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Army adding 4,200 soldiers in the Pacific

HONOLULU — The Army is going ahead with plans to base about 4,200 more soldiers in Alaska and Hawaii.

The Army announced Friday its final decision to add 1,980 more troops in Hawaii and 2,200 in Alaska, saying it is based on mission requirements for the region, soldier and family needs and an analysis of an environmental impact statement and public comment over the past few months.

Earthjustice and other environmental groups had called for the environmental assessment for Oahu. Attorney David Henkin of Earthjustice said the additional soldiers in the islands would put more pressure on Native Hawaiian cultural sites and endangered species and also tighten the market for rental housing.

An announcement by the U.S. Army Environmental Command said the Army “will proceed with its preferred alternative” for increasing troop levels in the critical Pacific region. It said potential environmental and socio-economic impact were evaluated and some mitigations proposed. The announcement did not detail what they would be.

A report signed by Lt. Gen. James D. Thurman, Army deputy chief of staff, said the Hawaii buildup involves construction of garrison facilities at Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Airfield. He said it will not include any additional live-fire training facilities.

Thurman said having more soldiers will relieve stress on families by increasing the time troops spend at their home bases.

“Taking care of soldiers and their families is a nonnegotiable Army commitment and is essential to the maintenance and preservation of today’s high-quality, all-volunteer force,” Thurman said in the report.

In addition to cultural and environmental concerns, his report said comments were filed on several issues related to increasing troop levels in Hawaii:

• Questions from the state Department of Education about increases in student populations.

• Concern over the lack of space in Hawaii, additional traffic congestion and increased noise.

• Proposals to limit the impact on available air space for private planes with the possibility of more military flights.

• Concerns about depleted uranium issues.

• Appeals to also consider the likely growth of other military branches in Hawaii.

The Army report said forces are being realigned to “improve readiness and responsiveness to meet future challenges.”

Thurman’s accompanying report on the decision cites the U.S. commitment to the defense of Taiwan, the containment of North Korean aggression and curtailment of nuclear activities, the battle against terrorism, concern over ethnic conflict in Indonesia and support for democracy in Southeast Asia.

Earlier, the Army decided to station a brigade of 567 soldiers at Fort Drum, N.Y., that had been scheduled for Hawaii, and to station an expeditionary sustainment command of 254 troops at Fort Lewis, Wash.

The U.S. military’s Pacific theater covers half the Earth’s surface and includes more than 39 countries around the Pacific Rim.

The new soldiers on Oahu add to roughly 18,000 already based on the island. They are to include 1,680 soldiers at Schofield Barracks and 200 at Fort Shafter.

The Alaska additions will include 1,775 at Fort Richardson and 425 more at Fort Wainwright.

The adding of troops in the Pacific region is part of plans to increase the overall strength of the Army by more than 74,000 over the next five years.