More Hawai'i troops go to war

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

Curtis Matsushige has been a teacher for almost 25 years, and a National Guardsman for about the same length of time.

Debora Lum puts a lei on her husband, Master Sgt. Stephen Lum, 50, who has been called to active duty. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Matsushige, of Mililani, says his two jobs have similarities.

"Both have been exciting," Matsushige said yesterday. "Teaching is like being on the front lines. It's dealing with the youth, yeah?"

About 10 Hawai'i Guard soldiers with the 117th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment — to which Matsushige, a sergeant first class, is attached — and 57 soldiers with the 298th Engineering Detachment, are the latest to be mobilized from the state for Afghanistan duty.

At a mobilization ceremony yesterday at the Waiawa Armory in Pearl City, Sgt. Lee Michael Lleeces, 47, held his granddaughter Reianna while the 1-year-old held a bottle.

"I'm excited to go to help the people out and scared at the same time," said Lleeces, of Waipahu. "Hopefully, we'll make life better for the people."

A truck and bus driving instructor at Leeward Community College, Lleeces, who is in the 298th, will be a heavy equipment operator in Afghanistan. He has been with the Guard since 1984, and was a Marine from 1976 to 1980.

Still, that was 25 years ago, and his daughter, 21-year-old Rhiannon Lleeces, said, "I don't want him to go, actually. But he told me he wants to go."

She said she worries about him as an engineer "and maybe someone decides to drive a truck and there's a bomb in there. I tend to think about that."

So many Hawai'i Army National Guard soldiers have been called up for service in Iraq and Afghanistan that Guard commander Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee last week said only half in jest: "The only unit I have left is the band."

A total of 88 percent of Hawai'i's Army Guard have been mobilized — the highest percentage of any state in the nation, Lee said.

With the anticipated deployment of more than 2,000 29th Separate Infantry Brigade soldiers to Iraq, approximately 400 Army Guard soldiers are left in the state, officials said. Less than 5 percent of the Hawai'i Air National Guard's 2,500 airmen are mobilized.

Hawai'i National Guard soldiers scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan stand at parade rest in front of their units during a mobilization ceremony at Waiawa Armory. A total of 88 percent of Hawai'i's Army Guard has been mobilized — the highest percentage in the nation. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Lee noted the 29th, as the largest unit in the Hawai'i Guard, gets a lot of attention.

"But every soldier, every unit in the Hawai'i Army National Guard is important," Lee said, giving his thanks to the soldiers and their families for their sacrifice.

He said they would be joining Guard and Reserve comrades who will represent 55 percent of U.S. forces in the two war zones.

Gov. Linda Lingle, who along with Lee shook every soldier's hand, told the group that there is nothing the state can do to replace their time away.

"We can't understand the weddings that they will miss, and birthdays and anniversaries they will miss," she said.

But Lingle said as a continuing way for the state to express its gratitude, legislation will be proposed, including a bill to ensure that state employees who are deployed receive the equivalency of their civilian salary.

Hawai'i has 800 National Guard members and Reserve soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, Lingle said.

The 67 public affairs and engineering soldiers have a long road ahead. Several months of training will be conducted at Schofield Barracks before the soldiers deploy to Afghanistan for approximately a year.

First Lt. Anthony Tolentino, 28, who lives in Foster Village, and works for the Navy as an engineer at Pearl Harbor, said he understands the need for the mission, but isn't necessarily happy with the year deployment to Afghanistan on top of the several months of training.

"We're not full time, so we have to catch up to standards," he said.

As for the long time away from home Tolentino noted, "there's a shortage of military personnel."

Said Matsushige, an 11th-grade science teacher at Campbell High School:

"I put my name there and I'm ready to make the commitment, to follow through."

Among the concerns he has are for his wife, Kayoko, who doesn't speak English very well.

Asked if he thought about getting out of the Guard, Matsushige said, "Yes, most recently with concerns about family.

"After fulfilling my commitment, I may choose to spend more time in teaching," he said. "We'll see."

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5459.