Pōhakuloa Training Area
Island of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi
The main gate at the Pōhakuloa Training Area.
Pōhakuloa Training Area is located in Hawaii
Pōhakuloa Training Area
Pōhakuloa Training Area
Coordinates19°45′21.6″N 155°32′49.2″W / 19.756000°N 155.547000°W / 19.756000; -155.547000
TypeTraining facility
Site information
OwnerUnited States Army
Controlled byUnited States
Site history
Built1955
In useYes
Garrison information
Current
commander		Lt. Col. Kevin Cronin [1]
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA: BSF, ICAO: PHSF, FAA LID: BSF
Elevation1,886.8 metres (6,190 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
9/27 1,126 metres (3,694 ft) Asphalt

Pōhakuloa Training Area (PTA) is a US military training base located on the high plateau between Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and the Hualālai volcanic mountains of the island of Hawaiʻi. It includes a small military airstrip known as Bradshaw Army Airfield.

Description

The area of 108,863 acres (440.55 km2) is the largest United States Department of Defense installation in the state of Hawaii, or anywhere in the Pacific. The region was used for live fire exercises in 1943 during World War II when Camp Tarawa temporarily held troops on Parker Ranch.[2] About 91,000 acres (37,000 ha) were leased from Richard Smart, owner of the ranch. At that time it was called the Waikoloa Maneuver Area, and located northwest of current base, south of Waimea. In September 1946 the land used for the old maneuver area and camp was returned to the ranch, and a smaller Lalamilo Firing Range used until 1953. Since coastal areas were developed into tourist resorts, military areas were moved inland to more remote locations.[3]

Location

The name of the current facility comes from puʻu pōhaku loa, which means "long rocky cinder cone" in the Hawaiian Language, although like many other Hawaiian names, the same name has been used for other places on the island.[4] Pōhakuloa Training Area lies in a high plateau between lower slopes of Mauna Kea to approximately 6,800 feet (2,100 m) in elevation and to about 9,000 feet (2,700 m) on Mauna Loa. The training area is about midway between Hilo, on the east coast and the Army landing site at Kawaihae Harbor.[5] It is used by both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.

The only road access is via the Saddle Road (Hawaii Route 200), which is paralleled by a tank trail. Heavy equipment is either flown into Hilo, or else shipped via barge to Kawaihae Harbor, about 40 miles (64 km) away on the Saddle Road. Because of this remoteness, the area is used mostly for short training sessions.

Facilities

The barracks for about 2,000 troops were constructed in April 1955 from prefabricated buildings used in World War II. The support area includes 600 acres (240 ha) of logistic and administrative facilities. In July 2006 an additional 24,000 acres (9,700 ha) were purchased from Parker Ranch in an area known as Keʻāmuku,[6] which means "cut-off lava" in Hawaiian, from to the 19th century lava flows through the area.[7][8] Located at 19°50′24″N 155°43′1″W / 19.84000°N 155.71694°W / 19.84000; -155.71694 (Ke‘āmuku),[9] the realignment of the Saddle Road is planned to bypass the Ke‘āmuku addition.[10] PTA has a 51,000-acre (21,000 ha) impact area used for bombing and gunnery practice, refurbished in March 2009 to allow helicopter training.[11] There are approximately 32,000 acres (130 km2) of land level enough for large maneuvers, more than twice the area available on Oʻahu. Its remoteness allows a wide range of weapons to be used. The 25th Infantry Division and 3rd Marine Regiment often use the base for four to six-week training periods.[12]

[13]

Bradshaw Army Airfield

Entrance to Bradshaw Army Airfield

The airstrip was constructed at the area from 1955 to 1956 and dedicated Aug of 1957, by the then Commanding General of the 25th Inf. Div. The runway is only 3,700 feet (1,100 m) long, which only accommodates small aircraft. Fog often restricts helicopters, which can also fly in from the larger bases on Oʻahu.

Environment

Vegetation varies from sparse grassland and low shrubs to open māmane forest. Despite the volcanic terrain, some of the areas contain protected wildlife. Within the borders of the training area, ten different endangered species can be found. These include the native Hawaiian mint honohono (Haplostachys haplostachya) and the shrub 'kio'ele (Kadua coriacea). This area has more endangered species than any other US Army installation.[14] The northeastern portion of the site near Mauna Kea provides habitat for the endangered bird Palila (Loxioides bailleui), for example.

Several archaeological sites have been found in the training area, including the Bobcat Trail Habitation Cave, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.[15] To reduce fire danger and damage from feral goats, areas were fenced.

Environmental problems

Weapons such as the Davy Crockett nuclear rifle with dummy warheads and depleted Uranium have been used at PTA.[16] After initial denials, an investigation concluded that spotting rounds were used in the 1960s. Measurements detected radiation, but reportedly not above life-threatening levels.[17][18]

Two Native Hawaiians were suing the Department of Land and Natural Resources, saying the state has breached its duty to protect ceded lands at the Pohakuloa Training Area.

In 1989, local botanist Lani Stemmermann sued the U.S. Army with the assistance of the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund after she observed the bulldozing of endangered species for construction. Before the trial, the Army settled and agreed to restore the developed area.[19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Pohakuloa Training Area". U.S. Army. July 14, 2022.
  2. ↑ Andrew M. Beavers (December 19, 2000). "Analysis of Fire History and Management Concerns at Pohakuloa Training Area" (PDF). Colorado State University. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 10, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Phase II Former Waikoloa Maneuver Area and Nansay Sites Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis" (PDF). US Army Corps of Engineers. July 1, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 3, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Lookup of pohakuloa". Hawaiian place names web site. 2004. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  5. ↑ Pahakuloa Training Area Archived 2011-06-29 at the Wayback Machine page at Marine Corps Base Hawaii web site
  6. ↑ "U.S. Army Acquires Keamuku Parcel". Parker Ranch Foundation. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  7. ↑ Lloyd J. Soehren (2004). "lookup of Keamuku". on Hawaiian place names. Ulukau, the Hawaiian Electronic Library. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
  8. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ke‘āmuku Lava Flow
  9. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ke‘āmuku
  10. ↑ US Department of Transportation; Hawaii Department of Transportation. Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (PDF). Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  11. ↑ "25th CAB improves Pōhakuloa Training Area" press release on U.S. Army web site, March 2009
  12. ↑ Gregg K. Kakesako (May 13, 2001). "Big Isle site is base for heavy Army training Pohakuloa Training Area allows for large-scale training that the Army cannot do on Oahu". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  13. ↑ Nancy Cook (December 12, 2014). "Hawaiians sue over PTA munitions". West Hawaii today. Oahu Publications, Inc. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  14. ↑ Pohakuloa Training Area on GlobalSecurity.Org web site
  15. ↑ "Historic Sites Review of a Proposed Mauna Loa Trail System" Archived 2006-12-15 at the Wayback Machine by Thomas S. Dye, March 25, 2005, on Nature Conservancy web site
  16. ↑ William Cole (14 May 2007). "Doubts remain about depleted uranium". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  17. ↑ Erin Miller (September 1, 2010). "Military says DU at PTA likely harmless: Army reports 'no likely adverse impacts' from spotting rounds". West Hawaii Today. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
  18. ↑ Cabrera Services (2010-06-22). "FINAL POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA FIRING RANGE BASELINE HUMAN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT FOR RESIDUAL DEPLETED URANIUM" (PDF). Wheeler Army Airfield, Oahu, HI, USA: U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  19. ↑ Tummons, Patricia (7 January 1997). "The Battle at MPRC: How one woman took on the U.S. Army, and won". Environment Hawai'i: A monthly newsletter. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
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