Hawai‘i National Guard Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery Regiment return from their year long deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq, April 15, 2020, Honolulu, Hawai‘i. The Soldiers arrived in a commercial charter flight from Texas where they have been quarantined after their initial return from overseas. They were medically screened by fellow Hawai‘i Guardsmen and members of the Hawai‘i Department of Health who are screening all in-coming passengers for COVID-19 at the Daniel K. Inouye Honolulu International Airport.
The Soldiers’ families waited in their cars outside the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Readiness Center to pick up their returning Guardsmen. The Guardsmen were released six at a time and picked up with no one exiting the car. No hugs or greetings were allowed to insure physical distancing with their friends and family. It was an awkward redeployment event that resembled a drive-thru with the products being the happiest Soldiers in the world.
Another great video by TSgt Andrew Jackson, who works at the State Department of Defense Public Affairs Office.
Eighty-five years ago today, the Pan American Clipper flies past Diamond Head, Oahu’s landmark, to land at Pearl Harbor’s Ford Island. This was the very first commercial flight to Hawaii and opened up the visitor industry to the Islands. Today, over 9 million people arrive in Hawaii by air, annually.
For those unfamiliar with Pan American….
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991. Founded in 1927 as a scheduled air mail and passenger service operating between Key West, Florida, and Havana, Cuba, the airline became a major company credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry, including the widespread use of jet aircraft, jumbo jets, and computerized reservation systems. It was also a founding member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global airline industry association. Identified by its blue globe logo, the use of the word “Clipper” in aircraft names and call signs, and the white pilot uniform caps, the airline was a cultural icon of the 20th century. In an era dominated by flag carriers that were wholly or majority government-owned, it was also the unofficial flag carrier of the United States. During most of the jet era, Pan Am’s flagship terminal was the Worldport located at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
From the Wired Magazine website
The spread of Covid-19 has turned us into a nation of hand-washing obsessives, citizens who vigorously interlace our fingers and circle-scrub our thumbs with an exacting, anxiety-fueled intensity. But it’s not over when you flip off the faucet: Drying your hands matters too, because damp skin provides a hospitable environment for microorganisms and, as a result, might increase the likelihood that you’ll pass on pathogens.
So now, as we confront what could be a society-altering disease outbreak, it seems worth taking a hard look at the widely reviled yet seemingly ubiquitous electric hand dryer. Are they as hygienic as paper towels, as their manufacturers claim?
Dennis R. Yamada passed away on April 12, 2020. He was born and raised on Kaua‘i and went on to the University of Missouri and Drake University Law School. He later became a lawyer in private practice with the Kaua‘i law firm of Shiraishi and Yamada.
He served in the Hawai‘i Air National Guard with the 150th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron.
Yamada represented Kaua‘i during his six terms in the House of Representatives from 1970 through 1982. He chaired the House Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee from 1972 through 1978; and the House Judiciary Committee from 1978 through 1980. He then served as House majority leader from 1980 through 1982. After serving 12 years in the Legislature, he chose not to seek reelection in 1982.
Then-Governor George Ariyoshi appointed him to serve as a University of Hawai‘i regent in 1985. He later served as the chairman of the state Public Utilities Commission.
Services are pending
Attached is today’s COVID-19 Daily News Update issued by Hawaii State Department of Health.
There is a large amount of speculation regarding COVID-19, please rely on OFFICIAL sources for accurate information. We added a long term post on the maroon bar above titled “COVID-19 Information.” The post includes links to the Hawaii Department of Health, the CDC and the FEMA websites.
The Kūkā‘ilimoku is the official e-newsletter of the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard. This 25-page issue includes the following stories:
* Pueos Aeromedevac infants around the globe
* JCS leaders visit HIANG
* Kanikapila Revival
* Launa’ole Awards
Review the entire April issue here: April 2020 issue of the Kūkā‘ilimoku (slow loading file)
The 154th Wing Public Affairs Office staff continues to produce a world-class publication. The staff includes:
Capt Justin Leong, Public Affairs Officer
MSgt Misti Bicoy
TSgt Alison Bruce-Maldonado
TSgt Tabitha Hurst
SSgt James Ro
SrA Orlando Corpuz
SrA Robert Cabuco
SrA John Linzmeier
154th Wing Public Affairs Office
360 Mamala Bay Drive
JBPHH, Hawaii 96853
Phone: (808) 789-0419
Email: 154wg.pa@us.af.mil
Soldiers Returned to Hawai‘i After Deployment. The 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery return home yesterday from a year-long deployment in Afghanistan and Iraq. About 300 Soldiers arrived on a chartered flight from Fort Bliss, Texas. They reunited with their families at a National Guard facility.
