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Hilo-based Guard unit bids fond farewell Wednesday (Aug 31)

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Photography by Baron Sekiya | Hawaii 24/7

By Baron Sekiya | Hawaii 24/7

Words of praise, prayers for safety and long goodbyes echoed through the Hawaii National Guard center as the Hilo-based Blackhawk helicopter unit held its deployment ceremony to Iraq on Wednesday (Aug 31).

Fifty-two Company C, 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment of the Hawaii Army National Guard men and women will be loaded with their UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters aboard two C-5 Galaxy Air Force jets bound for Fort Hood, Texas where they will be training for a month-and-a-half before deploying to Iraq.

The Blackhawk helicopters are a familiar sight at Hilo International Airport and soon only a pair of Blackhawks will be left with crews that are not deployed.

This is the second tour to Iraq for the unit, with the first being in 2007. About 60 percent of the unit was part of the first tour in Iraq where they served for a year.

The unit conducted more than 1,100 missions and logged more than 4,800 combat hours that year. They also transported and escorted top Iraqi and U.S. officials.

Members of the unit are:

SSG Roldan A. Agustin
WO1 Jarone C. Amarino
SFC Maurice C. Aquino
PFC Tahnee K. Aranaydo
SFC Paul H. Asato
SFT Garry R. Belen
CW2 Peter L. Bianchi
PV2 Harvey B. Calabitin
WO1 Paul D. Clements
CPT Neiland G. Cota
SGT Frant T. Degele
PFC Kirk I. Edlemann
SGT Roland Gacayan Jr.
SGT Wilson A. Gani
CPT Brianne K. Gaylor
SGT Kaylen H.N. Hayashi
2LT Ryan S. Hong
WO1 Jacob Idzerda
CW3 Aldenn T. Iga
SGT Darin S. Isa
SPC Kupono Kaleohano
CW2 Benjamin C. Kelly
CW3 Steven V. Kittrell
1LT Ryan Kuhn
1LT Kenneth S. Lee
SGT Jaypee F. Leones
SPC Christopher Lee Limbago
CW2 Troy K. Lincoln
SPC Louis D. Livatino
SSG John M. Lowe
1LT Adam Lucero
SGT Donato Magallanes
SGT Jason M. Matsushige
SPC Robert M. Maudlin
PFC Reid Miguel-Cortez
SGT Artemio Montomor
SGT Issac M. Narita
SGT Christopher M. Pacheco
SSG Clayton C. Perrira
CW2 Margret E. Rains
SPC Daniel J. Rice
CW2 Marvin J. Santos
1SG Alvin A. Sniffen
CW3 Elmer Somera
SGT Mike N. Stribling
SSG Duke K. Takasawa
SGT Aurelio P. Tumpap
SGT Paul H. Umemoto
WO1 Crisaron P. Voueth
CW2 Brandon D. Warren
SGT Dayton W. Winchester
WO1 Beau J. Zorgdrager

 

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