HONOLULU — Nothing says “strategic readiness” quite like a battalion firing live munitions over ancient burial grounds—except, perhaps, fireworks on your great‑grandmother’s headstone.
Welcome to Pōhakuloa, the only high‑altitude plateau in Hawaii hot enough for artillery drills yet sacred enough to give every kula (school) kid second thoughts.
The U.S. military wants to keep this 17% slice of state land—its lease expires in 2029—to stay primed for a hypothetical showdown with Asia’s heavy hitters.
But Native Hawaiians say enough is enough: “They have bombed and contaminated not just our land but our waters,” fumes Healani Sonoda‑Pale of Ka Lāhui Hawaii. “When does this end?”
Drama on the Range
Pōhakuloa Training Area sprawls across 200 square miles between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.
It’s home to endangered catchfly shrubs, ancient kii statues discovered in lava tubes, and the Muʻumuʻu‑clad descendants of tool‑grinding Hawaiians.
Yet the Army insists it’s the perfect spot to launch troops “into key terrain,” as Maj. Gen. James Bartholomees put it, “to deter adversaries like China—because nothing says ‘Back off!’ like a Howitzer salute.”
Past Misfires and Fuel Spills
Skeptics point to a checkered track record:
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The Navy turned Kahoolawe into a post‑Pearl Harbor bombing buffet, leaving live grenades behind.
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A 2021 jet‑fuel leak in Pearl Harbor forced 6,000 residents to treat rashes and poisoned aquifers, prompting a $1.2 billion lawsuit.
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Makua Valley’s live‑fire drills sparked wildfires and incinerated sacred ‘ōhi‘a groves until 2004’s court‑ordered ceasefire.
With history like this, Native Hawaiians treat every briefing as an excuse to break out the sunscreen—because it’s going to get hot and messy.
Cultural Casualties
Pōhakuloa isn’t just target practice real‑estate; it’s a spiritual corridor where ancient quarries once supplied basalt for fishhooks and adzes.
When Army crews stumbled upon wooden burial figures last year, state preservationists hailed them as “among Hawaii’s most significant archaeological finds.”
Yet a May 9 land board meeting rejected the Army’s Environmental Impact Statement, citing “inadequate inventories” of unexploded ordnance and human remains—because nothing ruins a good day of target practice like accidentally tweezing for ancient ancestors.
Land‑Swap or Land‑Grab?
The Army’s next move could be an appeal or a land swap—if they can negotiate past Hawaii’s legislature (two‑thirds approval required!).
Alice Roberts, Army Pacific’s land‑retention guru, admits buying the land is “a big hurdle.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Josh Green floated the idea of eminent domain, though Rep. Jill Tokuda insists she’s heard no official drumroll on seizing sacred grounds.
Instead, Tokuda urges the Army to double down on stewardship, using military muscle to build housing and bolster Oahu’s stressed water systems.
Aloha ʻĀina or Aloha Armor?
Kaialiʻi Kahele, chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and veteran Air Guard officer, sums it up: “We have to get to a point where you do training and then you clean up your mess.”
He calls for community benefits—maybe a promise of new schools or a catchfly conservation fund—“a model that respects ʻāina, respects this place and its culture.”
The Battle Ahead
As lease negotiations heat up faster than a Howitzer blast, Pōhakuloa stands at a crossroads: sacrificial target range or shared sacred site?
With 2029 looming and emotional testimony still echoing in board chambers, one thing’s certain: this showdown isn’t over until every last shell is counted—or every last elder is heard.
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