The year 2008 was one of record troop deployment totals from Hawai'i.

This year also will see some major deployments, but the question is whether a big shift will be made from Iraq to Afghanistan.

Upcoming deployments are expected for the approximately 2,400 soldiers of the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade at Schofield Barracks.

A presentation made by Army officials at a recent Chamber of Commerce of Hawai'i military update for the business community had the aviation brigade heading to Iraq.

But helicopters are in short supply in Afghanistan, and military planners are talking about doubling U.S. troop numbers from 30,000 to 60,000 in the country.

Additionally, battalions of 1,000 Marines have been on continuous rotations to western Iraq. That could change, too, with the Marines seeking to shift their mission to Afghanistan.

Nearly 150,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq. U.S. officials are studying the possibility of drawdowns in Iraq in conjunction with the troop buildups for Afghanistan.

About 23,000 of the U.S. total in Iraq is made up of Marines.

Lt. Gen. Keith Stalder, commander of Marine Forces Pacific headquartered at Camp Smith, talked about Marine Corps plans at the recent Chamber of Commerce military update.

"Operations and training-wise, the transition to Afghanistan from Iraq, the planning has begun for that," Stalder said. "If the national leadership decides to make that move, the Marine Corps should be ready to do that."

Stalder said there is the potential for Marine forces in Afghanistan to increase next summer "to some significant levels, as well as having a drawdown out of Iraq that accompanies that."

Deployments continue, meanwhile.

Nearly 300 Schofield Barracks soldiers from the headquarters element of the 45th Sustainment Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, said goodbye to families at a deployment ceremony on Friday.

The soldiers, heading out on a 12-month mission in Afghanistan, will assume responsibility for the Joint Logistics Command, which is responsible for providing food, water, ammunition and fuel to other troops.

The 4,300-soldier Stryker Brigade will be returning to Hawai'i from Iraq next month.

Additionally, the 1,700 citizen soldiers of the Hawai'i National Guard's 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team will be returning from Kuwait and Iraq in July.

Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee, the state's adjutant general and head of the Hawai'i National Guard, said the 115th Field Artillery Brigade, a National Guard unit out of Wyoming, will take the place of the Hawai'i soldiers.

"I'm already talking to the adjutant general there, telling him, 'Don't be late,' " Lee said.

HICKAM PLANE DELIVERS MRAPS

A Hickam Air Force Base C-17 Globemaster III aircrew completed a four-day trip halfway around the world in late December to deliver two Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles to troops in Afghanistan.

The crew stopped at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam; Kadena Air Base in Japan; Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan; Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan; and Yokota Air Base in Japan before returning to Hawai'i.

The first stop was at Andersen to pick up a Navy-owned MRAP vehicle. On the next stop at Kadena, the crew loaded up a Marine-owned MRAP.

Both vehicles were dropped off at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, the Air Force said. MRAPs are armored and have a "V" hull that deflects the blast of roadside bombs away from troops inside.

"One of the chief of staff of the Air Force's (top) priorities is to support the joint fight," said Lt. Col. Casey Eaton, the 535th Airlift Squadron commander from Hickam.

"This mission had a direct impact on that. We brought two MRAPS to support the Marines on the ground in Afghanistan."