Retiree News

Update: 201st Combat Communications Group inactivation ceremony

In early 2013, the National Guard Bureau verbally notified the Hawai‘i Air National Guard (HIANG) that they were inactivating the Headquarters, 201st Combat Communications Group. The effective date of the inactivation would be September 30, 2013.

The command took action to find the Headquarters’ full-time force new positions with other HIANG units. Traditional members had opportunities to transfer to other HIANG units. Several members retired.

Planning began for an inactivation ceremony, scheduled for October 2013 UTA weekend. Brig Gen Stan Osserman, then the HIANG Commander, cancelled the ceremony because the ongoing Federal shutdown did not fund Guard unit training assemblies in October.

The planning for the ceremony did not restart after training funds became available in November. HIANG had still not received any official correspondence directing the inactivation.

In a conversation with General Osserman, he said,

“As I recall, NGB never actually “de-activated” the CCG back in 2013 and even after I retired, they basically pulled the manpower off the document and defunded the group. We never got a de-activation order, and even the funding to turn in equipment and take care of those housekeeping activities were taken out of HIANG hide. We never did a ceremony under my tenure because we never had official orders to de-activate.”

The Bureau’s direction finally came in a May 23, 2014 letter. It said in part, “HQ 201st Combat Communications Group will be inactivated on 1 Jun 2014.

In a July 9, 2014 memorandum, Brig Gen Ryan Okahara, the current HIANG commander, realigned the remaining 201 CCG units. The 201st Intelligence Squadron and the 297th Air Traffic Control Squadron became part of the 154th Operations Group. The 154th Mission Support Group gained the 291st, 292d and 293d Combat Communications Squadrons. The 154th Communications Flight now has the Eagle Vision 5 UTC mission.

Since this reorganization, the 293d Combat Communications Squadron received a notice of inactivation. Up to several weeks ago, the inactivation date was September 30, 2015.  This date has since slid to December 31, 2015.

In a recent meeting, Brig Gen Okahara discussed the HQ 201 CCG inactivation ceremony. It is his intention to hold a ceremony, perhaps a joint inactivation ceremony with the 293d Combat Communications Squadron.

Retiree News will post another update as more information becomes available.

Save the Date: National Guard Birthday Ball

What: National Guard Birthday Ball

When: Friday, December 11, 2015

Where: Hilton Hawaiian Village

Retiree News will post additional information as the event gets closer.

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