The September 11th attack
Army to resume training at Makua tomorrow

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

MAKUA VALLEY — The sounds of war are expected to return here tomorrow for the first time in more than three years — 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 • The Honolulu Advertiser

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 — 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 • The Honolulu Advertiser

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 — 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 wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5459.