SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — For the second time since the Vietnam War, the 25th Infantry Division yesterday cased its colors for a major war deployment.

Nearly 100 helicopters and 7,000 soldiers already are starting to head to northern Iraq to be part of Task Force Lightning and by all accounts, a tumultuous and historic year ahead.

It's the biggest Hawai'i deployment to date to Iraq — 5,200 Schofield soldiers served in the country in 2004 — but some of the same issues are on the minds of those who will patrol its streets.

"IEDs (improvised explosive devices), they are a very big thing. Mostly that's what's getting us," said Staff Sgt. Anthony Angelo, 30, from Philadelphia. "We've just gotta be situationally aware of what's around us."

About 800 camouflage-clad soldiers stood in formation on Sills Field yesterday for a sendoff that's already begun.

Gov. Linda Lingle, in her address to the deploying troops, called them "heroes of our America."

"Your mission is critical at a critical time in the effort in Iraq," Lingle said. "... Each of you is key to helping train the Iraqi forces."

Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, the Schofield division commander who will be in charge of northern Iraq, said an "advance party" left last weekend, and last night, more than 200 soldiers from the 45th Sustainment Brigade were scheduled to leave for Kuwait.

"That's the beginning, and over the next 30 days, we'll deploy approximately 7,000 soldiers," Mixon said.

Mixon will take over Multinational Division North from Maj. Gen. Thomas Turner II and the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), which assumed responsibility for the region last Nov. 1. An official transfer of authority is expected in September.

The Pennsylvania-sized region that extends north of Baghdad to the border with Iran in the east, Turkey in the north and Syria in the west, has a population of 10.2 million.

Saddam Hussein's hometown Tikrit, as well as Mosul, Tal Afar, Baiji, Baqubah — near where Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed — and the oil-producing city of Kirkuk are part of that area of responsibility.

Kirkuk was the headquarters for Schofield's 2nd Brigade when it deployed in early 2004. Thirteen of the Hawai'i soldiers were killed during the tour.

Several months later, 5,800 Schofield soldiers and the division command, along with its colors, deployed to Afghanistan. It was the division headquarters' first wartime deployment since Vietnam.

In November in Iraq, the headquarters for Multinational Division North moved out of an 18-palace compound in Tikrit on the Tigris River and to nearby Forward Operating Base Speicher.

Turner's task force included about 23,000 U.S. soldiers, but as the United States moves closer to sizable troop drawdowns in Iraq, Mixon's follow-on force makeup still is evolving.

The units under Mixon were to include, in addition to Hawai'i's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, parts of several units: the 2nd Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division and 82nd Airborne Division.

The White House recently confirmed that Gen. George Casey Jr., the top commander in Iraq, had proposed withdrawing two combat brigades, or about 7,000 troops, beginning in September.

The New York Times reported that Casey had drafted a plan to reduce to five or six the number of combat brigades in Iraq from the current 14 by the end of 2007. Other U.S. forces, such as support units, also make up the 127,000-member American force.

Additionally, ABC News reported that 3,500 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., who were scheduled to leave this summer, were told they'll probably stay home, and another 3,500 soldiers with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, would likely stay in Kuwait.

Gen. Richard Cody, the vice chief of staff of the Army, yesterday said, "As this develops, and (Iraqi units) become more successful, as this government of Iraq gets more mature and the governance and security environment (improves), Gen. Casey will come back to the president and say, 'This is how many forces we need.' "

Right now, the military is in a "wait-and-see mode" as to what type of troops numbers will be needed in the fall and thereafter, Cody said.

That uncertainty is one more thing that deploying Hawai'i soldiers will have to deal with in the increasingly unpopular three-year-old war in an election year and time frame that all agree is pivotal for the future of U.S. involvement in Iraq.

"Honestly, I can just say the amount of soldiers we do have there (in Iraq), we need to keep," said Angelo, who's with a reconnaissance squadron. If the United States pulls back, "the enemy will see that, and in my eyes, will come at us a little harder."

"Keep the numbers that we have there now, and keep doing what we're doing, because we're doing an excellent job," added Angelo, who's heading out on his first combat deployment.

Angelo said, "I'm ready, I'm prepared" for the deployment, and is looking forward to going.

"The kids are a little nervous. My 9-year-old knows what's going on, because he sees it in the news. He's a pretty smart kid," he said. "My 4-year-old, he's just having fun, playing all the time."

Pvt. Philip Cutler, 20, from LaFarge, Wis., also said the U.S. troops should stay to finish the job.

"It is a historic time because we're trying to get the Iraqi army and police in control of their country," he said. "We don't want to leave them in shame there by pulling our troops out early."

But if troops do begin to be withdrawn, "We'll be there a month or two, at least, and have our area down and realize what's happening," said Cutler, who's making his first combat deployment.

"I'm excited. I'm ready to leave. But that last week, my nerves are gonna be ..." he said, holding out his hands and fluttering his fingers.

With 7,000 Schofield soldiers leaving for a year, Wahiawa again will experience a downturn in business.

"The last time that these folks went on deployment, it got real slow, but what can you do?" said Lance McLain, owner of Dragon Tattoo on Kamehameha Highway. He estimates soldiers account for about half of his business.

"You think, OK, maybe it's time to take some vacation time, turn it into an extended vacation without going anywhere," he said with a laugh. "My attitude is take it in stride and hope that these guys get back safe and to their families."

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.