Hawaii Guard response brings relief to Soldier serving overseas

HAWAII - While deployed thousands of miles away in the Middle East, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Makena Galimba watched Hurricane Lala strike her hometown on Hawaiʻi Island, unable to reach her family as power and cellular outages cut off communication.

Galimba, a 66H medical-surgical nurse with the 131st Field Hospital, was deployed in support of Operation Epic Fury when the storm swept through the Hawaiian Islands. Her family lives in the remote town of Waiʻōhinu, one of the areas heavily affected by the storm and home to her family for four generations.

"Like many others, they were impacted by Hurricane Lala," Galimba said. "For the first few days after the storm, I had no contact with them due to power and cellular outages."

Despite the distance and communication blackout, Galimba said she found comfort knowing the National Guard would be responding.

"Throughout that time, it gave me great peace to know that the National Guard was being called in to assist the community," she said.

When communications were restored, Galimba's father sent her a photograph from their home in Waiʻōhinu.

The image showed Sgt. Paul Gallardo and Spc. Elvis Lorenz Salinas, Soldiers assigned to the Hawaiʻi National Guard's 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, standing in her family's driveway after helping with cleanup and checking on the family's welfare.

"I cannot express in words how much gratitude I have for them, the entire 29th IBCT and the Hawaiʻi National Guard," Galimba said.

For Galimba, seeing fellow service members helping her family connected her mission overseas with the recovery effort at home.

"I am beyond proud to serve in an organization that comes together to take care of its own, both at home and overseas," she added.

The response in Waiʻōhinu was part of a broader Hawaiʻi National Guard mobilization across the Kaʻū District, where Guard members conducted wellness checks and helped clear debris after the hurricane.

Galimba also thanked those working throughout the response.

"I want to extend a big mahalo to everyone with boots on the ground in Kaʻū, as well as those working behind the scenes," Galimba wrote. "Please know that your sacrifice and dedication have not gone unnoticed - not only today, but in all the drill weekends and training exercises that led to this moment. Again, I send a big mahalo to my brothers and sisters helping at home."