299th Infantry Regiment ( United States ) The 299th Cavalry Regiment , formerly the 299th Infantry Regiment , nicknamed the " The Koa Regiment " , is a unit of the Hawaii Army National Guard . It was established in 1923 from the old 2nd Hawaiian Infantry Regiment , and it served during World War II as part of the 24th Infantry Division . The name " Koa " comes from the Hawaiian word for " Warrior " , and is currently headquartered in Hilo , Hawaii . The 1st and 2nd Battalions , 299th Infantry were federally activated in 1968 to support the United States Army Pacific during the Vietnam War . More recently a battalion of the regiment deployed to Iraq as the 2 – 299th IN and again after being re - flagged in 2006 as the 1st Squadron , 299th Cavalry Regiment . Service history . The 299th Infantry Regiment was formed on 17 August 1923 from the old 2nd Hawaiian Infantry . Both the old 2nd Hawaiian Infantry and the new 299th were part of the Hawaii National Guard . The old 1st Hawaiian Infantry was also reformed and designated the 298th Infantry . World War II . In 1940 , the 299th Infantry and its sister regiment , the 298th Infantry were called into federal service as the United States began to prepare for a possible war with the Axis Powers . In 1941 , the Hawaiian Division was reformed from a square division , which was the army ' s World War I divisional format , into the triangular division that would be the norm for World War II and Korea . Out of the old division came both the 24th Infantry Division and the 25th Infantry Division . The 299th IN was sent to provide the third infantry regiment for the new 24th Infantry Division . In May 1941 the 299th was sent to the neighbor islands to provide for their defense , since the regiment was mostly composed of citizens from these islands . On 4 June , the Japanese - American soldiers of both the 299th and 298th were pulled from the ranks of the regiments , some 29 officers and 1277 enlisted men in all . These Hawaii Nisei ( Japanese - Americans ) would form the famed 100th Infantry Battalion of the 442nd RCT and would fight heroically in Europe becoming the most decorated unit of its size in World War II . However the Nisei soldiers were nearly 40 % of the 299th ranks , and the removal of these men put the regiment grossly under strength . Therefore in July 1942 , the 299th was relived from the 24th Infantry Division and deactivated , the unit ' s men and material being transferred to the 298th . However the 2nd Battalion , 299th ' s HHC and B Company remained intact . These units were sent overseas to the Philippines and the Ryukyu Islands for which the 2 – 299th received campaign participation . However it is not clear with whom they were attached and what role they played in these campaigns . Post - War period . After the war , the Hawaii National Guard had to be reconstituted as most of their units had been deactivated and the men sent to other units . The 299th was activated in August 1946 and formed into the 299th Regimental Combat Team ( RCT ) . The regiment was to have its companies on the islands of Hawai ' i , Maui and Moloka ' i , with the 298th Infantry taking O ' ahu and Kaua ' i . The process to rebuild the regiment was slow in the post - war years and but by May 1947 the regiment had over 1 , 000 men in ranks . However by 1949 , the 299th RCT was at full strength and equipped with new weapons and gear , taking part in a large military review with the 298th RCT at Schofield Barracks . In 1959 the 299th RCT was deactivated and the 299th Infantry with its 1st , 2nd and 3rd Battalions transferred to form the 29th Infantry Brigade Hawaii Army National Guard . Vietnam activation . In May 1968 the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 299th was called to active duty under its parent unit the 29th Infantry Brigade . The 299th reported to Schofield to begin training for any possible deployment to Vietnam or other Asian hotspot ( i . e . Korea ) The 29th SIB was to serve as a strategic reserve for the Army since active duty units such as the 25th Infantry Division were tied up fighting in Vietnam . According to Hawaii ' s political leadership at the time , the 299th and the 29th Brigade were never intended to deploy to Vietnam when they were federalized . Nonetheless many soldiers from the 299th went to Vietnam as individual replacements , serving in the active duty units that were already in country . Some 1 , 500 Hawaii Guard soldiers served in Vietnam during the 29th ' s mobilization , the majority of them coming from the 299th . Thirteen soldiers from the 299th died in Vietnam : 1st Battalion 2nd Battalion Operation Iraqi Freedom III . In August 2004 the 2nd Battalion , 299th Infantry Regiment was activated for deployment to Iraq with the 29th BCT ( the 1st Battalion having been decommissioned after Vietnam ) . The 2 – 299th IN , commanded by LTC Kenneth Hara , began train - up at Schofield Barracks before moving to Ft . Bliss in October 2004 . The bulk of the battalion ' s training was done at Camp McGreggor near Ft . Bliss . In January 2005 the battalion completed combat certification at JRTC in Ft . Polk , and began arriving in Iraq in February . The 2 – 299th IN was based out of Camp Victory in Baghdad were it was charged with base defense ( i . e . manning the ECPs , guard towers and providing quick reaction forces ) . In addition , the battalion was also responsible for security in the areas and neighborhoods surrounding Camp Victory ( such as Al Furat , Makasib and parts of Route Irish ) conducting patrols and cordon and search missions to capture , kill , or disrupt the enemy