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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, August 30, 2007

Bush plans 2 Hawaii stopovers next week

By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

President George W. Bush

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President George W. Bush is tentatively scheduled to stop on O'ahu on two occasions next week, arriving Monday for a short while, then returning Sept. 8 for a lunch with troops, according to the U.S. Secret Service.

Air Force One is scheduled to make a "fuel stop" Monday on O'ahu, according to Albert Joaquin, special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Honolulu division. No other information about the president's plans that day was available.

On Sept. 8, Bush will return here for a three-hour lunch with members of the armed forces at a yet-to-be-disclosed location, Joaquin said.

White House spokesman Trey Bohn declined to confirm the visits yesterday. A spokesman for Gov. Linda Lingle said he had no information about a presidential visit.

Air Force One is a specially-configured Boeing 747-200B capable of flying halfway around the world without refueling and can accommodate more than 70 passengers, according to the White House.

Air Force One is scheduled to touch down at Hickam Air Force Base at 3:05 p.m. Monday and leave at 4:35 p.m. On Sept. 8, Bush is scheduled to arrive at Hickam at 11:30 a.m. and depart at 3 p.m.

Bush was in New Orleans yesterday commemorating the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall in the city.

A mix of Secret Service agents and Honolulu police officers are used to escort and guard Bush while he is on O'ahu.

"We will do a complete survey of all the possible motorcade routes and security scenarios," Joaquin said.

A spokeswoman with the Honolulu Police Department declined comment yesterday.

Honolulu police officer Steve Favela, 30, an eight-year HPD officer, died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash while escorting the presidential motorcade on Hickam Air Force Base on Nov. 21.

At the time, Bush and his wife spoke directly with Favela's family and offered their condolences and thanks.

During the November visit, Bush spent the morning with troops and commanders after a six-day trip to Southeast Asia.

The president's first visit to Hawai'i was in 2003.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.