By Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Lum

Spc. David S. Ige, a heavy-equipment operator for the 298th Engineer Detachment, loves hard work.

His Hawai'i Army National Guard horizontal engineer section joined active-duty and Army Reserve soldiers to complete the 72-mile Tarin Kowt Road last year in Afghanistan.

Twelve- to 14-hour workdays fit well into Ige's work ethic. The 41-year-old operations engineer normally works for Local 3 out of the sleepy, rainy town of Hilo. He not only helped build the Tarin Kowt Road, which now links Uruzgan and Kandahar provinces' capitals, Tarin Kowt and Kandahar City, but also shared his experience and expertise by training others.

"I only have nine years in the Guard," Ige said, "but I've got more than 15 years in the business."

This father of five spent more than six months of his one-year deployment in the rocky, arid countryside, cutting through villages, mountain passes and water crossings to help reconnect Afghanistan.

Horizontal team supervisor Staff Sgt. Leif E. Anderson has nothing but praise for his engineers.

"Ige and Sgt. Joshua Waid's expertise proved invaluable to completing the Tarin Kowt road," Anderson said. "These guys literally moved mountains. Our team worked on the toughest part of the road, to include cutting through mountain passes and over water hazards."

Said Spc. Mario N. Baradi: "Ige taught me how to use finesse when cutting the road with the scrapper and grader. Lots of us were really (inexperienced) as heavy-equipment operators. He told us to take our time, make the cut a little wider and go a little further, do it right the first time, and speed doesn't make it better."

Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Lum serves with the 117th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

This is my fiance, Navy Corpsman Joel Kirk Ivy (with his dad Joel Sr.). He is a 22-year-old Navy corpsman serving with the 1st Battalion 3rd Marine Regiment Bravo Company in Fallujah, Iraq.
He is originally from Dickinson, Texas, just southeast of Houston. He already has received medals from the Marine Corps for saving lives.
He is still in Fallujah, but hopes to be leaving after the January elections there. We will get married this May! I love him and miss him very much!

Our thoughts and prayers are with each and every soldier serving in Iraq, that each one will return home soon and safe. ... God bless you all. To our son, Joshua Ivy, who is from Schofield: We love you and miss you. Your wife, Cindy, and daughter, Ally, are well and look forward to returning with you to Hawai'i when your time in Iraq is done. Godspeed ... Love, Mom and Dad

This is a photo of my brother, Robert Iozzia. He is serving in Iraq with 2nd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. We are from Fair Lawn, N.J. He has a lot of support from our community as all our soldiers are making their mark in history. Robert just turned 23 on May 27. Happy belated birthday, Brother. Be smart, work hard and come home safe.

By Janis and Rogelio Ilar

This is our youngest of three children, Spc. Bryan Elvis Ilar, 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment, out of Fort Carson, Colo., who was deployed to Iraq for Operation Enduring Freedom.

Since his graduation from Waipahu High School in 1995, he has traveled throughout the U.S. and abroad.

He is loved and missed by his family and friends on the Leeward Coast. We are truly proud of him and his cousin, Sgt. Sady Oandason of the 101st Airborne, also deployed in Iraq.

We pray for all our U.S. forces fighting for a free and safe America.

God bless you all.