FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii -- During the past few years, a profound shift in the U.S. and global economies has led many to believe we have entered a fundamentally new era in which the U.S. Army will receive significantly less resources.

Many view the concept of the Army's mission in much broader terms than in the past.

This new era that focuses on fiscal responsibility involves more than just budgetary reductions; it affects the people needed, the skills they must have, and the garrison's capabilities for developing them.

At the same time, the second decade of the 21st century begins with many questions and few answers concerning the changing Army mission and the appropriate choices our garrison must make to address the mission.

Therefore, 85 U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii visionaries gathered this week at the Hale Ikena, here, for a strategic planning offsite to identify and analyze the challenges and opportunities for U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii and to develop strategic objectives, action plans and performance indicators that will posture our organization for success, now and into the future.

Leaders and representatives from throughout the USAG-HI community, stakeholders and partners, as well as data collected from garrison customers and employees through focus groups, surveys and other feedback mechanisms, were used to discuss, plan and chart ways to improve processes, save resources and better serve and support our Soldiers, family members and civilians.

Led by Col. Douglas Mulbury, commander, USAG-HI, and facilitated by Jennifer Mootz, chief, Plans Analysis and Integration Office, the three-day conference will redefine the garrison's vision, mission and values, and will develop a strategic plan nested in the Installation Management Command Campaign Plan's six major lines of effort, or LOEs:

Soldier, family and civilian readiness;
Solider, family and civilian well-being;
Leader and workforce development;
Installation readiness;
Safety; and
Energy and water efficiency and security.

LOE teams and their team's champions will develop action plans to address goals, milestones and measures to support the strategic plan -- a key component in the garrison's integrated management system.

The plan will enable USAG-HI to be both resilient and sustainable for the future.