Artillery rounds, grenades and mortars — and lots of them — are coming out of the ground from a firing range at Schofield Barracks.

Nine teams with contractor Zapata Engineers have been working on an 820-acre site since July 2004 to remove decades worth of unexploded ordnance.

Already, they've pulled out 517.5 tons of bombs and scrap metal, including two-foot 155mm artillery rounds, 60mm mortars and munitions dating to World War II.

The work is one of the increasing signs of a $1.5 billion Stryker Brigade's anticipated presence on O'ahu, and one of the fundamental changes coming to the Army in Hawai'i in years to come.

Contracts are being awarded — $9.2 million to build a small-arms qualification training range; about $4.5 million for a second range to be built on 1,400 acres of pineapple land purchased south of Schofield for $15.9 million. The first phase of a new motor pool was awarded at about a $50 million cost.

"We are (making) progress," said Ron Borne, the Army's transformation director. "We are going to have some of these (projects) being completed in the next 10 or 12 months."

The unexploded ordnance and scrap metal cleanup being performed by the Zapata crews are necessary for a new Battle Area Complex on which Stryker soldiers will practice dismounted maneuvers, mounted 50-caliber machine gun and MK-19 grenade launcher firing and, eventually, use of a 105mm Stryker mobile gun system.

The cleanup area has been a firing impact zone for decades. Because the training area is being expanded, the unexploded ordnance removal is necessary.

A "sweep" team removes big pieces from the surface. "Extracting" teams remove the unexploded ordnance.

"More than 13,000 pounds of metal, shrapnel and other explosives have been found in just one 200-square-foot grid," said Don Neil, senior supervisor.

One issue still facing the Stryker Brigade: a continuing legal challenge from three Native Hawaiian and environmental groups to the Army's plan to establish the 3,818-soldier brigade with its expected 291 eight-wheeled armored vehicles.

Briefings have been held and a hearing is expected in December before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

"My opinion about whether the Army complied with the law has not changed," said Earthjustice's David Henkin, an attorney for the groups 'Ilio'ulakalani Coalition, Na 'Imi Pono and Kipuka.

Henkin said the Army violated the National Environmental Policy Act by excluding the public from the Stryker's environmental impact review process, and it did not look at locations other than Hawai'i for the new fast-response brigade, as required.

The Army previously said it was sticking by Chief U.S. District Judge David Ezra's ruling in April essentially dismissing the lawsuit.

If the project — one of the Army's biggest in Hawai'i since World War II — isn't halted, the 20-ton Strykers will begin arriving around June of next year. The unit would be operational by 2007.

Approximately 1,000 additional soldiers are now filtering in to Schofield to augment the 2nd Brigade, which is transforming into the Stryker Brigade.

"Transformation," making the Army lighter and faster to meet 21st-century threats, includes a planned reconfiguration of Schofield's other infantry brigade, the 3rd Brigade, to a "Unit of Action," a more robust organization with infantry, armor, cavalry, field artillery and support units training together at all times.

Key leaders for the Stryker Brigade are in place, including commanding officer Col. Stefan J. Banach, and the unit will be formally stood up next month. Training classes also are expected to begin then.

Parsons Corp., meanwhile, has started on what will become the small-arms qualification range. Part of a plan to consolidate pistol, rifle and machine gun marksmanship ranges so far has included bulldozing and leveling ground.

The project also will include the construction of 71 miles of private trails on O'ahu and the Big Island for Stryker vehicle access to training sites.

A contract soon will be awarded for the first phase of a trail that will link Schofield through Helemano and to Kahuku using Drum Road, a rutted access route that has been in place since the 1930s.

The Army also is seeking to buy from Parker Ranch about 23,000 acres adjoining 109,000-acre Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island for maneuver and blank-fire training.

Borne said negotiations have been started, "but we're not very far down (the road) with them."

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.