But there were no official ceremonies because of the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.
The Soldiers completed their 14-day quarantine before leaving Texas. Once arriving in Hawaiʻi, they will be subject to the governor’s stay-at-home order. GREAT JOB and WELCOME HOME!
Additional National Guard Members Put on Mission. The Hawai‘i National Guard activated an additional 800 members in support of the state’s COVID-19 response. They joined the 400 Soldiers and Airmen activated last week. Island commanders continue to work with county mayors and their emergency management agencies to coordinate their part of the response. Joint Task Force Commander Brig. Gen. Moses Kaoiwi Jr. said: “I am confident that by working together, we will meet our objectives of continuing to flatten the curve and create a safe and secure environment for the people of Hawai‘i.” The National Guard has received federal funding to assist in pay and allowances for Soldiers and Airmen.
This City & County of Honolulu graphic explains the difference between the “Stay at Home Order” and the “14 Day Quarantine.”
Everyone knows about the federal benefits available to veterans, but did you know many states also offer great benefits to their veterans? State benefits range from free college and employment resources to free hunting and fishing licenses. Most states also offer tax breaks for their veterans and specialized license plates, some states even provide their veterans with cash bonuses just for serving in the military.
There may be a Hawaii benefit available to you or your family that you didn’t know about!
Attached is today’s COVID-19 Daily News Update issued by Hawaii State Department of Health.
COVID-19 Daily News Digest Update April 15, 2020
There is a large amount of speculation regarding COVID-19, please rely on OFFICIAL sources for accurate information. We added a long term post on the maroon bar above titled “COVID-19 Information.” The post includes links to the Hawaii Department of Health, the CDC and the FEMA websites.
This recent photograph shows Building 3385 on the 154th Wing campus. Today the building serves as a communications facility as part of the 154th Communications Squadron.
The 199th Fighter Squadron flew the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle from 1989 though 2010. As the squadron began the transition from the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, construction began on Building 3385 to house the F-15 simulator.
The simulator was in service for several years before a consolidation of services closed the operation.
The then-154th Communications Flight moved into the facility. Several years later, a renovation reduced the height of the facility to its current two stories.
From the Military Times website
More than one million veterans will soon be receiving instructions from Veterans Affairs officials on how to check if they are eligible for thousands of dollars in medical cost reimbursements as part of a court decision last fall.
Starting today, department staffers will send letters to tens of thousands of veterans who were rejected for financial relief in recent years for bills they received for non-department emergency medical care. That move comes over VA objections concerning an ongoing lawsuit over the issue, which could add billions in new costs to the department’s budget.
Thanks to Gordon Lau for submitting this article for posting.
The onslaught of news related to the COVID-19 pandemic continues, and the following articles are of interest to Retiree News readers.
Yesterday, the Star Advertiser printed a “Island Voices” article authored by Maj. Gen. Suzanne Vares-Lum. Her article discusses the Department of Defense’s relationship with the State of Hawai‘i to flatten the COVID-19 curve. Read the article
General Vares-Lum, a Hawai‘i Army National Guard member, is the mobilization assistant to the commander at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command on Camp H.M. Smith.
In response to the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) recent announcement regarding additional requirements and amended loan processing timelines for loan originating banks and financial institutions processing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Division of Financial Institutions provides further guidance to assist businesses with the necessary information to ensure PPP applications are processed quickly. Learn more
Attached is today’s COVID-19 Daily News Update issued by Hawaii State Department of Health.
There is a large amount of speculation regarding COVID-19, please rely on OFFICIAL sources for accurate information. We added a long term post on the maroon bar above titled “COVID-19 Information.” The post includes links to the Hawaii Department of Health, the CDC and the FEMA websites.
Statistics on the map are as of April 13, 2020. To enlarge the maps, click on the maps, and click again when the Twitter page appears.
Special Thanks to Ryan Ozawa who worked to overlay the ZIP codes on the maps issued by the State. He is a leading consultant on cyber and social media topics.
Retiree News 