Schofield soldier dies in Afghanistan

A 22-year-old Schofield Barracks soldier who deployed to Afghanistan last month was killed Monday when a roadside bomb detonated near his patrol east of Kabul, near the Pakistan border.

The Pentagon said Cpl. Kevin W. White of Westfield, N.Y., died in Kunar province of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.He was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment.

Pat White, the soldier’s mother, said her last contact with him was through Facebook, where he posted a meassage concerning Osama bin Laden’s death. He was killed shortly after he posted that message.

"He knew things would get real hot after bin Laden was taken out," Pat White said. "He said, tongue in cheek, ‘Good thing I’m not right next to Pakistan, and the spring fighting season started yesterday.’"

His family said this was White’s second deployment since joining the Army in 2006, and that he had also served in Iraq.

Her son enjoyed his time in Hawaii, Pat White said. "He tried all the Hawaiian things: snorkeling, surfing, bodyboarding, spear-fishing, whatever,"’ she said. "But he looked forward to coming home on leave, and he was going to learn how to ride motorcycle."

White left Hawaii for Afghanistan on April 7, and arrived at Combat Outpost Honaker Miracle within the past couple of weeks, his mother said.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

‘Issue’ found with radiation

Workers in a Hilo Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic may have been exposed to radiation over the past six years because equipment used to treat cancer patients was insufficiently shielded.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported yesterday that a linear accelerator machine is contained in a concrete and lead vault on the ground floor of the Hawaii Pacific Oncology Center, which is downstairs from the VA clinic.

Howard Ainsley, chief executive officer of Hilo Medical Center, which operates the oncology clinic, said tests showed "an issue" with the accelerator.

He said that when the linear accelerator is operating, radiation levels in the rooms above could exceed regulatory limits.

Three VA clinic employees were moved to other rooms.

Ainsley said the exposure was intermittent. Officials will continue monitoring the vault and the VA clinic.