Large exercise will be noisy, Army leaders say

Kevin Knodell, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
·3 min read

Oct. 24—Army leaders want people on Oahu and Hawaii island to be prepared for increased traffic and noise as the Schofield Barracks-based 25th Infantry Division prepares for a large exercise at training sites across the two islands for an exercise involving 6, 350 soldiers between Oct. 31 and Nov. 9.

Army leaders want people on Oahu and Hawaii island to be prepared for increased traffic and noise as the Schofield Barracks-based 25th Infantry Division prepares for a large exercise at training sites across the two islands for an exercise involving 6, 350 soldiers between Oct. 31 and Nov. 9.

According to Army officials, the training will include use of blank ammunition and explosive simulators during daytime and nighttime hours at the Big Island's Pohakuloa Training Area and on Oahu at Bellows Air Force Station, Dillingham Army Airfield, the Kahuku Training Area, Kawailoa Mountain Ranges, Helemanu Plantation and Schofield Barracks' East and South Ranges.

Moving troops and equipment will require more flights and convoys than usual. The Army said residents should expect an increase in planes flying in and out of Wheeler Army Air Field and Kalaeloa Barbers Point Airport. There also will be increased military convoys on the road moving troops and equipment in coming weeks in preparation for the exercise.

"While sometimes loud, the sounds of training represent how the military ensures the nation's service members are ready to accomplish the mission and return home safely, " the Army said in a Friday news release.

The exercise is part of the 2022 rotation for the Army's newly established Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, a series of training ranges in Hawaii and Alaska as well as an annual training event held in different countries in the Pacific region. This year's exercise will be in Australia.

Elements of the 25th Infantry Division will participate in the Hawaii-based portion as they seek to recertify their skills to prove they are deployment-ready. The Army set up the JPMRC, which it began using in 2021, as an alternative to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., or Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., where this training historically has been held, as the military looks to the Pacific amid simmering tensions with China.

Maj. Gen. Joseph Ryan, commander of the 25th Infantry Division, said, "JPMRC keeps our forces training in the region where they will fight, increases our readiness to respond rapidly to contingencies that may arise, saves tens of millions of dollars in transportation costs that would otherwise be spent on moving Hawaii-­based equipment back to the mainland, and attracts more participation from Allies and Partners than does training at the National Training Center or Joint Readiness Training Center."

The exercise will include 350 troops from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Military observers from Australia, French Caledonia, Bangladesh, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand also will be present.

To report concerns related to noise or training, community members can call the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii Community Relations office at 808-656-3487 or email usag.hawaii.comrel @army.mil. The U.S. Army Garrison Community Relations office responds to all reported concerns during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.