-ing out and having fun withall the other kids,” she said,adding, “So far, my favoriteactivity has been FearFactor.”

Another camp attendee,Travis Stanford, 12, said, “Ireally enjoyed the trip to thezoo. It has also been fun toget to know everybody andlearn to work with every-one.” Every teen agreed thatmeeting new friends andhaving something to doevery day was what madethe camp such a huge suc-cess.

Reineiro Rodriguez,retired Army, weighed inwith the parent perspective.

He said, “The best part ofthe program is all the activi-ties. There are all kinds ofthings to keep the kids busyand away from TV and videogames, plus they get to dothings they probably would-n’t get to do otherwise.”

As for the cost of the pro-gram, Rodriguez comment-ed, “The cost is too cheap! Iwas only going to do oneweek until I heard the price,now; my son is doing bothweeks.”

The Teen Center staff arenot content to stop here.They are planning an evenmore exciting program overChristmas break. There isonly one requirement to signup for the upcoming camp.

Yasuda said, “Kids must

be registered at the Resourceand Referral Office. The costis $18 annually and thatentitles the teen to all activi-ties and events held at thecenter.”

“We offer recreation,camps, and education pro-grams at the Teen Center,”said Yasuda. The center is agreat place for teens to hangout and interact with otherteens while under the super-

vision and mentorship of adedicated staff.

The Teen Center, whichrecently moved locations, isnow located at the Ka’alaRecreation Center, SchofieldBarracks.

“We really like our newlocation. The pros are thatwe are close to the Tropics,the bowling alley, and otherplaces we use,” she said,“but, the con is that we are

farther away from housing.” The Teen Center offers a

myriad of activities for teens.Activities include open recre-ation for pool, ping-pong, andvideo game play, clubs suchas the photography and DJclubs, modeling and dance,and even, tutoring assis-tance. Additionally, teenswanting work as commissarybaggers must be part of theTeen Center. Yasuda added

that more than 250 teens areregistered at the center.

With a successful campexperience behind her,Yasuda said, “The best partabout working at the TeenCenter is we are able to workwith kids and watch themgrow as people and individu-als.”

For Teen Center informa-tion, call 655-0445.

Fall Break Teen Camp affordable and fun

Tripler Army Medical CenterPublic Affairs

People registered in the Defense EligibilityEnrollment Reporting System more commonlyknown, as DEERS are responsible for chang-ing essential information when moving.

DEERS is a computerized database of mili-tary sponsors, families and others worldwidewho are entitled under the law to TRICAREbenefits. DEERS registration is required forTRICARE eligibility.

Enrollees who live part of the year in onelocation and move to another location the restof the year must change addresses, phonenumbers, and email addresses every time theymove. Families who decide to transfer theirTRICARE benefit should also change theirDEERS information.

For example, a family who plans to returnhome for six months while the service member

is deployed will need routine healthcare at the“home” location and needs to transfer TRI-CARE and change DEERS information.

The easiest way to update the DEERSinformation is to go to the TRICARE Web sitewww.tricare.osd.mil, and click on “DEERS” tothe bottom right of the web page. It will takeyou directly to the “Address Change Option”in DEERS.

Enrollment forms to transfer TRICAREbenefits are also located on the Web siteabove.

Enrollees may also go towww.dmdc.osd.mil, click on “DoDCommunity,” then “Personnel Services,” then“DEERS Address Update System,” and“Personal Information,” and fill in the newinformation.

Enrollees may also call the DefenseManpower Data Center Support Office at 1-800-538-9552, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Eastern Time,Wednesday through Friday.

Changing of the home address inDEERS is the responsibility of clients

Joy Boisselle

Jessie Stanford chows down on a mixture of oatmeal, cocoa, and corned beef hash during Teen Camp'sFear Factor Competition held Sept. 30. The goal was to transfer the "tasty" concoction from a plate to acup in the shortest amount of time.

Hawaii Army Weekly B-4October 8, 2004 COMMUNITY

Michelle Cain

Dr. Laurie Lucking, U.S. Army Hawaii's cultural resources manager, points out details of a petroglyph at Makua MilitaryReservation. The Army hosted a community tour of the reservation September 25 to showcase its ongoing environmental andcultural programs at Makua.

