Taking Stryker for a test drive
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By Gregg K. Kakesako
THERE IS a lot of activity behind the fence line at Schofield Barracks' East Range just a few miles from homes in Wahiawa, and all the action centers around the Army's newest Stryker combat vehicles.
But because these 19-ton, eight-wheeled, diesel vehicles are so quiet, it's nearly impossible to detect them running up and down the 14.5 miles of dirt roads in East Range. And because the Army plans a series of connecting military training roads from Schofield Barracks to Dillingham Air Field and the Kahuku Training Area, the public may never see them.
Col. Chris Miller, director of the Stryker Fielding and Army Transformation Team for Hawaii, said the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade eventually will get 328 of these combat vehicles that can be outfitted in 10 different ways, with everything from a 105 mm cannon for a mobile gun system to a wireless command center.
There are already 59 here, with an additional 39 being prepared for shipment to Hawaii at Fort Lewis in Washington. Each Stryker costs about $1.5 million.
One of the jobs of Miller's headquarters in Warren, Mich., is to coordinate the purchase and the placement of these combat vehicles from its manufacturer, General Dynamics. Each of the Army's new brigades cost close to $1.5 billion, and the Army wants to build seven of them.
"The first Stryker brigade was located at Fort Lewis, so it made sense to keep everything going there," Miller said.
The Strykers are assembled in London, Ontario, and Anniston, Ala., and transported to Fort Lewis. "It's a constant flow," Miller said.
Ron Borne, director of transformation for the 25th Division, said Stryker crews spend the first few weeks at East Range learning how to drive the vehicle.
Once the crews learn to operate the Stryker under all conditions, including with night-vision glasses, the next step is learning to fire its weapons.
The last step is training as a company. That may happen late next year at the National Training Center in the Mojave Desert near Death Valley, Borne said. The 2nd Brigade would deploy to the desert, taking with it all of its vehicles.[...]
Strykers given delicate road test get out of the way
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By William Cole
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, EAST RANGE — For the first time, 19-ton Stryker armored vehicles this week roamed the back woods of this approximately 4,500-acre training area.
The Army is taking it slow. As in a few miles per hour.
In knee-high weeds yesterday, about a dozen close-spaced traffic cones traced a serpentine route that Stryker drivers had to negotiate. Soldiers on foot front and rear guided the eight-wheeled vehicles with airplane-style arm gestures.
For extra measure, the vehicles had big signs hung on the front that said "Student Driver."
The Strykers can hit 70 mph on the highway and have been battle-tested in Mosul in northern Iraq, but at Schofield, soldiers are still kicking the tires and getting a feel for how they handle.
"You definitely don't slam down on the gas. You feel the power of it," said Pvt. Wendel Brueckner, who at the age of 18 is an assistant driver in a vehicle that cost about $1.5 million.
"I drove a (Ford) F-250. It kind of drives the same way," said the New Hampshire man, who joined the Army in September and arrived in Hawai'i in January.
About 60 of the 328 expected Stryker vehicles are on the island, including nine spares. The 2nd Brigade at Schofield has begun the operational phase of its $1.5 billion transformation into one of seven Stryker brigades worldwide.
Ron Borne, the 25th Infantry Division's "transformation" director, said the driver training will be followed by open road and night practice on the East Range. Weapons systems will be fired beginning next month at Schofield.
The East Range has 14.5 miles of trails dedicated to Stryker training, and the speed limit for the course the vehicles were on yesterday was 15 mph. The unit is expected to be operational in the fall of 2007.[...]
Strykers roll in at Schofield
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By William Cole
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, EAST RANGE — A new and decidedly different chapter in Hawai'i Army history sits idling in a football field-sized structure here, being readied to make its mark on the world.
The 19-ton, eight-wheeled Strykers that will remake a big portion of the Army in Hawai'i have started to arrive in batches of 30 to 50 a month, and driver training at East Range is expected to start this week.[...]
