Live-fire training set for valley

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

A company of Schofield Barracks soldiers headed to Iraq likely will get to conduct convoy live-fire training in Makua Valley for three days next week as the result of an agreement with community group Malama Makua.

It would be the third time that Malama Makua has agreed to the convoy training, since an Army "prescribed burn" got out of control last July and blackened half the valley.

A 2001 court settlement with the group allows the Army to conduct a number of company-size Combined Arms Live-Fire Exercises, or CALFEXES, in the 4,190-acre Wai'anae Coast valley with infantry, helicopters, mortars and artillery.

But because the more limited convoy training is a deviation from that court order, a separate agreement and judge's sign-off is needed. Next week's training is to take place Monday through Wednesday.

"We'd like to see no training in the valley, but in these times we won't stand in the way of training which appears to be less of an adverse impact on the valley and appears to be more relevant for what's going on in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Dr. Fred Dodge, a Malama Makua member.

A key concession on the Army's part is the agreement to not use mortars or artillery, which have started fires in the past.

A June 21 letter from the Army states "the scenario for this exercise follows that of previous convoy live-fire exercises by providing increased readiness for deploying units in convoy situations."

The training for the 536th Maintenance Company will involve convoys of not more than 10 trucks, each of which will carry no more than 12 soldiers. The soldiers fire one side at a time at targets, practicing for possible convoy attacks.

Similar convoy training exercises were held in December and January with Malama Makua's agreement.

No Army CALFEX exercises have been held in Makua Valley since the July fire, which triggered a review of habitat protection in the valley, with more than 40 endangered species and 100 archaeological features.

Under a separate agreement, Marines conducted limited live-fire training in the valley in April.

As part of the 2001 court settlement, the Army agreed to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement analysis of more than 50 years of military live-fire training in Makua Valley.

Dodge said an Army timetable called for the draft EIS to be out by late winter or early spring.

"It hasn't come out yet and we're questioning, what's the delay?" he said.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5459.