Posted by kalo on October 18, 2001 at 09:17:46:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 12:29:24 -1000
From: HIAHAWAII@aol.com
Subject: The Bombing of ALOHA AINA at Makua....Where are the Kupuna to
CRY...
Posted on: Tuesday, October 16, 2001 The September 11th attack
Honolulu Advertiser
Army to resume training at Makua tomorrow
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer
MAKUA VALLEY â€,” The sounds of war are expected to return here tomorrow for the
first time in more than three years â€,” with precautions that the Army says
will help safeguard cultural sites and the environment.
A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter yesterday demonstrated its firefighting
capability at the Army's Makua Valley training area as the Army prepares to
resume live-fire training in the valley tomorrow. A settlement to a lawsuit
brought by the community group Malama Makua is allowing some training to
resume. Bruce Asato â€,¢ The Honolulu Advertiser
Mortars, artillery and Kiowa Warrior OH-58D helicopters will provide the
thump of explosive force and staccato of machine-gun fire as elements of
Charlie Company, 1st battalion, 27th Infantry â€,” the Wolfhounds â€,” storm the
4,190-acre valley to break through concertina wire and take entrenched
positions, firing M-16 rifles and tossing grenades as they go.
Convoys yesterday were bringing in supplies, and a CH-47 Chinook helicopter
dropped off a 105mm howitzer as the Army held a media briefing to describe
the first return of soldiers for training at Makua Military Reservation since
exercises were halted in September 1998.
A blank-fire exercise is planned tomorrow, while the first small-arms
live-fire training is expected to begin Thursday â€,” weather permitting.
To conduct training, a number of factors, including the ambient temperature
of ground and air as well as wind speed, have to add up to prevent the sort
of fires that prompted the Army to suspend training in 1998.
The return to Makua follows an Oct. 4 settlement of a lawsuit brought by
community group Malama Makua that asked for a comprehensive environmental
impact statement analysis of more than 50 years of live-fire exercises in the
valley that many Hawaiians hold sacred.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Army can conduct 16 company-size
live-fire exercises over the next year, followed by nine the following year
and 12 in the third year of the agreement.
The first to go back in will be the Wolfhounds, part of the 25th Infantry
Division (Light's) 'ready reaction force.' If needed, the force would be the
first to be called upon in support of the war in Afghanistan.
'Obviously, our first priority is to get that particular company ... through
the training,' said Col. Andrew Twomey, who commands the 2nd Brigade.
Col. Andrew Twomey, 2nd Brigade Commander of the 27th Infantry 'Wolfhounds,'
describes the plan of attack that C Co., 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry
soldiers will use in the first live-fire exercise to be conducted in the
Army's Makua Valley training area in three years. Bruce Asato â€,¢ The Honolulu
Advertiser
Twomey said C Company of the 1st battalion, 27th Infantry â€,” made up of about
100 soldiers â€,” hasn't trained to company-level live-fire standards in 18
months. Two of the division's 18 companies received the combined arms
live-fire exercise, or CALFEX, training at Fort Polk, La., in the spring,
leaving 16 companies without training, the Army said.
The next three companies in line for live-fire training are elements of the
1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, deploying to Bosnia in April as part of the
peace-keeping force.
Two 105mm howitzers, two 81mm and two 60mm mortars, and two Kiowa Warrior
helicopters with 50-caliber machine guns will be used as part of the
exercises that will see troops taking the objectives 'fox,' and 'deer' on 457
acres within the valley.
Maj. Gen. James Dubik, the commander of the 25th Division, has said it is
essential for all soldiers to 'train for the challenges that may lie ahead,'
and live-fire training is a key component of that preparedness.
As part of the five-day exercise, soldiers will direct artillery fire while
breach forces use bangalore torpedoes to blow a hole in concertina wire and
assault forces attack trenches with pop-up silhouette targets.
Although the exact locations of the howitzers and mortars still is being
finalized, Twomey said the artillery will be 'as close to the ocean as you
can get.' The shells are lobbed far downfield on the training range.
Protection of 53 cultural sites within the valley was a community concern,
and the Army is rolling out concertina wire to keep soldiers out of key areas
â€,” while also replicating battlefield elements.
Laurie Lucking, the cultural resources manager for the 25th Division,
yesterday said 10 to 15 acres on the lower slope of the valley have been
marked off to protect four parallel rock walls constructed sometime after
1860.
Some petroglyphs, meanwhile, are being completely covered with sandbags to
prevent damage.
'We are convinced we are not going to be hitting any cultural sites,' Twomey
said.
The Army also is flying in munitions when it can to keep the materials off
the roads, and has two 300,000 gallon water tanks, a Black Hawk helicopter
with a dump bucket, and a 20-person firefighting force in place.
The agreement with Malama Makua calls for community observers to monitor the
exercises. Sparky Rodrigues, a board member of the group who was at
yesterday's briefing, said the Army now is 'taking responsibility' and
listening to the community.
'This is a good first step,' he said. 'But we've got a long way to go.'
Rodrigues cited as positive the Army's agreement to have soldiers pick up
shell casings. The Army also agreed to clear unexploded ordnance more than
3,000 feet back from Farrington Highway. He said the Army found and detonated
a 100-pound bomb.
Rodrigues says Malama Makua still believes training in the valley is not
appropriate, but 'as long as (the relationship) is evolving, and we're
working on it, I think we're doing better.'
Reach William Cole at or 525-5459.