Posted on: Sunday, July 15, 2001

Editorial
Army's new plans for Hawai'i a plus

On balance, it appears that Hawai'i comes out a winner in the Army's decision to base a new fast-response, 21st-century brigade at Schofield Barracks.

But the move, while good news overall, gives rise to several questions that have yet to be answered.

One is the overall economic impact on Hawai'i once the dust has settled. While there will be a flurry of construction and investment to get the new force up and running, will the Army's eventual "footprint" here be larger, smaller or about the same as today?

A related question surrounds the 300 19-ton troop carriers that will be key to the new brigade's mission approach. The idea is that well-trained, fast-moving troops and their vehicles can quickly be loaded into giant transports and flown to trouble spots around the region.

Can the troops train for such an operation without creating a major logistical headache on local highways and roads? Lt. Gen. Edwin Smith, commanding general of the U.S. Army, Pacific, says they can. He promises there will not be any significant impact on civilian traffic. Still, the logistics must be worked out.

And then there is the matter of Makua Valley, where the Army wants to resume live-fire training. Will the new, reformatted brigade increase the need for training at Makua, decrease it, or have little impact one way or another?

Clearly, these are the kinds of questions that come with any dramatic change. But behind the questions there is substantial benefit both for Hawai'i and the nation in this move:

• It helps stabilize Hawai'i's role as a home for the Army in the 21st century. If this rapid-deployment force is the face of the Army in the future, we are assured of being part of it.

• It emphasizes the importance of the Asia-Pacific region in our nation's security planning. While threats abound globally, the fact that one of the very first of these new units (shared with Alaska) is to be placed in Hawai'i is a key statement. Our national security depends on a modern, first-class "forward" presence in the Pacific. That's what this move is all about.

• It offers the potential for new economic benefits, both in terms of the construction and redevelopment that will be required and because of the new troops and their families who will be located here.

Any military presence comes with its downside, of course, in terms of social and environmental impact. But for the moment, and for the foreseeable future, military spending remains an important pillar of our economy.

So, while there are questions still to be answered and details to learn, it appears this decision is good for Hawai'i and good for the nation.