Updated at 8:38 p.m., Friday, August 10, 2007
National Guard unit deploying to Iraq
Advertiser Staff and News Reports
A deployment ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Schofield Barracks for about 20 Hawai'i National Guard soldiers of the 12th Personnel Services Detachment deploying to Iraq.The Honolulu-based unit will be sent to Iraq to assist in the management of casualty operations. They will be providing casualty information support, including reporting and tracking, at medical facilities and mortuary affairs collection points.
About 30 citizen soldiers with the detachment have been mobilized to serve in Iraq and Kuwait.
The deploying soldiers have been divided into five teams, with the first three leaving within the week for Iraq and the later two leaving in late August for Kuwait. This marks the first time the unit itself has been mobilized.
Another Hawai'i Army National Guard unit, the Hilo-based C Company, 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation, a helicopter company, deployed in April and currently is in Iraq.
About 70 soldiers were activated and trained on the Mainland before leaving for the Middle East. The unit, with seven Black Hawk helicopters, provided temporary civilian emergency medical evacuation on O'ahu.
