A 2001 settlement suspended such training on the Hawaiian military reservation since 2004.
The Department of Defense announced that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth filed a statement with a federal court this month formally and permanently ceasing live-fire drills at Makua Military Reservation. Native Hawaiian groups and environmental activists have advocated for the move for many years.
“The U.S. Army discontinued live fire activities at the Makua Military Reservation in 2004. In October, U.S. Army Pacific leadership signed a memorandum stating there are no plans to resume live-fire at MMR, now or in the future,” said U.S. Army Pacific Spokesperson Colonel Rob Phillips.
The Army had complied with a settlement in 2004 under the National Environmental Policy Act that sought alternate training at Makua. The 768-acre military reservation spans three valleys which hold dozens of cultural and sacred sites and in which more than 40 endangered or threatened species live. The lease of the land expires in 2029.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Army Secretary Wormuth to be led by God as she heads the military branch.
- For discernment for Secretary Austin as he oversees the Defense Department.
Sources: Military Times, Hawaii News Now
