Air Force to start $150M in construction at Hickam
| • | Kona considered for training of C-17s |
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer
Boosting the state's economy and the military presence in Hawai'i, the Air Force is preparing to begin more than $150 million in construction projects at Hickam Air Force Base to accommodate eight C-17 jet transports due to arrive in 2005.
Meanwhile, a contractor has been selected and will be named Oct. 3 for the privatization and renovation of roughly half of Hickam's 2,658 homes.
Advertiser library photo
"We're getting ready for quite a bit of construction and flashing lights and tape and diverting traffic around the base," said 15th Airlift Wing commander Col. Raymond Torres.
With eight C-17 transport jets arriving in Hawai'i in late 2005, the Air Force is looking for a suitable training site.
The Air Force is completing an environmental assessment for the C-17 basing that will transform Hickam from a mid-Pacific refueling stop to the home of a strategic airlift wing.
Not since 1988 — when Hickam was home to HH-53 helicopters and JC-130s that made satellite photo recoveries — has the base hosted an active-duty squadron of the type now planned. The Hawai'i Air National Guard has KC-135R tankers, C-130 transports and F-15A/B fighters at Hickam.
Following the completion of the environmental assessment, the first sign of several years' worth of projects is expected at year's end with the widening of Kuntz Gate.
The coming year is expected to see the construction of a C-17 painting and maintenance hangar, squadron and maintenance operations buildings, and a state-of-the-art flight simulator.
Torres said $54 million to $57 million in construction projects will be awarded in fiscal 2004, not including the housing renovations.
"I can't quantify how many jobs (that represents)," Torres said, "but it is clearly a lot of construction jobs over at least the next two years."
Hawai'i was selected for a squadron of Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs, the Air Force's latest-generation transport, because of its proximity to potential Asian and Pacific hot spots, and because the C-17s will be available to transport the $1.5 billion Stryker Brigade, a fast response unit that the Army is planning to base in Hawai'i.
A final environmental assessment for the project is due in several weeks. A draft version can be found at www.hickamc17.com.
The basing, which will be done with the Hawai'i Air National Guard as an associate unit, will mean the addition of about 100 full-time Air Guard jobs, and about 400 active-duty Air Force personnel. At least one other hangar, and possibly two others, will be built for the C-17s in future years.
Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5459.
