WAIALUA, Hawaii — Soldiers of the 8th Military Police Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, took part in a clean-up effort on Mokule’ia Army Beach in support of the annual Public Lands Day, Sept. 23, 2022. The beach clean-up consisted of approximately 50 “Watchdog” Brigade Soldiers who’s mission was to collect, remove, and dispose of debris and trash for the benefit of the general public that frequent the area.
The event gave 8th MP Soldiers an opportunity to assist in maintaining the overall cleanliness of public beaches and parks on Oahu. The beach cleaning event, sponsored by U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii leadership, ended a week-long effort that saw various Army units on the island pitch in to help keep Hawaii’s public-use areas clean.
Staff Sgt. Thomas Donnan, a current operations planner for the 8th MP Bde., played a key role in organizing the clean-up team that participated in beautifying the local beach. The “Watchdogs” have made involvement in the local community a priority in order to help facilitate a relationship with the local community amidst the large military presence on the island.
“We serve a critical function to the community,” said Donnan. “Supporting community events such as Public Lands Day increases our presence within the community and supports the concept of ‘community policing.’ It reinforces the idea that we are not just there when there is a problem and that we are here to make our community stronger.”
National Public Lands Day is the largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands in the U.S. It began in 1994 and focuses on education and partnerships to care for the nation’s natural resources and public lands, from iconic national parks and rivers to local urban green spaces.
Staff Sgt. Mark Malmgren, 303rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion, 74th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company team leader, contributed to the beach area clean up by collecting trash ranging from old swimming gear to cans and bottles littered along the North Shore public space.
“We’re out here picking up trash and garbage so that we make these areas that may not seem family friendly from the outside… we’re doing a little area beautification to make these areas accessible to everybody,” said Malmgren. “It may not be something that I see during my time here, but the next guy who gets stationed here may have things a little bit easier because we built good relations and we respected the island culture.”
The 8th MP Bde. builds partnerships that produce bonds, and those bonds form trust among militaries and with native populations. 8th MP will leverage engagements at all levels to build trust, identify common solutions to shared problems, and gain a richer understanding of our host community’s initiatives as well as concerns.
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