Posted on: Wednesday, October 15, 2003

EDITORIAL
Isles must be nimble as military changes

It's economic chicken-skin time as Hawai'i awaits huge new military investment to boost an economy that has struggled for a decade.

The military has committed to build or renovate more than 7,000 family housing units, Schofield Barracks seems assured of hosting a new Stryker brigade, and support is growing for transfer of an aircraft carrier to Pearl Harbor.

It's unrealistic to imagine that these developments can be all gravy. Some of them will present enormous logistical problems that Hawai'i leaders must plan for before they materialize.

It's also unrealistic to assume that the Pentagon has nothing but enlargement of Hawai'i's military establishment in mind. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reportedly plans to close at least 100 of the nation's 425 military bases beginning in 2005.

Rumsfeld envisions a modernized military paid for with savings from base closings. But closing bases has been like pulling teeth.

Politicians representing the areas surrounding bases targeted for closure can be forgiven for failing to see the larger picture — the nation's security interest — for fear of what a closing will do to their local economy and their re-election.

Emerging strategic thinking in Washington appears likely to benefit Hawai'i strongly overall. But we'd better be prepared to make some sacrifices along the way.

We'd guess Schofield, Hickam Air Force Base, Pearl Harbor, Marine Base Hawai'i, Pohakuloa on the Big Island, the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kaua'i and Camp Smith are out of danger. But we wonder about Wheeler Army Airfield, Bellows Air Force Station, Fort Shafter and many other smaller installations. We should try to anticipate the Pentagon's thinking to avoid nasty surprises.

In the previous four rounds of base closures, the Pentagon picked 97 major domestic bases for closure and 55 major bases for realignment, which means cuts short of closure. In addition, 235 smaller facilities were closed or realigned.

There have been success stories on the Mainland in which closed military installations have been transformed into thriving civilian enterprises. That surely hasn't happened to date at the last major base closing in Hawai'i, Barbers Point Naval Air Station. There's a lot of volatility in store for our military future here. We must become a lot more nimble and forward-thinking as we prepare to deal with it.