VOL. 35 NO. 30 | JULY 28, 2006 INSIDE RSO set to assist 25th ID deployment Story and Photo by SPC. DANIEL BEARL 25th Infantry Division Public Affairs CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait — As the 25th Infantry Division makes final preparations to de- ploy, a small team of its Soldiers have gone ahead to ensure a smooth transition from Hawaii to Iraq. The Reception, Staging and Onward Move- ment Team [RSO] touched down in Kuwait this week to pave the way for troops scheduled to train in Kuwait before moving north into Iraq later this summer. “We’re here to ensure the division’s move- ment is smooth,” said Capt. Chris Carter, 25th Infantry Division G1. “We will do all the plan- ning and coordination for the brigades that range from training to personnel in-processing to movement of equipment.” Facing daytime temperatures surpassing 120 degrees and relentless, dusty winds, the officers and senior enlisted Soldiers in the RSO party have been working since they stepped off the High flying plane. The RSO party is laying down the infra- structure necessary to ensure that each Soldier moving through Kuwait receives training vital aircraft to the accomplishment of the division’s mission. To accomplish its mission, the RSO party 5-14th Cavalry soars UAVs will remain in Kuwait until all of the division’s to new heights units have successfully arrived and completed training; thus making its stay in the gulf state A-3 one of the longest of the 25th Infantry Division’s elements. Despite the heat and wind, though, the RSO Sgt. Maj. Luis Rivera, RSO NCOIC, and Sgt. Maj. Jonathan B. Stone, 25th Infantry Division command career counselor, assemble a team is confident that it will accomplish its conference table for use in the RSO's operation center. Rivera and Stone arrived in Kuwait recently as part of an advance party, Education mission in Kuwait, said Carter. which serves to ensure a smooth deployment for Soldiers and equipment heading to Iraq. column debuts Fort DeRussy gallery honors Some Soldiers A monthly column on education of military kids eligible for MGIB begins with a side-by-side illustrious career of Shinseki comparison of schools impacting Army keiki Retired four-star general benefits transfer A-6 rose through the ranks ARMY NEWS SERVICE to be Army chief of staff News Release WASHINGTON — The Army announced July 21 the Story and Photos by implementation of a pilot program allowing Soldiers in Military writer SPC. STEPHEN PROCTOR critical skills who re-enlist the ability to transfer Mont- 17th Public Affairs Detachment gomery GI Bill benefits to their spouse. FORT DERUSSY — To recognize the Enlisted Soldiers who have completed at least six years sought Hawaiian native of service, re-enlist for a minimum of four years, qualify whose 38-year for a Selective Re-enlistment Bonus (SRB), and are Army career went entitled to a Zone B or Zone C bonus will have the option A photojournalist with from the U.S. Mil- to transfer up to 18 of 36 months of their MGIB entitle- military background is itary Academy, ment. needed to cover Army West Point, to the Soldiers can choose between a full SRB or a slightly re- beat. Call 655-4816. top office in the duced SRB plus the ability to transfer more than $18,000 U.S. Army, the in benefits. chief of staff of The fiscal 2006 basic MGIB monthly benefit for full-time the Army, Hawaii training is currently $1,034. This benefit is also available Army Museum Shinseki but prorated for part-time enrollment. Society members Soldiers who elected the Army College Fund (ACF) as an opened a new gallery in his honor, enlistment option and/or have enrolled and paid toward July 20. the $600 MGIB Additional Opportunity can include their Retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki flew expanded benefit (MGIB, ACF and MGIB Additional Op- to Hawaii for the opening of portunity) in the transferability program. the gallery at the U.S. Army Museum The Army will study the results of the program with the of Hawaii. His career includes the possibility of making it a permanent part of the Army’s re- battlefields of Vietnam, more than A series of photos from retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki’s academy days is one of enlistment policies. a decade in Europe, and tours in many displays in the Shinkseki gallery at the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii. “The Army continues to focus on and provide support numerous other locations in be- to Soldiers’ families because it is the right thing to do, and tween rising to the rank of four- opened as a temporary exhibit in roes, dedicated to Medal of Honor re- because we know that we recruit Soldiers, but retain fam- star general and becoming the first March of 2004, but it was so well cipients.” ilies,” said