As we battle traffic and long lines at the malls here in Hawai'i this holiday season, it's a very different world for more than 12,000 Hawai'i-based troops in Iraq and Kuwait.

The "Warriors" of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at least are trying to get into the spirit on what is their second Christmas away from family for this deployment.

At Camp Taji just north of Baghdad, a live pine tree arrived from Tennessee.

A group of women who call themselves "Moms on a Mission" from Marshal County, Tenn., purchased the tree, wrapped it up and express-mailed the gift to Iraq on Nov. 29.

After 11 days of travel it arrived, bringing a still-piney smell with it.

"I was really happily surprised to find a green, live tree that had spent so much time getting to us," said Maj. Gustav Waterhouse, an 'Ewa Beach native who is the brigade's civil affairs officer.

The decorations were mostly handmade and accompanied the tree in its package. The box was full of paper cutout bells, handmade bead wreaths and hand-painted glass ornaments.

"This is a piece of home for those of us who can't be home ... our second Christmas away from loved ones," said Capt. Jason Bowers a Daggett, Mich., native. "We're here, but it brings back great memories."

The Stryker brigade deployed in November and December 2007. They're due back in February and March after 15 months in Iraq.

So what else are the Stryker brigade soldiers doing? Tasks that are definitely unrelated to holiday spirit.

Dec. 13: Iraqi soldiers searched houses and patrolled the streets of Abu Nasir alongside soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment out of Schofield Barracks, in the Abu Ghuraib district of Baghdad.

Monday: Hawai'i soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, along with Iraqi soldiers, responded to an improvised explosive device attack by a female suicide bomber that killed an Iraqi and wounded three in Tarmiyah province.

An explosive ordnance detachment responded to the site to help secure the area.

Also on Monday: Eight Iraqi police were killed in an attack with a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive in Nasir Was Salam, west of Baghdad. Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, responded to the blast and assisted Iraqi Security Forces in evacuating the wounded.

Makes you re-evaluate what we consider to be holiday headaches back home.

IN BRIEF

ATTACK SUB USS TUCSON BACK AT PEARL

The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Tucson returned to its home port of Pearl Harbor on Monday following a 23-month absence that included a modernization period in Norfolk, Va., and sea trials.

"Everybody is happy to be back in Pearl Harbor," said Cmdr. Paul Spear, Tucson's commanding officer. "The homecoming aspect is nice, especially since half my crew is new and hasn't been here yet."

The submarine just completed a major overhaul in Norfolk.

"Tucson has a new fire control system and a totally refurbished engine room as well as a lot of new gear on board," said Ensign John Chester Jr. of the Tucson.

Tucson left Pearl Harbor in January 2007.

"I'm very excited to get to Hawai'i," Chester said. "Everything new and innovative going on in the submarine force is happening" out west.

Pearl Harbor has 15 Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines.

KANE'OHE MARINES UPGRADING RUNWAY

The Marine Corps Air Facility at Kane'ohe Bay closed its runway Monday to begin three months of upgrades.

Work will include replacing the asphalt landing zone with concrete, painting taxiways and ramps, and replacing runway lights with LEDs to conserve energy.

"The changes reflect normal runway maintenance," said Jeff Telling, airfield operations officer. "The last runway closure for replacement of asphalt was in the 1990s and normally asphalt needs replacement in high-use areas about every 10 years."

Telling said the concrete will last much longer than asphalt and will have an expected life span of 30-plus years.

The public will notice a decreased level of aircraft activity, officials said.

During the construction, the Navy P-3C Orion squadrons that operate at the airfield will temporarily operate out of Hickam Air Force Base. Helicopter squadrons will continue to operate out of Kane'ohe Bay.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.