Thanksgiving for many soldiers of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry in Iraq will be turkey on the go, because the insurgency doesn't take holidays.

The best Christmas gift and New Year's non-alcoholic toast will be to an end of deployment in January. The holidays for the reservists of the Hawai'i-based "Go For Broke" battalion will be acknowledged with a tip of the cap, a few get-togethers and thoughts of home.

"We have no let-up in operational tempo, so they will have to work around the holidays," said battalion executive officer Maj. Mike Peeters, 42, of Honolulu. "... It is hard to have (any large celebrations) because of the demands of what we do. In fact, because of the holiday, we may have additional taskings."

Last year, the battalion and fellow citizen soldiers — with its parent organization, the 29th Brigade Combat Team of the Hawai'i National Guard — got a holiday break with families between training in the Texas desert and deployment to the Middle East.

"Let me tell you, it STINKS BIG TIME not being home for the holidays with family!!!" said Spc. Keoni Rosa of Kalihi by e-mail. "Having Thanksgiving at Aunty's house in Kane'ohe, then going Grandma's house for Christmas in Pearl City, then back to Kane'ohe for New Year's.

"But nonetheless, we have a job to do and until our mission here in Iraq is complete, and all the men and women of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry and 29th Brigade Combat Team are home safe, our families and friends will just have to wait a little longer."

The more than 700 soldiers with the battalion hail from Hawai'i, American Samoa, Guam, Saipan and the Mainland. They have one of the most dangerous jobs of the Hawai'i brigade in Iraq — operating daily outside Logistical Support Area Anaconda north of Baghdad in the Sunni Triangle.

Four soldiers with the battalion have been killed: Sgt. Evan S. Parker, 25, of Wichita, Kan.; Sgt. Wilgene T. Lieto, 28, and Spc. Derence W. Jack, 31, both of Saipan; and Staff Sgt. Frank Tiai, 45, from American Samoa. More than 45 Purple Hearts have been awarded for wounds, most from roadside bombs.

"We have been gone from our families almost 18 months and many have adapted to missing important events such as graduations, birthdays, anniversaries," Peeters said. But he added that "our soldiers' attitudes are really excellent, I mean that."

"We have suffered soldiers killed and wounded, and those losses have been rough, but our boys really have stayed focused and are soldiering on."

Increasingly, thoughts are on the holidays and returning home.

Capt. Paul Carlyle, 39, of Kailua, assistant operations officer and a military technician for the 9th Regional Support Command back home, said platoons and companies have made plans to cook up something for Thanksgiving.

"There is a house in our battle space where actual, real, live turkeys have been spotted," he said, "and the idea has come up to try to purchase one for Thanksgiving."

Sgt. William Lake from Honolulu said the maintenance section will have a cookout at the motor pool. The dining facility also has decorations and turkey with all the trimmings.

"A lot of the soldiers always look for opportunities to hold a cookout for each other around camp," Lake said.

Everyone is focused first on the mission and taking care of one another, Lake said.

"However, we are reminded time and time again by the letters from home and talking with our loved ones on the phone how much we miss being with them and enjoying the down time ahead," he said.

Sgt. 1st Class Rommel Guzman said "it is a very hard time because to Island boys these are special times of the year to be spent with family."

Spc. Eldon K. Naone, 26, of La'ie, who is a student and works at the Polynesian Cultural Center, said it stinks that he won't be able to spend time with family and friends this holiday season, "but it is my job and I am trying my best to stay positive."

Rosa said the "boys are pretty content, just anxious to go home. It's a good thing we're all in this together, kind of like one big 'ohana."

Sgt. Gregory K. Guerreiro Jr., 32, of Honolulu, who works at the Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki, said most of the soldiers, himself included, are planning long vacations, special trips or cruises once they get home.

Lake said "at the present time, we understand the reason why we're here and the lost time away from home." Volunteering to be in the Army and serve the country is an honor, he said.

Still, he's looking forward to down time, sleep, college football championships and the Super Bowl.

Carlyle was considering celebrating Christmas in January, "but with two girls, 11 and 4, there is no way to put off Christmas for a month. That would just be cruel to the kids."

So he yearns for simpler pleasures.

"I just plan to spend a lot of time with the family going to the beach and going shopping," Carlyle said, "watching them play sports or playing with them at the park, attending school events and dance recitals, and reading bedtime stories and singing lullabies."

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.