Although soldiers have been killed in Strykers in Iraq, Goure said he knows of a Stryker that flipped one and a half times when a 500-pound roadside bomb went off near it, but "everybody in it got out alive."
One complaint was the lack of air conditioning in most models. Schofield officials say by next June, all Hawai'i vehicles will have it.
Sgt. George Galovin, a 28-year-old soldier at Fort Lewis, said a Stryker "was pretty much my home" through part of 2004 and 2005 in the Mosul area of Iraq. He is a believer in the vehicles.
"I think they are an excellent way to get on and off the battlefield safely — as far as safety goes over there," Galovin said. "I saw a lot of Strykers go down in operations, but they saved a lot of lives in the process."
With 5,000 pounds of additional "slat" armor that looks like a bird cage around the side of the Strykers, Galovin said his vehicle repelled five rocket-propelled grenades with no hull penetrations.
Just being close to the explosion creates a lot of air compression "so it can even take the air out of your lungs if it happens right next to a hatch," said the Washington state resident.[...]
History headed toward Hickam
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By William Cole, Honolulu Advertiser
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE — There will be a C-17 Globemaster III burger at the grill.
The 17th hole on the golf course is being re-designated the C-17 hole.
The 17th lane at the bowling alley is being painted to reflect an aircraft designation.
Three years ago, when word came that Hickam would get eight of the Air Force's latest-generation cargo carriers, the 15th Airbase Wing couldn't change its name fast enough to the 15th "Airlift" Wing. [...]
It's the first time since the Vietnam War that an active-duty airlift squadron will be based at Hickam — and the Air Force excitement level already is somewhere in the stratosphere. [...]
The arrival of the first seven of the $200 million aircraft, one about every three weeks and the eighth expected in late September or early October, also is at the vanguard of a military buildup in Hawai'i that will include an Army Stryker Brigade, more ships and submarines — and someday could include an aircraft carrier.
Reflecting the shift of world trade to the Pacific and buildup of the region's militaries, the C-17s were championed by U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawai'i, as a way to transport the fast-response Stryker Brigade of about 300 eight-wheeled armored vehicles. Three of the 19-ton Strykers can be transported in a Globemaster III.
The C-17s are expected to be in high demand for a variety of state and federal missions because of their versatility, said 15th Airlift Wing Cmdr. Col. Bill "Goose" Changose, who also is the Hickam base commander.
"It's pretty exciting stuff," Changose said, "because although you may be scheduled to go from here to Okinawa, if all of a sudden a high-priority lift mission comes up, and the vice president is going to Singapore, or the secretary of state is going to stop in the Philippines, it's not uncommon to be diverted."
With a payload of 160,000 pounds, the C-17 can take off from a 7,600-foot airfield, fly 2,400 nautical miles and land on a small, austere airfield in 3,000 feet or less, according to Boeing.
Ready to Roll
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By Gregg K. Kakesako, Star Bulletin
THE FIRST of Schofield Barracks' 300 eight-wheel, 19-ton Stryker combat vehicles will arrive in the islands early next month, with the rest expected in groups of 30 beginning in late summer.
Ron Borne, head of the Schofield Barracks transformation process, said the 25th Infantry Division's nearly billion-dollar conversion of its 2nd Brigade Combat Team to the Army's sixth Stryker brigade is "ongoing and on schedule."
During a recent interview, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, 25th Division commander, said his 2nd Brigade Combat Team, which spent a year in Iraq, received 810 additional soldiers last fall. "We're just about 100 percent strength as far as soldiers are concerned. They are now undergoing systems training, and they will begin their detailed training with their vehicles this summer."
Borne added that by the time the Stryker combat brigade is operational in May 2007, it will be have nearly 3,900 soldiers. It will include three infantry battalions, a cavalry squadron, an artillery battalion, a support battalion, a military intelligence company, an engineer company, a signal company and an anti-tank company.