By Bill Roome25th ID (L) Public Affairs

Thirty-five community mem-bers with a keen interest in natu-ral and cultural resources visitedMakua Military ReservationSept. 25 to see how the U.S. ArmyGarrison, Hawaii is protectingnative vegetation and historicalsites at the training facility.

Col. Howard Killian, com-mander, USAG-HI informed thegroup that the tour is designed togive community members anopportunity to see what is beingdone from an environmental andcultural stand point at MMR.

He added that the Army isplanning similar tours in thefuture as well as constructing aneducational center that will con-tain historical information, maps,photographs and artifacts fromvarious areas within the valley.The educational center is expect-ed to open early next year.Killian concluded by encouragingthe concerned citizens to askquestions and provide commentsduring the tour.

Stephen Turnbull,Hydrologist, U.S. Army Engineer

Research and DevelopmentCenter, met with the group totalk about soil and water samplesconducted at MMR. According toTurnbull, 123 surface soil sam-ples were conducted at sites like-ly to have been impacted bymunitions.

“We looked at a very completelist of potential contaminantsincluding explosive residue, pesti-cides, herbicides, metals anddioxins or chemical compounds.We found a few samples with leadlevels above EnvironmentalProtection Agency standards, butgenerally the sites are veryclean,” Turnbull said.

Turnbull went on to say thatgroundwater samples were takenat 10 separate wells locatedthroughout the valley and theresults found that the groundwa-ter meets federal and state drink-ing water standards.

“I’m satisfied that the Army isbeginning to take steps to find outif there are any contaminants inthe soil or in the water,” saidBunky Bukutis. “It’s importantfor people to understand that con-taminants could have a majorimpact on fishing areas along the

Waianae Coast.”Weeds, pigs and rats are a big

problem associated with protect-ing native vegetation in Makua,explained Kapua Kawelo,Natural Resources Manager.Kawelo said that the Army built14-miles of fence within the val-ley to control pigs and goats. Pigscause soil erosion and dig up theroots of native vegetation. Goatsare also a problem because theyeat native plants right down tothe roots.

Kawelo also mentioned thatrats cause havoc with theElepaio, a native bird found inthe valley. “Rats have a realimpact on the young Elepaio sowe place bait blocks around thenesting areas to control the rats,”Kawelo said.

Volunteers frequently assistthe 20 natural resource special-ists working in Makua andKawelo invited the guests to helpthem with the natural resourceprojects.

About 75 to 80 percent ofMakua has been surveyed for cul-tural sites according to LaurieLucking, Cultural ResourcesProgram Manager. Lucking

showed the visitors several his-torical sites including petro-glyphs. She mentioned that fivepetroglyph areas have beenfound in Makua with images ofMo’o, lizards, and Pilo, or umbil-ical cords, that show a connec-tion between families in thearea.

After the tour, guests andArmy staff ate lunch and shareda few ideas.

“It’s imperative that the Armyprotect Makua since this valleyis important to the Hawaiianpeople. It is considered a placeof origin,” said Tom Lenchanko,Wahiawa Hawaiian Civic Club.

“I also feel the Army shouldopen the valley to tours soHawaii’s people can see the vari-ous natural and cultural projectsthat the Army is conducting topreserve the valley.”

“I found the tour interesting,”explained Eric Matanane, ateacher at WaianaeIntermediate School. “As aninstructor, I know many of theyoung people along the WaianaeCoast would be extremely inter-ested in touring Makua. Itseems that the Army is going inthat direction with their futuretours and the education center.”

Community members visitMakua Military Reservation

By Nadja Gassert-DepapeContributing Writer

The MWR Blue Star Card pro-gram, which entitles spouses ofSoldiers deployed with OperationEnduring and Iraqi Freedom todiscounts throughout the militarycommunity, is a new and excitingprogram exclusive to Hawaii.

“We recognized the need forthose left behind to stay connectedand involved in the community,”said Steve Takekawa, ChiefBusiness Operations Division,Directorate of CommunityActivities. The folks at MWR puttheir heads together, Takekawaexplained, and developed the BlueStar Card program to ensure thatspouses and family members ofdeployed soldiers would have anopportunity and the chance to stayconnected, to come out and toremain active in their community.

