LIHU‘E — The County of Kaua‘i Employees Council and Mayor Bryan Baptiste took time out to honor 19 Kaua‘i National Guardsmen that are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Headed by Owen Tango, the employees council hosted an “Adopt-a-Soldier” night
LIHU‘E — The County of Kaua‘i Employees Council and Mayor Bryan Baptiste took time out to honor 19 Kaua‘i National Guardsmen that are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Headed by Owen Tango, the employees council hosted an “Adopt-a-Soldier” night where families of the deployed soldiers could come together at the Pi‘ikoi Building Atrium for an evening of togetherness and entertainment.
For employees, it was a time to demonstrate their support for their fellow workers as well as families who have relatives that are currently serving overseas.
A row of boxes containing a variety of local goodies bore the name of each of the 19 service personnel, and family members and county employees were invited to write personal messages to be included in the boxes that will be mailed to the soldiers.
Theresa Koki, whose son-in-law is serving in Iraq, and was one of the leaders of the event staged on Friday night, said that in addition to the event, the employees council raised funds to mail the boxes, and the mayor matched the funds they raised.
The five county employees who are currently serving overseas include SFC Christopher Calio, SSG Barry Kananioku‘ualoha DeBlake, SGT Bryan Doo, SSG. Noel Melchor, and MSG Luke Octavio.
Calio, DeBlake, and Melchor are with the Kaua‘i Police Department, Doo is with the Kaua‘i Fire Department, Lihu‘e Station, and Octavio is an Automotive Repair Supervisor with Public Works.
The 14 soldiers who have relatives working for the county include SSG Roger Balaan, SGT Fred Casticimo, SGT Jacob Cheever, SPC Wilbert “Kekoa” Cummings, SGT Eugene Delos Reyes, Jr., MSG James R. Jimenez, SPC Preston P. McCormack, SPC Wesley Manuel, SPC Juan Moises, SPC Joseph Moises, Patrick Y. Nakagawa, Jr., SPC Rufino Pascual, SPC Jack C. Pescador, SSG Vicente Soria, and SGT. Robert F. Westerman, Jr.
Koki added that they are planning to do another similar event in the future because, on hosting this event, they discovered more soldiers that have ties with county employees.
