Editor’s note: This is the third of three stories about Kauaians preparing for deployment to Iraq, and the families they’ll leave behind. HANAPEPE — The family of Rey Carnate of Kapa‘a watched in silence as the Hawaii Army National Guard
Editor’s note: This is the third of three stories about Kauaians preparing for deployment to Iraq, and the families they’ll leave behind.
HANAPEPE — The family of Rey Carnate of Kapa‘a watched in silence as the Hawaii Army National Guard specialist prepared his gear Friday at the Hanapepe Armory.
Carnate, an employee at the Hanalei Big Save, was one of 22 guardsmen who will be leaving for their annual training in Australia, but on their return here, will face activation on Aug. 15 which will see them deploy to Iraq early next year.
With his wife Precy Carnate involved with her own thoughts, and his daughters silently watching, Rey Carnate said, “We knew it was coming, but we just didn’t know (when).”
His daughter Rachel Carnate will be celebrating her 11th birthday in November, but Rey Carnate will be on the Mainland receiving further training, but said he’ll be back for a little while in December.
Following his Australian tour, Rey Carnate said they’ll plan a big family get-together before he gets activated. The realization of the Kaua‘i Army National Guard’s Company A, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry Regiment activation is beginning to sink in throughout the island community, as Kori Sakamoto, a player for the Kaumakani Supersonics girls’ under-14 age-group basketball team reflected on how their team will probably not participate in an upcoming tournament in August.
Sakamoto, who was visiting at the Hanapepe Sunshine Market Thursday, said their coach Fernando Constantino will be one of the Kaua‘i guardsmen activated, and his wife, affectionately known as ‘Coach Fran,’ just had a baby, so they would probably not be able to play.
Karen Matsumoto, Kauai Youth Basketball Association coordinator, said that when Constantino found out about the activation status, he withdrew his team from the August tournament, and he and his family are currently celebrating some family time together before he leaves.
Maxine Correa, making her last trip to the Bread Box Kalaheo Friday, offered that the West Kaua‘i Mustang all-star team that recently won the island title has five fathers that will be activated.
Wendell Kam, Young Brothers Nawiliwili Port manager, was attending the opening of the Lions International Youth Camp, and said he knew of at least three of the Young Brothers employees on O‘ahu who will be involved in the deployment.
Cindy Mei Ozaki of the county’s public information office said the deadline for department heads to file the number of employees involved was Friday, and the county should have a better idea of the impact when that information is received.
Steven Cardinez, an employee at the Kauai Coconut Beach Resort, said he had to notify his boss, who said he didn’t realize it (the deployment) was going to happen that fast.
Cardinez has been put on full-time status at the Hanapepe armory to help guardsmen prepare their paperwork for the Aug. 15 activation.
The Kaua‘i unit, most of whom left Friday and Saturday for Australia and Hilo for their annual training, is scheduled to be activated on Aug. 15. Following this date, the guardsmen have 72 hours to get their gear together before reporting to Wheeler Air Force Base, their departure point before heading to Texas (most likely Fort Bliss), where they will spend a period of time in instruction and training.
This will be followed by a two-week furlough back home before they report to Louisiana for more training before being deployed to Iraq on a one-year tour. Cardinez guess-timates that with all of the training, the Iraq tour, and ensuing debriefing process, the actual time line for activation nears two years.
The deployment will leave the Hanapepe armory with just the recruiter to man the facility, and there was speculation that it may be closed down.
Armin Tumaneng was at the armory on Thursday, and said he was very nervous about the activation. “I don’t know what to expect,” he said. “But, luckily, I have a cousin who has been there for about seven months already, so I’ve been e-mailing her a lot asking her what I should expect.”
Tumaneng’s cousin was also involved at the Hanapepe armory, and upon transferring to Washington state, was deployed to Iraq, said Gilly Valdez, one of seven women who will be deployed from Kaua‘i.
Valdez was in the process of transferring to the Minnesota Guard when her transfer was stopped, leaving her in an awkward position since a lot of her equipment had already been shipped.
“I put in a call to them, and hopefully, they’ll speed it all back to me,” she said, optimistically hopeful that everything will be back here by the Aug. 15 activation.
“My mom is nervous,” she said. “But, one of the girls is over there, so it shouldn’t be that bad. But, my mom is really nervous, like you wouldn’t believe!”
Eric Fujiwara, one of the maintenance people stationed at Hanapepe, explained that they are attached to an O‘ahu company, and unlike their Kaua‘i brethren, need to be on O‘ahu on Aug. 15.
Claressa Casticimo of Lawa‘i watched Friday with sons Erick, Kolby, and Avery, as her husband, Staff Sgt. Fred Casticimo, readied his gear for the Australia tour. “We’re really proud of him,” she said, while her sons, sensing the impending deployment, somehow kept their mischievousness at a subdued level.
“We’re going to miss him deeply. He was a big part of our sons’ lives, and also in the community,” she said.
“But, all his sons know that daddy’s going to do a job.”
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto @pulitzer.net
