LIHU‘E n “Aloha 299,” an evening event to show support for National Guard members being deployed later this month, is set for Wednesday, Aug. 18. Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste announced the plan Monday afternoon, and is asking the public to
LIHU‘E n “Aloha 299,” an evening event to show support for National Guard members being deployed later this month, is set for Wednesday, Aug. 18.
Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste announced the plan Monday afternoon, and is asking the public to join the troops and their families at Vidinha Stadium.
The soldiers are members of the Company A, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry Regiment of the Hawaii Army National Guard.
They are scheduled to be deployed to Iraq following three months of training at Fort Bliss, Texas.
The length of the deployment is set at 18 months, with a possible trip back to Kaua‘i at Christmas prior to being shipped out to Iraq.
The Vidinha Stadium gathering is to begin at 6 p.m., with a formal program starting at 6:30 p.m. At 8 p.m., an informal concert and other entertainment is set to begin.
The mayor is asking those attending to bring lei to give to the troops. Each soldier is to receive a county proclamation.
The placing of yellow ribbons on all four corners of the “Gateway” entrance to Lihu‘e Airport at Ahukini Road and Kapule Highway is also in the works.
Baptiste said Monday that about 200 members of the 299th are headed out, with just under 100 of the soldiers coming from Kaua‘i, with just over 100 other soldiers heading out from O‘ahu.
Altogether, some 2,000 National Guard members from Hawai‘i are being deployed.
In support of the troops, officials with the state Department of Education plan to distribute names of soldiers to schools throughout the system, and classroom teachers are being asked to participate in an “adopt-a -soldier” program.
The mayor said he attended a family picnic held for Guard members on Sunday.
He said six county employees are part of the deployment, and include two police officers who have left already.
Baptiste said some 20 members of the Kaua‘i Police Department are Guard members, or former Guard members.
The contingent set to head out next week includes 67 members. A detachment of National Guard truck drivers is set to leave Tuesday, Aug. 17, and includes all the female Kaua‘i members of the deployment.
The deployment is believed to be the largest movement of troops from Kaua‘i since 1968, when local troops departed for Schofield Barracks and then Vietnam.
Chris Cook, editor, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) or ccook@pulitzer.net.
