By AUDREY McAVOY
Associated Press Writer

HONOLULU (AP) - The Hawaii Army National Guard's biggest brigade will deploy to Kuwait next summer only two years after returning from Iraq, officials said Friday.

About 2,000 Hawaii soldiers from the 29th Brigade Combat Team will provide security for U.S. installations in Kuwait, said Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee, the Hawaii Guard commander.

Most of the 5,000-member Hawaii Army Guard will be the Middle East next year as a result of the deployment, but Lee said the entire Air Guard will remain in the islands and be available in the event of natural disasters and other local emergencies.

Overall, some 62 percent of the overall Hawaii Guard force is expected to remain in the islands, the general told reporters after commanders had spent about a day notifying soldiers of the mission.

The Hawaii brigade will join brigades from Guards units in Texas, Oklahoma and Washington providing security operations, including base defense and route security, in Iraq and Kuwait.

The deployment may be hard on soldiers and their families, particularly for soldiers who have full-time civilian careers outside the Guard.

The Pentagon earlier this year told Guard members would try to give them five years at home between deployments.

But the military, lacking enough active duty ground forces to supply its missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been calling up some Guard units after they've been home for just a couple of
years.

Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, said he was worried how the mission would affect soldiers and their families.

"I am particularly concerned about the consequences of calling troops back to the war zone before they have adequate time to rest and train," Akaka said in a statement Thursday in response to the call-up.

Lee said he didn't "feel good" about having to deploy troops so soon but he said the feedback he's gotten indicates soldiers are upbeat about the mission.

He added the soldiers will be away from their homes for only one year, unlike the last deployment when they spent 18 to 20 months away from the islands.

That's in part due to a new policy enabling soldiers to complete their training near their homes, reducing the need for long stays at mainland installations like Fort Bliss, Texas.

Lee said the Guard had also boosted its family support services like child care. Unlike last time, when the Guard was just setting up family assistance centers as the deployment got under way, the centers are already functioning.

"We appreciate their sacrifice," Lee said of the burden placed on families. "No one likes such a quick turnaround."

The soldiers are expected to get some extra pay for the early mobilization, though the Army hasn't determined how much, Lee said.

Sgt. Lance Shimamoto, who operates and maintains televisions, radios and other equipment for the Guard, said the soldiers in his unit are willing to go.

"At first I was kind of surprised compared to how long we thought we were going to be here before we had to go again," said Shimamoto. "Then I was kind of levelheaded as to just thinking
about the mission." 

Lee added he would lobby hard to ensure his troops get the equipment they've been missing since they returning from Iraq so they can train properly.

The brigade currently only has 50 percent of the night vision goggle supply it is supposed to have, just 41 percent of its standard machine guns and 84 percent of its 50-caliber machine
guns.

"I'll be putting the heat on to make sure the rest of our equipment comes in," Lee said.

The general said deploying to Kuwait would be less risky than going to Iraq, but his soldiers would not cut back in their preparations.

"We are giving our soldiers the maximum training because insurgents do not recognize international boundaries," Lee said.  "We need to protect the vital United States support base in
Kuwait."

Lee said the 600 members of the 1st Battalion, 158 Infantry currently in Afghanistan would not join the Kuwait deployment.

The following units are to be included in the deployment:

• Headquarters of the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Kalaeloa.
• 29th Brigade Support Battalion, Kalaeloa.
• 29th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, Kalaeloa.
• 1st Squadron, 299 Calvary, Hilo, including units on Maui, Kauai and Oahu.
• 1st Battalion, 487 Field Artillery, Wahiawa.
• Remainder to be augmented by 45th Fires Brigade, Oklahoma National Guard.

Copyright 2007 Associated Press