Air National Guard Maj. Gregory Stone, who died March 25 in Kuwait after being wounded in an apparent grenade attack by a fellow American three days earlier, was assigned to the Hawaii Army National Guard as an air liaison officer.

"It was quite a shock for all of us. It really hits home," Maj. Kurt Jackson, plans officer for the Guard's 29th Separate Infantry Brigade, said this week.

Stone, who was with the Idaho Air National Guard, trained with the Hawai'i brigade for two to three weeks several times a year.

"You know how guys are — there are hours of down time and we got to know him pretty well," said Jackson. "He had two sons, 7 and 11. He flew B-1 bombers before becoming an (air liaison officer). That was always his first love — flying."

A temporary memorial to Stone, including an M-16 rifle and helmet, combat boots, photos and a small American flag, was placed outside the 29th Infantry Brigade headquarters at Kalaeloa.

"He was a true professional and friend to the Lava Brigade," reads part of the memorial. "He will be greatly missed. Aloha."

During a drill this weekend, "we'll have a moment (of silence) for him and just remember him," Jackson said.

Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Glen Sakagawa is expected to attend a service for Stone tomorrow in Boise.

Units and personnel from other states round out the 29th Brigade, which has about 2,100 soldiers from Hawai'i, and a full strength of 2,900 with the addition of assets from California, Idaho, Oregon and Minnesota.

Stone, 40, was the first National Guardsman killed in the war, and the second soldier to die after grenades were thrown into command tents of the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait. Army Sgt. Asan Akbar is being held in the case.

"We weren't aware (Stone) had deployed with the 101st," said Jackson. "To find out that he was killed just shocked us. It was tough finding out that way, and knowing it was someone we liked that we lost."

Jackson said Stone was an easy-going man who really had a love of the Air Guard and the 29th Brigade.

"He'd actually served more than 20 years, so he could have retired," said Jackson. "But he stayed in the Idaho Air National Guard because he loved what he was doing."

Lt. Col. Rob Kauhane, the brigade's operations officer, said he would talk to Stone on the phone and e-mail him. He spoke to Stone in the middle of January, when he was still in Boise. Kauhane said Stone was soft-spoken, but dedicated and knowledgeable.

"He was really well-liked by the staff of the 29th Brigade," said Kauhane. "The short periods of time we saw each other face to face were under a lot of stress and little sleep, but his demeanor kind of kept everybody on an even keel."

Kauhane said Stone's death brings home the reality of the war.

"It does," he said. "We haven't deployed from the Hawai'i (Army) Guard to the current operations, and we were surprised to find out he was deployed."

"There are a lot of people here in Hawai'i that serve in the Guard," said Jackson. "It just reminds us of the seriousness of our commitment."

On the Hawai'i Air Guard side, 39 members of the 154th Security Forces Squadron, 24 Guard with the 297th Air Traffic Control Squadron, and about 14 members of the 292nd Combat Communications Squadron, are deployed to the Middle East.