Maj. Gen. Sean Byrne, director of Army Mili- Asian-American chief of staff of the received that now it is one of only “General Shinseki was a Soldier,” tary Personnel Management. Army. two permanent galleries at the muse- said Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, Education benefits are a key component of the incen- A crowd of Shinseki’s friends and um. commander of the 25th Infantry Di- tive package used by the Army to attract and retain qual- family members were joined by active “The gallery was such a success vision, “and when he was the chief of ity Soldiers. At the foundation of these benefits is the and retired Soldiers and a group of that we decided to make it perma- staff, we knew we had a Soldier in MGIB. The transferability of MGIB benefits is an additional 100th Infantry Battalion veterans, nent,” said retired Maj. Gen. Herbert E. charge of our Army. lever being used to retain Soldiers with critical skills. some of who wore the Medal of Hon- Wolff, president of the Hawaii Army “When history looks back on his Soldiers interested in participating in the program 163-mile trek or. Museum Society. “The only other per- should visit their Army retention career counselor for in- The Shinseki gallery had first manent gallery is the Gallery of He- SEE GALLERY, A-8 formation. Army captain pedals the state of Massachusetts to battle cancer Free credit monitoring for veterans comes to abrupt halt B-7 BETH REECE dates were feared stolen. breach analysis to ensure information is Policy and Planning, where the breach oc- Army News Service “The FBI has a high degree of confidence kept secure in the future, according to VA curred. VA has also hired a special advisor — based on the results of the forensic tests spokesman Matt Burns. for information security and re-energized its WASHINGTON — The White House with- and other information gathered during the cyber security and privacy awareness train- drew its funding request July 18 for free investigation — that the sensitive data files To receive a free credit report, ing. This issue credit monitoring services for the 26.5 mil- were not accessed or compromised,” said go to annualcreditreport.com As FBI’s “high degree of confidence” is lion veterans and family members whose in- White House Budget Director Rob Portman or call (877) 322-8228. not 100 percent assurance that veterans’ Lightning Spirit A-2 formation was thought to be impacted by in a letter to House Speaker J. Dennis personal information is safe, Army officials the May 3 theft of a Department of Veter- Hastert. “The VA has funds in its budget that recommend Soldiers continue monitoring News Briefs A-5 ans Affairs computer. “On the basis of the FBI’s analysis, the ad- can be used for this purpose,” Burns said, their credit reports. Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James ministration has concluded that credit mon- “and there will be no diminution in the The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires Health A-10 Nicholson announced the recovery of the itoring services and the associated funding quality of health care and other services each of the nation’s consumer reporting MWR B-2 stolen computer June 29, eight days after he will no longer be necessary,” Portman added. provided to veterans as a result of this ex- companies — Equifax, Experian and Trans announced that the agency would provide Despite good news that the database was penditure.” Union — to provide one free credit a report Sports & Fitness B-7 one year of free credit monitoring to those uncompromised, VA continues soliciting Since the theft, numerous personnel a year to each citizen, per the individual’s whose Social Security numbers and birth bids from companies that provide data- changes have taken place in the Office of request. A-2 | JULY 28, 2006 HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY NEWS & COMMENTARY We want to ‘Engage’ says hear from you... Troops speak up about war The Hawaii Army Weekly welcomes articles from Army or- Army chief of Service members say Iraq rived. ganizations, announcements from Forty-eight percent of these officers be- the general public about communi- war worth fighting, though ty events of interest to the military lieved conditions in the country had im- community, and letters and com- morale lags among some proved; 44 percent felt the conditions were mentaries. public affairs the same or worse. If you have newsworthy ideas or JOSEPH GIORDONO Sixty-seven percent of enlisted believed stories you’d like to write, JOHN HARLOW Stars and Stripes, Mideast edition conditions had improved, while 69 percent coordinate with the managing Army News Service of officers O-4, or major, and above be- editor at 655-4816, or e-mail In the third year of the war in Iraq, FORT MONROE, Va.