In a case of deja vu, the Hawai'i Army National Guard helicopter unit that has been providing emergency medevac transportation on O'ahu has received a warning order for a likely deployment to Iraq.

The Hilo, Hawai'i-based soldiers of Company C, 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation have been flying civilian patients on O'ahu since April 1.

But the unit was a replacement for a Schofield Barracks Black Hawk unit that provided the service free to the state for decades, and now is in northern Iraq on a yearlong deployment.

The National Guard emergency flights are expected to end Dec. 31. The five Guard Black Hawks replaced 12 Schofield copters that deployed this summer.

State officials are optimistic a deal is near, however, for yet another military unit to come in and temporarily pick up the service until the 25th Infantry Division returns from Iraq.

"We are optimistic that a military solution will be found," said state Department of Health director Dr. Chiyome Fukino. "We know the timeline is short."

While providing medevac services for the island of O'ahu, the unit had to also be available for troops undergoing live-fire training, a federal requirement, officials said.

Already, Alaska Army National Guard assets have been supplementing Hawai'i National Guard medevac capability on the Big Island for military training at Pohakuloa Training Area.

State Adjutant Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee, the head of the Hawai'i National Guard, has been working on a solution to O'ahu's emergency transport needs with U.S. Army, Pacific, at Fort Shafter and the state's Health Department.

Dr. Linda Rosen, Emergency Medical Services and injury prevention systems branch chief with the state Health Department, said a military unit to replace the Hawai'i National Guard was expected to be announced in June.

"But our understanding is the military funding for that procurement fell through," Rosen said. "It's back to hoping that the military will provide a solution."

She added that the lack of time remaining "makes me worried, I'll tell you that."

Lee was out of town yesterday, but Maj. Chuck Anthony, a Hawai'i National Guard spokesman, said parallel paths are being pursued for emergency air transport.

"You may have additional military forces that come into Hawai'i to do follow-on transportation, or you may have a private contractor do it," he said.

Anthony said it is premature to discuss specifics of either plan, but he added that "there are a couple of good candidates."

"I think we're looking at all possibilities," he said. "I don't think we're limiting it to just military."

After Schofield Barracks announced it would no longer be able to provide 24-hour emergency medical flight coverage after March 31 because it had to train and then leave for Iraq, state officials found themselves scrambling to replace the last remaining Medical Assistance to Safety and Traffic, or MAST, program.

The Army provided the service free to the state as a way to augment its preparedness for war, and averaged about 200 flights per year.

Wai'anae Coast representatives in particular had worried about a void in service because of accessibility issues.

The National Guard stepped in and found its O'ahu services extended in July and again in September, with Dec. 31 the latest end date. The state approved $2.3 million to pay for the temporary flights.

"The intent was never to have them work this particular mission indefinitely," Anthony said.

Approximately 45 of the Big Island unit's 80 soldiers have stayed in a hotel on O'ahu away from families and jobs to fulfill the medical mission. Five of the unit's seven Black Hawks are on O'ahu and 26 transport missions have been performed during approximately 12-hour daily shifts, Anthony said.

The unit has received a warning order for a likely mobilization and couple of months of training before an equally probable deployment to Iraq.

Anthony only would say the "warning" order has been received, and added that doesn't guarantee a mobilization or deployment to Iraq.

Private proposals made to the state for the emergency flight service on O'ahu have topped $5 million a year. Neighbor Island counties contract service in partnership with the Health Department, which pays half the cost.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.