Borne said a medical ambulance version of the Stryker -- one of 11 different ways the Stryker will be configured -- will be sent to Hawaii from the Army Materiel Command at Fort Belvoir, Va. Borne said it will probably be retained as part of the 2nd Brigade's fleet.
The armored vehicle can be outfitted with anything from 105 mm cannons to medical supplies, and used as a battlefield ambulance to command and intelligence centers. The Stryker is supposed to be operational even when four of its wheels have been shot out. [...]
Army Infantry Division Loses its 'Light'
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By Troy Griffin / 25th Infantry Division Public Affairs
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii , Jan. 17, 2006 – The New Year brings yet another change to the Tropic Lightning Division – the elimination of the designation "Light" from the 25th Infantry Division's name.
This change is but the latest of many impacting the 25th Infantry Division as part of the Army's overall transformation efforts that, when complete, will result in an Army modular force that involves the total redesign of the operational Army into a larger, more powerful, flexible and rapidly deployable force.
"We are in the midst of rebuilding our existing brigades that returned from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan into modular brigades -- smaller, more independent and powerful units able to plug into theater-level logistics anywhere around the world," said Maj. Gen Benjamin R. Mixon, commander, 25th Infantry Division. "In addition, we are continuing our efforts to transform the 2nd Brigade to a Stryker Brigade Combat Team."
"When completed, our historic division will scarcely resemble the force that returned from Iraq and Afghanistan in 2005," Mixon added.
Creating an Army modular force is the Army's major force transformation initiative. The Army is restructuring from a division-based to a brigade-based force, consisting of self-sufficient, brigade-based modules that will greatly improve strategic responsiveness.
Brigade combat teams, the center of the redesign, are stand-alone, self-sufficient and standardized tactical units that consist of between 3,500 and 4,000 soldiers, organized the way they fight.
The headquarters of the 25th Infantry Division and the 3rd Brigade will complete transformation to the restructured, modular design prior to deployment later this year.
Modular supporting brigades will provide aviation, fires, logistics and other support to the brigade combat teams, and they will create greater operational autonomy and enhance joint, interagency and multinational operations.
The new division headquarters will be able to execute command and control of any combination of Army capabilities and will also be capable of serving as the core of joint or multinational task force headquarters.
But the changes to 25th Infantry Division units in Hawaii are only part of the story. The Tropic Lightning Division increases in size by two new brigades; however, these brigades will not be based in Hawaii and will not fall under the daily command and control of the division headquarters.
The 4th Brigade Combat Team at Fort Richardson, Alaska, which activated last summer, is an airborne brigade with capability for forced-entry operations.
These additions will give the 25th Infantry Division a total of four brigade combat teams, including 1st Brigade at Fort Lewis, Wash., the Army's second Stryker brigade combat team; however, the 1st Brigade is slated to move to Germany to form the core of a new Stryker brigade, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, at an unspecified date in the future.
The 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team stationed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, but currently deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom, will be redesignated the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division in the future.
"Here in Hawaii, we're training our soldiers on new equipment and getting them used to being part of modular, self-contained, deployable teams. Soldiers need to be focused and involved in these ongoing changes," Mixon explained.
"Our soldiers have the right mindset; they are prepared for anything that will come their way. "Our training here in Hawaii is tough, realistic ... and it will prepare them for what they will face in Iraq," he emphasized.
"The Tropic Lightning Division is proud to have been selected for this challenging mission," Mixon added.
Army Transforms Antitank Unit Mission
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By U.S. Army Spc. Stephen L. Proctor
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii, Dec. 12, 2005 – The 5th Stryker Brigade acquired an antitank unit when Company B, 52nd Infantry Regiment, was activated in a ceremony here Dec. 6.
Previously, the brigades contained antitank platoons, said Capt. Rafael A. Duran, commander, Co. B, 52nd Infantry Regiment, but with the changes the Army is making, now antitank companies will support the Stryker Brigades.
