FORT DERUSSY, Hawaii -- Hundreds of community members gathered at DeRussy Hall, Hale Koa Hotel, here, Jan. 27, at the first of two U.S. Army listening sessions on the island, to provide input regarding a possible reduction of Army personnel at Fort Shafter and Schofield Barracks.
The second listening session took place Jan. 28 at Leilehua High School.
John P. McLaurin, deputy director of Force Management, Headquarters Department of the Army, G3/5/7, and Col. Tom O'Donoghue, U.S. Army Force Integration officer, Headquarters Department of the Army, G3/5/7, were on hand from Washington, D.C., and accompanied by Maj. Gen. Charles Flynn, commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army-Hawaii.
In its worst-case scenario, the Army is considering proposed reductions of 16,000 Soldiers and civilian employees from Schofield Barracks and 3,800 Soldiers and civilian employees from Fort Shafter for a total proposed reduction of 19,800 Soldiers.
There are currently approximately 22,000 Soldiers living and working in Hawaii, and the proposed reductions would also impact approximately 30,000 Army family members living in Hawaii.
Hawaii's elected officials said such cuts would be devastating to the state's economy and would jeopardize national security.
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, U.S. Rep. Mark Takai and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard all appeared via video to remind Army officials of Hawaii's strategic importance in the Asia-Pacific Region and to emphasize that they are against the budget cuts that are behind the Army's proposed downsizing.
Hirono said that military activity is one of the two most important economic drivers in the state.
"There are over 22,000 active duty Army in Hawaii, plus their families," she said. "Annual Army active duty and civilian payroll total nearly $1.5 billion."
Hawaii Gov. David Ige and Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell were present and also supported the Army staying in Hawaii.
But many of the community members who showed up at the listening session spoke in favor of reducing the Army's presence in Hawaii. State Rep. Kaniela Ing of Maui said that Hawaii had seen the sunset of many industries -- sandalwood, pineapple and sugar to name a few -- and that it would recover from demilitarization.
Jan. 27's listening session was one of 30 that the Army is hosting at installations nationwide as it continues its analysis into possibly reducing its overall force strength to 420,000 to comply with the 2011 Budget Control Act.
"Here's what's happening," said O'Donoghue in his briefing to Tuesday's audience. "In June of 2013, the Army announced its plans to reduce (its force strength) from a wartime high of roughly 570,000 Soldiers down to 490,000 Soldiers, (a reduction of) roughly 80,000 Soldiers. The decisions were made, (and) that is underway now, and we will achieve 490,000 Soldiers by October.
"Hawaii was not impacted by those decisions," he continued. "Of the 80,000 Soldiers reduced … approximately 11,000 Soldiers came out of Europe and another 32,000 Soldiers were part of a temporary end strength and wartime allowance that was necessary to plus?up units that were going to Iraq and Afghanistan."
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