insurgents in the area . During the 2 – 299th ' s IN deployment the battalion ' s strength was augmented by the attachment of A Company , 2d Battalion , 297th Infantry from the Alaska Army National Guard . The battalion redeployed from Iraq in February 2006 . For its service , 2d Battalion , 299th Infantry Regiment was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation . Conversion to cavalry . When the 2 – 299th Infantry returned from Iraq they began the process of being re - flagged into a reconnaissance squadron under the command of LTC Kenneth Hara . They would become 1st Squadron , 299th Cavalry , a " cav scout " squadron , and serve as the eyes and ears of the 29th IBCT . In 2007 the 299th Cavalry officially inherited the lineage , honors and history of their 299th Infantry predecessors . There were many transitions during this period as the 29th Separate Infantry Brigade ( Enhanced ) morphed into the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team , part of the Army ' s new modular Unit of Action doctrine . All of the battalion ' s former infantry companies were reflagged as cavalry troops and a forward support company was added , maintaining the lineages of the previous units . A Troop and B Troop , 1st Battalion , 299th Cavalry were stationed in Pearl City , Oahu taking their lineages from D Company and B Company , 2nd Battalion , 299th Infantry respectively . C Troop , 1st Battalion , 299th Cavalry was positioned on Kauai in the Hanapepe and Kapa ' a armories . They took their lineage from A Company , 2nd Battalion , 299th Infantry and maintained their infantrymen as a dismounted reconnaissance troop . HHT remained on the Big Island of Hawaii in Hilo , taking its lineage from 2nd Battalion , 299th Infantry . During this time , many soldiers on the Big Island of Hawaii found themselves in a new position as many units on that island were reflagged as Company D , Forward Support 29th BSB , taking its lineage from C Company , 2nd Battalion , 299th Infantry and stationed in the Hilo and Kona armories . This forward support company was added to 1st Battalion , 299th Cavalry as its support arm , and was made up of mostly HHC , 2nd Battalion , 299th Infantry ' s Support Platoon , mechanics from HHC 2 - 299th IN ' s Maintenance , infantryman from B Company 2 - 299 IN and HHC Mortar Platoon , and combat engineers from 227th Combat Engineer Company . Many of the soldiers had to change their military occupational specialties ( MOS ) as their new positions required them to change their branches . Then squadron was now retasked from an infantry battalion to a reconnaissance squadron that was built to provide intelligence to the 29th IBCT ' s commander . Operation Iraqi Freedom VIII . Following the 1 - 299th Cavalry ' s conversion to cavalry , the squadron was assigned to Camp Buehring , Kuwait in November 2008 as part of a convoy security task force . As " Task Force Koa , " the squadron was commanded by LTC Rudolph Ligsay and CSM Craig Ynigues . TF Koa conducted convoy escorts from logistical bases in Kuwait , into and throughout the entire Iraq Theater of Operations . From Basra in the south to Mosul in the north , 1 - 299th Cavalry escorted supply and equipment convoys all over the country . The squadron had four convoy security companies in total , as they were augmented by other units within the 29th IBCT . Among the units was the Headquarters , Headquarters Troop 1 - 299th Cavalry ( Hellfire ) commanded by CPT Kevin Carbrey , Convoy Security Company ( CSC ) 1 was A Troop , 1 - 299th Cavalry ( Roughriders ) commanded by CPT James Fea - Fiame , CSC 2 was B Troop , 1 - 299th Cavalry ( Blackjack ) commanded first by CPT Jonathan Ishikawa and later CPT Peter Ammerman , CSC 3 was A Company 29th BSTB ( Sapper ) commanded by CPT Audreth " Tino " Tumpap , CSC 4 was A Battery 1 - 487th FA BN ( Animal ) commanded by CPT Timothy Spencer . The vehicles the convoy escort teams ( CET ) used at the time were originally the M1151 Armored HMMWV , and later the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected ( MRAP ) vehicles were used as the lead vehicles . As TF Koa , 1 - 299 CAV logged well over 10 , 000 miles and engaged in numerous contacts with the enemy . The unit also took over escorts of US troops to the Kuwait City International Airport late in their deployment , providing security for soldiers leaving theater on emergency leave . The unit redeployed in August 2009 and focused on its new role as a reconnaissance squadron . Operation Enduring Freedom . In support of " Operation Enduring Freedom " , members of the 1 - 299 Cavalry have been deployed on an ongoing mission to augment the Joint Special Operations Task Force - Philippines . They assisted in training the Philippine Marines , and augment them as a security element . In 2008 some volunteers from the 1 - 299 Cavalry were sent to help augment the 1 - 158 IN ( AZ ARNG ) , a new member battalion of the 29th IBCT , in their deployment to Afghanistan . In November 2012 , senior officers , non - commissioned officers , and some enlisted soldiers of the 1 - 299th Cavalry were selected and deployed forward to Afghanistan as security forces advisor teams ( SFAT ) as part of a group pooled from the 29th IBCT to train the Afghan National Security Forces . The SFAT advisors were distributed throughout southern Afghanistan in support of the Afghan National Security Forces and ISAF initiatives in the Regional Command - South . Campaign history . Campaign participation credit : World War II Global War on Terrorism Honors . The following are the unit awards for the 299th Cavalry Regiment :