Briefs
Advertiser Staff
NAVY
Admiral backs carrier in Hawai'i
Adm. Thomas Fargo, head of U.S. forces in the Pacific, says he supports the permanent basing of an aircraft carrier at Pearl Harbor. Speaking at the 31st annual Japan-Hawaii Economic Council meeting at Kawaihae on the Big Island Saturday, Fargo said moving a carrier from the Mainland to Hawai'i would support the war on terrorism and the stabilization of the Pacific-Indian Ocean region.
Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Walter F. Doran has said a carrier may be moved to Hawai'i or Guam so the Navy could respond more quickly to crises in North Korea and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region.
A carrier and its accompanying air wing typically have 5,500 crew members. They would also bring thousands of family members and support personnel with them.
Pearl crews train off coast of India
Two Pearl Harbor-based Navy vessels last week took part in the largest naval exercises between the United States and India since joint military training resumed last year. The guided missile cruiser Chosin and attack submarine Pasadena, both based at Pearl Harbor, along with the destroyer Fitzgerald, auxiliary ship Chesapeake, and a P-3C patrol and reconnaissance aircraft participated in Exercise Malabar off the southwest coast of India.
The two navies worked on helicopter cross-decking, formation steaming, coordinated gun shooting, and anti-submarine warfare training. Indian ships included INS Brahmaputra, the destroyer Ganga and a Shankul-class submarine.
Similar exercises were conducted in 1992, 1995 and 1996, but military cooperation was suspended after India tested nuclear weapons in 1998. Washington lifted sanctions and renewed military-to-military contact with India following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The two countries last held a joint naval exercise in September 2002.
Exercise involves U.S., France ships
The Pearl Harbor-based frigate USS Reuben James recently conducted an exercise with the French frigate FS Prarial off the coast of O'ahu. Prarial arrived in Honolulu Sept. 26 from her home port of Tahiti. For Reuben James, it was the first multinational exercise since working with the Pakistani, Qatari and British navies in September 2002.
ARMY
Test will add combat brigades
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Pete Schoomaker says he plans to test a reorganization plan on the 3rd Infantry and the 101st Airborne divisions. Each of the divisions have three combat brigades; under the test, each division will be reorganized with five brigades. A brigade typically has 3,000 to 5,000 troops.
"We can get more power out of smaller organizations," Schoomaker said, adding that advances in technology create greater efficiency. The arrangement will be tested for up to a year.
BIRTHDAYS
The Navy and Army's 25th Infantry Division (Light) celebrated birthdays this month. The Navy was established in 1775, and in recognition of the 228th anniversary, sailors in Hawai'i celebrated Oct. 4 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The 25th Infantry Division celebrated its 62nd birthday Oct. 1.