This is exactly what SheilaSmith likes best about the pro-gram.

“I enjoy all the activities thatare offered. The free Saturday gymclasses, for example, or theSpouse’s Night Out. It gives us a

chance to meet with wives who aregoing though the same thing,” saidSmith. But she was quick to pointout that the Blue Star Card pro-gram is more than a weekly chanceto meet and chitchat.

“Our husbands are deployedtogether. They are in a team, andthey support each other. It is onlynatural for us wives to do the samething.”

The support the MWR programoffers has far-reaching benefitsbeyond the time of deployment.Army Community Services offersclasses and workshops on invest-ing, small business start-up, Webcamera use and Web site design.The knowledge and skills gained inthese classes enhances lives pastthe time when loved ones return.

Adina Sevzik, who is one of the2,512 spouses who have alreadysigned up for their Blue Star Cardand whose husband is deployedwith OIF, pointed out that the dis-counts at several MWR facilitiesare what she enjoys best.

“It means I can get out of thehouse to meet with my friends fordinner when I might otherwise notbe able to afford it. It gives us a

break and the chance to meet outand away from home,” Sevziksaid. According to CandaceGodfrey, MWR Marketing, that isexactly why MWR came up withthe Blue Star Card program.

“We wanted to offer stressrelief,” Godfrey explained.“Deployment is difficult and

stressful. We developed the pro-gram to ease the burden on spous-es and family members.”

The program does this with alarge variety of benefits, whichinclude, but are not limited to, 10percent off at MWR facilities suchas all Army Bowling Centers, theKalakaua and the Leilehua Grill,Nehelani, Hale Ikena, Reggie’s andMulligan’s. There are registrationdiscounts for Youth Sports and freechild care options from Child andYouth Services (up to eight hoursper week).

Auto towing assistance has beendiscounted and the AcceleratedUndergraduate Program atChaminade University is extend-ing a 25 percent tuition discount tocardholders.

Free activities offered, amongothers, are the Spouse’s Night Outat Army Community Servicesevery Thursday. Classes andworkshops include hula, arts andcrafts, spa and relaxation treat-ments, quilting, and dancing.

Saturday gym classes at theHealth and Fitness Center,Schofield Barracks Walk Off theWait at the Tropics and Helping

Out Others Around the House, orHOOAH, is where local teensassist families with completingjobs around the house.

If spouses are still uncertain,maybe the giveaways will per-suade them. Each cardholder isautomatically entered to win aspot on the Commissary Dash N’Grab (three finalists per quarter)and a free weekend getaway atPililaau Recreation Center(monthly drawings).

For a more complete list of ben-fits, discounts and free activities,read the MWR DiscoveryMagazine, visit MWR online atwww.mwrarmyhawaii.com or call624-HELP (624-4357).

Signing up is easy. All spousesof deployed Soldiers, whetherenlisted or officer, living on baseor off, are entitled to receive theBlue Star Card, which comes indifferent colors depending on thetheatre the Soldier is deployed in.All it takes is a military I.D. cardand a trip to the InstallationAccess Pass Office at Fort ShafterFlats (438-0572) or Leilehua GolfCourse, Schofield Barracks (655-1620).

MWR Blue Star Card offers chance to stay connected

By Maj. Melanie SloanTripler Army Medical Center

“Hiki No” means “Can DoAlways” in Hawaiian, and isthe motto of the 1st Battalion,487th Field Artillery of theHawaii Army National Guard.The Soldiers of this unitproved that they can, andwill, provide for others anyway possible.

These Soldiers sponsored ablood drive, even though theyhad one foot out the door onthe way to support the GlobalWar as soon as last Monday.

Sgt. Maj. Huh sponsoredthe battalion blood drive andencouraged maximum partici-pation from the troops.Representing the Army valueof leadership, he was the firstin line with sleeves rolled up,serving as an example to all ofhis troops.

“I really want to supportthis program” Huh said, “Welike to take care of our own.”

