2014

The Air Force activated the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron on February 12, 1992.  Now in it’s 21st year, the squadron has grown and it’s missions expanded.  Many of the original members have moved on or retired, but many memories remain....

Congratulations to Arthur and Rene Kimura for being named 2014 Honpa Hongwanji of Hawaii Living Treasures. They were recognized at the annual luncheon and recognition ceremony to be held on February 8, 2014, at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. This husband and...

Wright Ernest “Buddy” Upchurch, 76, retired Quality Assurance Specialist for Rockwell Intl. Rocketdyne Division, passed away on December 12, 2013 at Pali Momi Medical Center. He served in the Hawai‘i Air National Guard in the 1960s and 70s before moving to...

William Kauhane Malakaua, 64, of Mountain View, Hawai‘i, a retired Hawai‘i Army National Guard sergeant first class and Triple Canopy Inc. international security employee in Kuwait, died in Kuwait City, Kuwait on January 22, 2014. He was born in Hilo....

Nine National Guardsmen from Hawaii were added to the Medal of Honor Gallery last night at the National Guard Memorial in Washington, D.C. The nine include eight who fought in World War II and one who saw action in the...

Representative Tulsi Gabbard has named retired Air Force Colonel Walt Kaneakua, who most recently served as military liaison for Senator Mazie Hirono, to be her Hawaii district director. Kaneakua, a former Aloha Airlines pilot who served 27 years of active-duty...

Jeffrey Tsuyoshi “Sumo” Namihira, 54, of Aiea, a pilot for Hawaiian Airlines and Aloha Airlines, and a Hawaii Air National Guard retiree, passed away on January 15, 2015 at Pali Momi Medical Center. He was born in Hilo. He is...

Brigadier General Bryan Suntheimer received his stars in a pinning ceremony in the Governor's Ceremonial Room on Friday, January 17, 2014.  Doing the honors were Governor Neil Abercrombie and his wife, Marisa Burgess-Suntheimer. The general's family members, Ashlee, Emily, Tyler...

Congratulations to Brig Gen Michael Compton on his new assignment at Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) as the Air National Guard Assistant to Commander, Pacific Air Forces. General Compton currently services as the Strategic Planning and Policy Mobilization Assistant, United States...

One year ago today, Retiree News Hawai‘i as a website began with it’s first posting. A year later, the website approaches 575 postings with over 40,000 views. While the majority of readers are from the United States, the statistics provided...