"We will fall under the 5th Stryker Brigade," said Duran. "A lot of what we do will be working with the tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire command-link guided missile system."
The soldiers of Co. B, 52nd Infantry Regiment, will join a long, decorated lineage of soldiers.
"We'll be part of the 52nd Infantry Regiment, which was first activated in World War I," said Duran. "We'll wear the 52nd crest, but for administrative purposes, we'll be part of 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment."
The 52nd Infantry Regiment was first activated June 16, 1917, at Chickamauga, Ga. The unit first saw combat in Meuse-Argonne, in Northern France, and in Alsace, France, during World War I. The unit was awarded two Presidential Unit Citation awards for efforts in World War I.
In World War II, the 52nd Infantry, as the 52nd Armored Infantry, battled the Germans in central Europe. For actions at Bastogne, Belgium, and Remagen Bridgehead in Germany, the unit was awarded another Presidential Unit Citation award.
During the Vietnam War, the 52nd Infantry Regiment participated in multiple counter offenses. Most recently, the unit deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, helping to facilitate the first democratic election in the country's history.
More troops coming to O'ahu
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By William Cole, Honolulu Advertiser
As part of the biggest reorganization of the Army since World War II, Schofield Barracks will add 1,000 soldiers for its Stryker Brigade and another 1,000 for other new units, and more troops will likely be on the way to Hawai'i for years to come.
The Schofield troop arrivals are in conjunction with plans for bringing 300 Stryker armored vehicles to Hawai'i, a new Iraq deployment, a major housing renovation and dozens of unit deactivations and activations under a drive to give brigades more self-contained firepower and enable them to be more expeditionary like the Marines.
Ron Borne, the director of transformation for the Army in Hawai'i, said a former division commander likened the evolution to changing a car tire while the car is moving.
"I think we all agree that at this point it is busy (here), it's a hectic time and it's a historical and impacting time," Borne said.
An increasing focus on the Pacific and instabilities in the region have propelled additions such as the Stryker Brigade and consideration of an aircraft carrier for Hawai'i. A decision on the latter is expected out of the Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review in February.
A recent joint U.S.-Japan defense agreement noted that the "U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific region is a core capability that is indispensable to regional peace and security."
The 1,000 new soldiers for the Stryker Brigade were announced in late September. The Army has been working through the transformation to a lighter, faster-responding force first with the announcement of seven Stryker Brigades, and more recently on an overall increase from 33 to 43 brigades and an improvement in war-fighting capability.
New Cavalry to Assist Transformation of Stryker Brigade
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By U.S. Army Spc. Amanda Flemett
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii, Oct. 24, 2005 – Commanders donned their Stetson hats as their wives were presented yellow lei, the color of the cavalry, for the historic activation ceremony of the 5th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, on Sills Field here, Oct. 14.
With the upcoming Stryker Brigade Combat Team, the need for cavalry assets was evident and recognized with the activation of the cavalry.
The activation coincides with the needs of a changing Army. Units are becoming more modular with the launch of Stryker brigades, and the new cavalry will assist in the transformation of Hawaii's Stryker brigade.
"We determined that the Stryker brigade didn't have the reconnaissance capability internal to it, and that's what the 5th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment is," said Maj. Charles Scott Mitchell.
The unit was officially activated as a reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisitions squadron in line with the 1st, 2nd and 4th squadrons already activated in the Ft. Lewis, Wash., and Alaska Stryker brigades.
The 5th squadron is the first of its kind. There has never been a 5th Sqdn. with the 14th Cavalry Regiment in the 104 years of the regiment's history.
The squadron will combine an intelligence asset that was only used before in the division headquarters, by using the abilities to maneuver "the lethality, protection and digitalcon activity," said said Col. Stefan J. Banach, 2nd Brigade commander.