Huh ensured that morethan 100 Soldiers in his directsupport artillery battalionwere given the opportunity togive blood to the ArmedServices Blood Program,which operates out of TriplerArmy Medical Center.

The Armed Services BloodProgram exists to get bloodfor critically ill patients allover the world serving in all ofour nation’s conflicts. TheArmed Services BloodProgram has carried on thistradition for 50 years byresponding to the nation’sneeds in peace and war. Ifenough blood is not collected,the military must purchaseproducts from civiliansources.

“I’m pretty sure there issomeone out there who canuse my blood,” Sgt. EdmundoGascon said while eatingrefreshments. “I am OPositive, and you never knowwhere my blood will be used.I might even use it, and Iwant to make a difference.”

Pfc. Atui Valu also men-tioned a desire to make a dif-ference.

“I donated because I wantto help out, we are leaving onMonday, and I want to make acontribution,” he said.

For the Soldiers and familymembers of the 1st Bn., 487thFA, the motto “Hiki No;” hascertainly represented theeffort they put forth to helpmake a contribution to fellowSoldiers serving in OperationsIraqi and Enduring Freedom.

For more information onthe Armed Services BloodProgram, or to schedule blooddrives for a unit, contactBernard Cockerham at 433-6699 or 433-6193.

This can be an opportunityto make a difference inSoldiers’ lives.

100 Soldiers showup for blood drive

Hawaii Army Weekly B-6October 8, 2004 COMMUNITY

By Joy BoisselleStaff Writer

Ask any parent what theirworst nightmare is and most ifnot all would answer, the deathof their child. On July 17, 2004,Staff Sgt. Clyde Toston, Sr., andhis wife, Jaynell, lived thatnightmare when their son,Clyde, Jr., died when he fellfrom his bunk bed.

The death of a child hasdestroyed marriages, has leftbroken parents, and has devas-tated siblings. The Toston fami-ly is an exception. The death oftheir beloved child has broughtthe family closer together withtheir faith and strength thatinspired others.

Toston was in Afghanistanserving with the 2nd Battalion,27th Infantry Regiment whenhe received the news of “LittleClyde’s” death. Toston had beenexpecting Rest andRecuperation leave in August,but he returned to Hawaii inless than 72 hours, not for theplanned family reunion, but tobury his only son.

All manner of people andorganizations rallied behindthe Toston family. Their churchfamily, community family, andmilitary family provided com-fort in the form of companion-ship, counseling, meals, and

any other support the familyneeded.

Jaynell commented, “Godhas been our source of strength.If it wasn’t for our faith and ourpastors at the Word of Lifechurch in Honolulu; I am notsure where we’d be.”

Listing names of people whohad helped during the days fol-lowing Clyde’s death, Jaynellsaid with a small smile,“Initially, it was really hard.The FRG and First LieutenantRobert Benson, the reardetachment commander,helped with everything. Theynever left me and I thought ofthem as family.”

1st Lt. Robert Bensonexpressed many people’s feel-ings when he said, “TheTostons are some of thestrongest people I have evermet in my life.”

Within days of “Big Clyde’s”return home, his unit spon-sored a memorial service forLittle Clyde. The standing-room-only service demonstrat-ed an outpouring of care for thefamily. Little Clyde’s soccerteam showed up en-mass wear-ing picture buttons of theirteammate. School friends andneighbors came to show theirconcern for the family’s loss.

Most memorials are somberand sad. Clyde’s memorial was

a celebration of his young lifewith upbeat music, pictures,and dancing.

“Clyde was always smiling,always happy,” Big Clyde said.“People say nobody loves any-body anymore, but it’s differenthere. These people loved me,they loved my son, and itshows.”

Jaynell said, “People toldme that Clyde had lived a lifethat a lot of grown people had-n’t. It made me feel good toknow that.”

As the days passed, the mil-itary community did not forgetthe Toston family. On Sept. 2, asecond memorial was held forClyde. This one would leave alasting tribute to a child whohad meant so much to so many.The living memorial consistedof a meditation bench and aPoinciana tree, or flame tree,just off the track and sportsfields at Watts Field.

