Schofield Army troops head to Afghanistan

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Army photos At top left, Staff Sgt. Julio Riveraperez embraced his daughter at Wheeler Army Airfield before deploying to Afghanistan recently. Top right, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charles Basham watched his daughter open a care package before his deployment. Above left, Chaplain Lt. Col. Eric Jackson got some help from Megan Creaser, daughter of Staff Sgt. Andrew Creaser, as he delivered a prayer for the safe return for more than 15 deploying Strategic Air One Soldiers. Above right, Sgt. Andy Kalfman received help from his daughter while checking his phone before deploying to Afghanistan.

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Lieutenant Colonel Eric Jackson (Chaplain), Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, gets some divine assistance from Megan Creaser, daughter of Staff Sgt. Andrew Creaser, C Company, 209th Aviation Support Battalion, 25th CAB, as she says Amen to end a prayer for the safe return for more than 15 deploying Strategic Air One Soldiers as they begin their deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Jan. 5. (Photo by: Sgt. Karl Williams | 25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs)

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Sergeant Any Kalfman, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, receives assistance from his daughter while checking his phone on Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, Jan. 9, before deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Sgt. Daniel Schroeder | 25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs)

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Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charles Basham, D Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, watches his daughter open a care package before deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, Jan. 4. (Photo by Sgt. Daniel Schroeder | 25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs)

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The first of about 2,600 Hawaii soldiers with the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade began leaving last week for a yearlong deployment to southern Afghanistan.

The Schofield Barracks unit previously shipped all of its roughly 90 Black Hawk, Chinook and Kiowa Warrior helicopters.

The aviation brigade, which will pick up more than 400 soldiers as well as Apache attack helicopters from Colorado, will be based at Kandahar, Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan province and Forward Operating Base Wolverine in Zabul province, officials said.

Helicopters, particularly big twin-rotor Chinooks, are in high demand in mountainous Afghanistan, a country with a poorly developed road system.

"The soldiers of the 25th CAB are well trained, highly motivated and well prepared for the mission ahead in Afghanistan," Col. Frank Tate, the aviation brigade commander, said in a news release.

A detachment of soldiers will stay behind and operate from Wheeler Army Airfield to support deployed soldiers’ families during the deployment.

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"The families of the CAB will pull together as one ohana to take care of each other," Tate said.

Already serving in eastern Afghanistan are 3,500 Schofield infantry soldiers with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, meaning 6,100 Hawaii soldiers soon will be in the Asian country.

The 3rd Brigade left Hawaii in March and April.

Neither Hawaii brigade will benefit from an Army decision, announced in August, to shorten combat deployments to nine months from a year. The intent is to provide more time at home with families in between deployments.

Shortened deployments took effect Jan. 1 but don’t apply to already deployed units such as the 3rd Brigade or to aviation units, because of the high demand for helicopters.