Briefs
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ARMY
Makua live-fire training planned
Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment will participate in company-level, combined arms live-fire exercises at Makua Valley Wednesday through Friday.
The training allows soldiers to hone their tactics alongside aviation and artillery units, the Army said.
Quarry Platoon of the 84th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), meanwhile, will conduct a quarry blast at Kolekole Quarry at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Kolekole Pass will be closed to all military and pedestrian traffic at Kolekole Range 5.
NAVY
Fletcher crew on way home
The Hawai'i-based crew of the destroyer USS Fletcher was set to return home late last week following a crew switch in Australia.
The return by air is part of a Navy experiment called "Sea Swap" that will see the 22-year-old Spruance-class destroyer remain on duty for 18 months before being decommissioned.
The San Diego-based crew of another Spruance destroyer, the Kinkaid, flew to Australia to take over the ship.
Fletcher, along with Helicopter Squadron Light 37, Detachment Two, deployed to the Arabian Gulf in August as part of the USS Abraham Lincoln battle group.
En route, stops were made in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bahrain.
During Fletcher's five months in the Arabian Sea, the ship conducted missions in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Southern Watch.
As part of maritime interception operations enforcing sanctions against Iraq, crew members boarded 178 suspect vessels.
The helicopter squadron detachment flew more than 775 hours supporting operations against smugglers and Iraqi naval vessels, the Navy said.
Pearl Harbor subs honored
Winners of the 2002 Battle Efficiency "E" award for the submarine force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, recently were named.
USS Charlotte of Submarine Squadron One, USS Olympia of Submarine Squadron Three, and USS Tucson of Submarine Squadron Seven were recipients.
All are homeported at Pearl Harbor.
"The competition for battle efficiency awards was extremely tough," said Rear Adm. John Padgett, commander of the Pacific Fleet submarine force. "Each crew member of an award winner can be justifiably proud of their contribution to improve Pacific submarine force readiness."
Carrier group in Hawai'i waters
The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier battle group late last week was operating off the coast of Kaua'i during exercises at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, the Navy said.
The Bremerton, Wash.-based carrier could be sent within striking distance of Iraq.
The Navy said the Pearl Harbor-based destroyer USS O'Kane, which left Jan. 17, could join up with the Vinson battle group.
The Navy said there are no plans for the carrier to stop at Pearl Harbor.
