"It's happening almost on a daily basis now," Chaves said by phone. "We don't know (if) this is a trend because it's becoming summertime and (insurgents) are getting more active."

A similar spike in violence occurred in the same area last spring.

"I don't know if it's a seasonal occurrence or it's the bad guys getting more active now" for other reasons, he said.

Pentagon spokesman Larry Di Rita on Thursday said the past couple of weeks have seen an uptick in violence in Iraq.

There may be a sense that the attackers "recognize that they are increasingly being identified as people who are against what most Iraqis want, and so there will be a desire to grab headlines with more spectacular attacks," Di Rita said.

Three suicide car bombers hit a U.S. base in far western Iraq on April 11, and 40 to 60 insurgents were repelled in an April 2 attack on Forward Operating Base Abu Ghraib west of Baghdad.

Chaves said the armoring of Humvees "without a doubt" has made a difference in protecting soldiers. Three of the vehicles already had to be replaced as a result of bomb blasts.

"We've been very, very fortunate because we've had a number of our armored Humvees hit (roadside bombs), and we've been successful with our survival rate," Chaves said.

More than a month and a half into their year of duty in Iraq, the citizen soldiers of the 29th Brigade Combat Team have settled into a variety of missions, the one-star general said.

"I think from my perspective, the soldiers have acclimatized very well to the Iraqi environment," he said.

Chaves said that with the training the Hawai'i soldiers received, the lines have blurred between active duty and Guard and Reserve service members in Iraq.

What still sets the Hawai'i soldiers apart is their aloha spirit.

"The comments I've been receiving from some of the interpreters is that our soldiers manning the entry control points, and with soldiers that are out in the villages, there's really a sense of aloha that they bring," Chaves said. "It's a more positive relationship, and it's less threatening to the Iraqi people."

That translates into fewer problems with Iraqis being searched before coming into LSA Anaconda, and more overall cooperation.

Chaves, whose wife, Paulette, teaches at St. Anne's School, said he wanted to let the people of Hawai'i know how appreciative the soldiers are for the support shown from back home.

"The soldiers appreciate all the support and care packages and everything they've been sending over," said Chaves, 54. "That's been a real big plus for the morale of the soldiers."

The area of operation for the 3,700 soldiers of the 29th Brigade stretches from Saudi Arabia in the south to Anaconda, about 50 miles north of Baghdad. More than 2,200 of the soldiers are from Hawai'i. The brigade also draws from American Samoa, Guam, Saipan and the Mainland.

The 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery is assigned to Kuwait Naval Base, and an armor company is at Eskan Village, Saudi Arabia.

The 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry, is based at Camp Victory South next to Baghdad International Airport. The 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry, out of California, is assigned to Forward Operating Base Falcon in southern Baghdad at the smallest of the 29th Brigade's bases.

In addition to the brigade headquarters, the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry; 29th Support Battalion; part of a cavalry troop; the 229th Military Intelligence Company; and a platoon of the 227th Engineer Company are at LSA Anaconda.

The units in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Baghdad report to other commands operationally, but Chaves retains administrative and logistical oversight.

Base defense is a key mission for the 29th Brigade. At LSA Anaconda, Hawai'i soldiers watch from guard towers and patrol outside the perimeter fence of the 15 square-mile area. Task Force Konohiki is training an Iraqi battalion to take over part of the security mission.

The 100th Battalion conducts neighborhood searches, monitors traffic-control points, and works in neighboring villages on water and school projects, Chaves said.

The battalion suffered a setback when its commander, Lt. Col. Alan Ostermiller, was relieved of command after a physical altercation with one of his staff officers, the Hawai'i National Guard said.

Lt. Col. Colbert K.H. Low replaced Ostermiller, who is in Baghdad working with the 18th Airborne Corps putting together plans to train Iraqi security forces, Chaves said.

Of the 28 U.S. service members who have died in April to date in Iraq, seven were killed in Baghdad, and three were killed in Balad, where LSA Anaconda is located.

Among them was Cpl. Glenn J. Watkins, 42, a Washington National Guard member attached to the 29th Brigade. He died April 5 in Baghdad when a bomb went off. Three soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry were seriously wounded, Chaves said.

"We had some minor injuries prior to that, but most of those soldiers have been returned to duty," Chaves said.

Improvised explosive devices are the biggest threat to U.S. service members in Iraq. Chaves said there have been some small-arms attacks, and a reduced number of rocket and mortar attacks on Anaconda.

More jammers, which detonate roadside bombs, are being delivered to Iraq, and U.S. military police are being trained in the use of four-wheeled M-1117 armored vehicles for patrols.

The soldier whose leg and wrist were broken in Wednesday's explosion is with the 100th Battalion. The vehicle may have hit a land mine. A few other soldiers were shaken up, but have returned to duty, Chaves said.

Chaves said soldiers leave the security of the base only in either factory-armored Humvees, or in Humvees with armored side, door and bullet-proof glass kits added to them.