Story and photos by

Blair Martin
Contributing Writer

For the past five months, the hard rock band Kilroy has been entertaining island audiences, with hopes of breaking into the Oahu music scene.

The band, which plays all original rock songs, is comprised primarily of active duty and former military service members, choosing to lend their musical talents after hours while juggling hectic work schedules or deployments.

Story by
Grace Hew Len
Navy Region Hawaii Environmental Public Affairs Officer

Photo by
MC2 (SW) Mark Logico

The call came at about 1 a.m. early Saturday morning for port operations officer Lt. j.g. Gildaniel McKethan. He heard the words "emergency" and "tsunami" and raced immediately to the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Emergency Operations Center (EOC) where he would spend the next 13 hours preparing for a possible tsunami threat to the Hawaiian Islands.

Story by
MC2 Robert Stirrup
Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs

Photo by
MC2 (AW) Eric J. Cutright

Sailors assigned to various commands throughout Hawaii participated in Read Aloud America with four local elementary schools on March 1-3.

Students from Hickam, Lehua and Iroquois Point Elementary Schools listened to stories written by Dr. Seuss and read aloud by Sailors.

Story by
MC2 (SW) Mark Logico
Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs

Photo by
Randy Dela Cruz

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) will host an installation-wide base cleanup from 9 to 11 a.m. March 9.

In support of this effort, commands based at JBPHH will participate in removing debris, conducting general cleanup and painting of highly visible areas such as base entrances, parking areas, roadway borders and sidewalks.

Story and photo by

MC2 Robert Stirrup
Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs

Navy TV at Naval Station Pearl Harbor and Air Force TV at Hickam Air Force Base recently combined to become Joint Base Television (JBTV) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

The unification took place on Feb. 24, and checks off one more task that JBPHH has achieved on its way toward reaching full operational capability on Oct. 1.

JBTV will now broadcast both Navy and Air Force news from commands around the Pacific.

Story by
Ensign Zachary Berglan
USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) Public Affairs

The Pearl Harbor-based, guided missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) is the recipient of the 2009 Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) Excellence Award for the Pacific.

The MK 15 Phalanx CIWS is a fast-reaction, rapid-fire 20-millimeter gun system that provides ships with a terminal defense against anti-ship missiles that may have penetrated other operational defenses.

Story by
Ensign Kim Mai Pham
USS Reuben James (FFG 57) Public Affairs

DILI, Timor-Leste – Cmdr. David Miller, commanding officer of USS Reuben James (FFG 57), and a contingent of Reuben James' Sailors presented 28 boxes of women and children's clothing and toys to the Alola Foundation during a ceremony in East Timor on Feb 22.

The ceremony was kicked off by a series of community relations projects spearheaded by Reuben James' Sailors. Immediately after the ceremony, 41 Sailors visited the Becora Orphanage to distribute toys from Project Handclasp to the children. Project Handclasp supplies were also donated to the Timor-Leste Ministry of Health.

Story by
Ensign Aimee Lindner
USS Lake Erie (CG 70) Public Affairs

Guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70), homeported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, arrived in Laem Chabang, Thailand on March 1 for a scheduled port visit. The ship is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

During the port visit, Lake Erie's Sailors are looking forward to experiencing the culture and interacting with the people of Thailand. Many Sailors have signed up to participate in riding elephants, visiting a tiger zoo, touring Bangkok, observing the flight of the gibbons, scuba diving, and participating in a Habitat for Humanity community relations event.

Story by
Ensign Melissa Ocasio
Naval Information Operations Command, Hawaii

Photo by
CMT1 (SW) David Vest

Every year in Hawaii, the State Department of Transportation spends $2 million picking up litter along Hawaii's roads and highways. The First Class Petty Officers' Association (FCPOA) of Naval Information Operations Command Hawaii (NIOC) is doing its part to help minimize this expense by participating in the Hawaii Department of Transportation's adopt-a-highway program.

U.S. Pacific Fleet

Photo by
MC3 Jon Husman

Preparations are underway to conduct the fifth in a series of annual U.S. Pacific Fleet humanitarian civic assistance (HCA) endeavors, known as Pacific Partnership, to the western Pacific and Southeast Asia.