Briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
PACIFIC COMMAND
Admiral travels to India, China
Adm. Thomas Fargo, head of Pacific Command, was in the high Himalayas of India last week — long an area of friction with Pakistan — and then met with Chinese officials in Beijing to discuss the war on terrorism.
Both stops were part of a U.S. effort to boost military ties with the two countries.
Fargo, whose headquarters is at Camp Smith, visited forward posts in Kashmir in India on Thursday.
A wire report said Fargo was flown to a military base camp at 20,000 feet in the region where Pakistan and India often trade artillery fire.
The nuclear rivals have fought two wars since 1947 over disputed Kashmir.
Washington broke off military cooperation with India following nuclear testing in 1998, but lifted the sanctions following the Sept. 11 attacks.
A Hawai'i Air National Guard C-130 transport participated in "Cope India" in October, the biggest-ever joint air-defense exercise with the South Asian nation.
On Saturday in Beijing, Fargo met with Gen. Liang Guanglie, chief of the People's Liberation Army General Staff, and other civilian and military leaders.
The United States wants to renew military cooperation with China after ties were severed following an April 2001 collision of a Chinese fighter jet and American EP-3 surveillance plane.
Military officials from china met with Douglas Feith, undersecretary of defense for policy, at the Pentagon Dec. 9.
U.S. officials asked that the Chinese delegation prepare a list of suggested sites for military exchanges.
EDUCATION
HPU picks new military dean
Robert Cyboron has been selected as the new dean of the Military Campus Programs at Hawai'i Pacific University.
Cyboron succeeds George Moyer, who is retiring this month after a 10-year career at HPU.
A 25-year Navy veteran who retired as a captain, Cyboron holds degrees from Tufts University, the Naval Postgraduate School and the Naval War College.
He was HPU's coordinator for the Kane'ohe Bay Marine Corps base from 1997 to 1999, and rejoined HPU in January as the academic liaison for the Military Campus Programs.
The programs serve approximately 2,500 students at military campuses at Pearl Harbor, Camp Smith, Fort Shafter, Hickam Air Force Base, the Marine Corps base in Kane'ohe, Schofield Barracks and Tripler Army Medical Center.
NAVY
Pearl Harbor sub ships out
The Pearl Harbor-based attack submarine USS Columbia left Dec. 6 for a six-month deployment and rendezvous with the Constellation aircraft carrier battle group in the North Arabian Sea.
"The crew has been preparing for this deployment and we are all ready to go and do our part for the war on terrorism," said commanding officer Cmdr. Duane Ashton.
Submarines accounted for as many as half of the Tomahawk cruise missiles fired into Afghanistan following the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
