Military Bases in Hawaii

Fort Shafter Army Base/Schofield Barracks

Fort Shafter Army base holds the distinction of being the oldest military base on the island of Oahu. It is home to the US Army Pacific Command, the MACOM of US Army Forces for the Pacific Region and the Army Corps of Engineers Pacific Ocean Division. Schofield Barracks is the largest army base in the State of Hawaii. It plays host to the 25th Infantry division, which is famous for being called upon to defend the southern and eastern coasts of Oahu immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. In fact, the 25th did such an amazing job after reliving the Marines at Guadalcanal, they became known as the “Tropic Lightning”. Today the 25th stands ready for rapid deployment, ready only 54 after notification to perform combat operations in support of USCINCPAC strategy. The 25th Infantry Division Memorial, located here, includes four statues that stand for WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam and the War on Terror respectively.

Wheeler Army Airfield

Wheeler Army Airfield was the first target chosen by Japan in an attempt to prevent air intervention during the larger attack on Pearl Harbor. Today Wheeler occupies almost 1,400 acres of land next to the Schofield Barracks. It’s home to various Department of Defense agencies, including the 193rd Aviation Regiment, Detachment 55 Operational Support Airlift, The Defense Information Systems Agency and the 169th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron of the Hawaii Air National Guard. The airfield contains 22 helipads and 2 runways to support its primary mission to give operational and aerial units in the Asian Pacific area of command.

Kunia Field Station

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the military decided it needed an underground station safe from bombing and air attacks, and hence Kunia was created. Now known as the SIGINT Operations Center, it’s home to the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade and the Naval Security Group Activity Hawaii. This base has become synonymous with the name of Edward Snowden, who worked here as a contractor and became a whistleblower revealing details of a classified surveillance program called PRISM.

Pohakuloa Training Area

PTA was first built during WWII for a live-fire training area for the US Marines. Today it’s considered a top-notch training facility for the Pacific region. Not only does PTA welcome all branches of the US Military, it’s also utilized by our allied nations, as all can benefit from the realistic training opportunities PTA offers. There is also a small air strip here known as the Bradshaw Army Airfield. Pohakuloa also works to be a forerunner of environmental protection, employing over 50 experts devoted to protecting endangered plants and other cultural resources.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam

One of the twelve joint bases created due to the Base Realignment and Closure Law in 2005, Hickam Air Force Base and Naval Station Pearl Harbor we combined into JBPHH. Pearl Harbor is, of course, famous as being the beginning of the US involvement in WWII. The attack on Pearl Harbor is one of very few instances of foreign attacks occurring on US soil, and it hit the hearts of America hard. The base is located around the historic port of Wai’momi on the south shore of Oahu. It’s home to the 15th Wing of the US Air Force. The 15th Wing supports the base mission with their strategic and tactical airlift capabilities. Not only do they have the F-22 Raptor at their disposal, they also utilize the C-17 Globemaster III, one of the fastest cargo planes in the military. JBPHH can play host to visiting submariners, and functions as a submarine maintenance depot as needed.

Barking Sands Navy Station

The Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands (PMRF) is located here at Barking Sands Navy Base. It is the largest instrumented multi-environmental range in the world. Crews here can run air, space, surface and subsurface operations simultaneously in over 1,100 square miles of underwater range and 42,000 square miles of controlled airspace. It’s ability to host operations from small single units up to huge battle group scenarios makes it one of the most important military facilities currently controlled by the US Navy. The base enjoys excellent weather conditions year-round and is isolated enough for a variety of training and test sessions. It is the only facility in the world where you can run operations for ships, planes, submarines and spaceships all at the same time.

Marine Corps Base Hawaii

MCB Hawaii occupies a little over 2,950 acres between the communities of Kane’ohe and Kallua on the island of Oahu near Kaneohe Bay. Residents and personnel fondly refer to the base as K-Bay. There are several units located here, including the 3rd Marine Regiment, Marine Aircraft Group 24 and the Combat Logistics Battalion 3. K-Bay is one of the first places to have worked on harnessing ocean wave power as a resource. Following along in their goal to become more

environmentally friendly, they run solar water heaters and use primarily hybrid and electric vehicles whenever possible. The mission of MCB revolves around combat readiness and the well-being and safety of the military and civilians that call the installation home. K-Bay was a favorite location of President Obama, who had a residence 1km south of the base while he was in office.

Station Maui Coast Guard Base

This base of the US Coast Guard is one of the most active in the country. Responsible for the entire state of Hawaii plus a few minor surrounding islands, personnel here are charged with managing 22 million square miles of land and sea. Heavy tourism in the area contributes to a lot of activity as the Coast Guard deals with all kinds of emergencies. Calls of people lost at sea, medical emergencies on the islands and more keep service men and women here busy around the clock. Station Maui hosts several units of the 14th District, the largest division in the Coast Guard. Troops here often collaborate with local law enforcement, lifeguards, fire personnel or the NOAA as they all work toward the same goal – the safety and security of the Islands of Hawaii.

United States Coast Guard Honolulu

USCG Integrated Support Command is located just outside of Honolulu International Airport. It’s considered one of the major facilities under the US Coast Guard command. Primarily dealing with National Defense, troops stationed here stand at the ready to support any operation in the area at any time. At any given time, there are about 200 employees made up of both civilians and military personnel, with other tenants coming and going on a regular basis. Although a bit out of the ordinary, USCG ISC is also charged with providing health care to communities located in the area.