November 21, 2008

Shipping Out

This Spring, 9,000 troops left Hawai‘i. Of these, 5,000 went to Afghanistan and 4,000 to Iraq. It was the largest Hawai‘i deployment since the Vietnam War.

Lucy Pemoni

Soldiers from the 25th Infantry "Tropic Lightning" Division catch some sleep at Hickam Air Force Base. Once they board the plane, their flight to Afghanistan will take more than 24 hours.

Deborah Fore and son Nicholas, 10, embrace as the USS Hopper prepares to leave its home port, Pearl Harbor. The USS Hopper is deploying for six months in the western Pacific and war region to support the global anti-terrorism efforts.

Pfc. Lakisa Peniata of the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment listens to Gov. Linda Lingle speak to troops after a live fire exercise in Hawai'i. The exercise included detonating several thousand rounds of live ammunition, training for house-to-house combat, live explosions and target practice. Shortly afterwards, the 1st Battalion was deployed to Iraq.

Chi Nguyen watches her husband, engineer Nhon Nguyen, depart on the USS Hopper. Nhon Nguyen is leaving with the rest of the 350 sailors for a six-month deployment.

Spc. Ryan Addis of the 27th Infantry "Wolfhounds" with night goggles during a live amunition demonstration at Schofield Barracks. His company is now at a forward base in Iraq.

Kaleo McCoy of Wai'anae, comforts his 5-year-old son Jayden, with the help of his brother Joutten at Pearl Harbor. McCoy was joining the crew of the USS Port Royal for eight months at sea when Jayden ran over to give him one last tearful hug.

After waiting all night at Hickam Air Force Base, soldiers from the 25th Infantry "Tropic Lightning" Division gather to board their plane for Afghanistan.


First Class Petty Officer Jeff Bowers takes one final moment for kisses as he says goodbye to his wife Kaen and daughter Paige as the USS Hopper, prepares to leave Pearl Harbor. This is the first deployment for the Bowers family. The Hopper combines satallite communication, radar and weapons technologies in a single platform called the Aegis combat weapons system. The Hopper will be part of the USS Belleau Wood Expeditionary Strike Group.

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