Micronesian Army Reservists Excluded From Nationwide Call-Up

 

Army reservists in American Samoa, Guam and CNMI “are not part” of a nation-wide call up issued last week by the Pentagon, but reservists based in Pago Pago will be mobilized for other duties, according to Lt. Col. Howard Sugai.

 

The U.S. Defense had said that more than 35,000 Army soldiers including a brigade from Hawaii are being called for deployment to Iraq beginning this fall.

 

“The latest deployment call is for active duty soldiers only,” Sugai, the spokesman for the Honolulu-based Pacific Army Reserve, told Pacific Magazine on Monday. “Our reservists from the territories are not part of this call.”

 

However, Sugai said the 400th combat support platoon with the U.S. Army Reserve in American Samoa has been given orders for mobilization to Fort, Hood Texas and are scheduled to depart Pago Pago during the first week of June.

 

“This mobilization involves about 29 of our soldiers from American Samoa,” Sugai said in a telephone from Honolulu over the weekend. “They will provide support for another unit, when deployed to Iraq.”

 

The actual reporting date to Ft. Hood and the deployment date for Iraq, has not been confirmed yet, said Sugai, adding that deployment is for one-year.

 

Sugai said the American Samoa unit will be predominately assigned to handle processing storage and accountability of ammunition, attached to Ft. Hood’s 1015th Ordinance Company.

 

While in Ft. Hood, the local citizen soldiers will undergo physical/medical examinations, final preparatory training and other issues before deployment to Iraq, he said.

 

Reservists from Guam and Saipan are not included in the mobilization but a few soldiers from Hawaii will join the unit from American Samoa heading to Fort Hood, said Sugai.

 

Although the Pago Pago-based unit will not actually be on the front-line, families and friends are still fearful at this point because of on-going insurgent attacks throughout Iraq.

 

“It’s one of those things that we will have to pray that our soldiers returns home safely,” said a reservist’s wife, who asked not be identified. “Families are now trying to cope with the reality that our reservists will be called up, once again.”