The location could not havebeen more perfect as WattsField was the site of many ofClyde’s finest moments. And, itis a place the Toston familyspent much of their time whileat Schofield Barracks. Alwaysactive in youth sports, BigClyde and Jaynell coachedyouth football and they heldtheir practices across fromLittle Clyde’s bench and tree.

The idea for the memorialwas Grace Jacoby’s who knewthe Tostons from their chil-dren’s’ participation in on-postwrestling.

“I had the idea but it wasquickly adopted and embracedby all, including friends, FRGs,sports teams, neighbors, andthe military community,” saidJacoby. “I thought it would givethe family a great deal of com-fort knowing that there was aliving tribute to their son.”

To Jaynell, the living memo-rial serves as a reminder ofhow special her son was.

“It shows me that he wasmore than just mine; hebelonged to everyone, and ithelps that he lived a full life inhis short years.” She advisedother parents to “hug yourkids, have family time anddon’t waste a moment.”

Big Clyde added to herwords saying, “Cherish thetime you have, in the end allwe truly have is our families.”

Little Clyde, who turned 11on June 17, was the all-American boy who had a pas-sion for sports. He actively par-ticipated in all Youth Servicesevents, including soccer, foot-ball, wrestling, BMX racing,and basketball. He spent hisat-home time playing gameswith his family and aggravat-

ing his sister, Amathyst, or viceversa. Although home schooledpart of his fourth grade year,Clyde was looking forward tobeginning 5th grade at HaleKula Elementary School in thefall.

Sadly, this was not meant tobe. The Toston family seems tohave arrived at that moment inthe grief process termedacceptance. Their acceptance,however, is characterized by anoutwardly visible peace andserenity that is truly powerfulto behold.

Big Clyde said, “It warms

my heart that this [livingmemorial] was dedicated to myson.” “He may not have been awar hero, but he was my hero,my buddy, my best friend.”Decades from now, the tree willhave grown and the bench willhave weathered, but thememorial tribute will stillserve as a reminder to others ofthe special child who touchedmany.

(Editor’s Note: The Tostonfamily departed SchofieldBarracks on compassionatereassignment orders to FortIrwin, Calif. Oct. 6.)

They survived the death of a child

By Candace GodfreyMWR Marketing

On Sept. 30, and for thethird time this year, theCommissary Dash N’ Grabevent gave contestants theopportunity to dash up anddown the aisles of theSchofield BarracksCommissary and grab freegroceries. The three finalistsgrabbed $1,345 dollars worthof groceries, for a year grandtotal of $4,348 dollars of gro-ceries that have been given

away.The Commissary Dash N’

Grab finalists, who wereselected at the Septembertown hall meeting included:Tina Brown, Donna Pease andKristie Reid. All finalists wereallowed to bring a friend orfamily member to assist inpushing the cart and answer-ing the trivia questions.

“This is a great way for us tosupport families,” said HarryJackson, Vice President andAsset Manager for ArmyHawaii Family Housing, for-merly called Actus Lend Lease.

AHFH was the presentingsponsor for the Dash N’ Grab.

“We want to support ArmyHawaii, not just in housing butthroughout all other activitiesthat assist the installation andgarrison command,” Jacksonsaid. This event is also sup-ported by Morale, Welfare andRecreation and the SchofieldBarracks Commissary.

The Commissary Dash N’Grab event is held quarterlyand the next event is sched-uled for January. Entry boxeswill be at the commissary,Army Community Service and

the Tropics, all located onSchofield Barracks. All MWRBlue Star Card Holders areautomatically entered into thedrawing. The Dash N’ Grab isopen to all active duty Soldiersand their family members.

Contestants dash through commissary and grab $1,345 in groceries

During the Dash ‘N Grabat the commissary,Donna Pease, pregnantwith twins, points tobaby items that shewants Deb Currey tograb.

Candace Godfrey

Sgt. 1st Class Larry Mullen

Staff Sgt. "Big Clyde" Toston Sr., wife Jaynell anddaughter, Amathyst, sit on the bench erected onWatts Field, Schofield Barracks, in memory of theirson "Little Clyde" who died when he fell off a bunkbed July 17, 2004. The Toston family exudes strength,faith in God and togetherness that has inspired manywho watched them survive the tragedy.