"We will provide reconnaissance and surveillance for the brigade using a variety of means. We've got a surveillance troop with ground surveillance radar and targeting acquisitions capability, as well as three reconnaissance troops in Stryker reconnaissance fields," Mitchell said.
During the ceremony, the 14th Cavalry's history was recounted from its beginnings in Ft. Leavenworth, Ks. in 1901 to the present. The reason for the activation of the new unit was also clarified at this event.
Then the new commander of the unit, Lt. Col. David S. Davidson addressed his troops.
"I am humbled to stand before such a remarkable group of troopers and to be given the opportunity to take command of the newest cavalry squadron in the United States Army," Davidson said.
As he quoted the words of the first commander of the 101st Airborne Division, Maj. Gen. William C. Lee, in 1942, he set the measure of the 5-14th Cavalry. "You have no history, but you have a rendezvous with destiny."
Tons of work clear way for Stryker
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By William Cole, Honolulu Advertiser
Artillery rounds, grenades and mortars — and lots of them — are coming out of the ground from a firing range at Schofield Barracks.
Nine teams with contractor Zapata Engineers have been working on an 820-acre site since July 2004 to remove decades worth of unexploded ordnance.
Already, they've pulled out 517.5 tons of bombs and scrap metal, including two-foot 155mm artillery rounds, 60mm mortars and munitions dating to World War II.
The work is one of the increasing signs of a $1.5 billion Stryker Brigade's anticipated presence on O'ahu, and one of the fundamental changes coming to the Army in Hawai'i in years to come. [...]
New Stryker Brigade Signal Company training at Fort Gordon
FORT GORDON, Ga. (Army News Service, Aug. 18, 2005) – Members of the New Stryker Brigade Signal Company begins training at Fort Gordon this month.
At Fort Gordon, the command group, as well as Soldiers, are taking part in Stryker Cohesion and Operational Readiness Training, the initial phase of their training.
The team is part of the Army's transformation into a quicker, more mobile force.
"COHORT is unique to Signal," said Sgt. 1st Class Michael Holloway, with Team Signal, part of the Fort Gordon's Directorate of Training.
Most of the Soldiers coming into the company are from Hawaii with some coming from other military bases. The company's effective date will be Oct. 15.
Once together, the company will stay together for the next three years and be attached to the 2nd Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division.
The company will provide beyond line of sight communications through high bandwidth satellite to the 25th ID.
During their time at Fort Gordon, members of the company will be training on the new Joint Network Node.
The initial training will give leaders a baseline initial training into the JNN, which provides interoperable communications with other service branches.
JNN training combines hands-on experience with computer based training including some 3D computer simulations.
Capt. James Jackson, company commander, said he has positive feelings about the JNN. "I think it's great. It's IP based. It's a new generation of data and voice communication. It increases the capability of bandwidth," Jackson said.
In addition to leaning about the JNN, the leaders will learn about the Battalion Command Post communications package and the Ku Band Satellite equipment.
(Editor’s Note: Story submitted by Charmain Z. Brackett, Signal contributing writer.)
Isles to see Army's Spearhead
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'The high-speed transport vessel will ferry the coming Stryker vehicles'
By Gregg K. Kakesako
Hawaii will become the testing ground next year for two of the Army's latest high-technology weapons: the Stryker combat mobile vehicle and a 318-foot high-speed cargo catamaran.
Maj. A.J. Hedeen, Army watercraft combat development spokesman, said yesterday the 700-ton Theater Support Vessel 1X will operate in island waters next year. It is capable of carrying 23 Strykers and their complements of soldiers.
Hedeen acknowledged that the future of the so-called USAV Spearhead is tied to the success of the Strykers.
"That's the biggest advantage," Hedeen said. "We can carry the equipment and troops together. When you roll off, you are ready to fight."
The 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade is being transformed into a fighting unit centered on 291 of the eight-wheeled, 20-ton combat vehicles.
The first two dozen Stryker vehicles should arrive at Schofield Barracks in May. The Army's latest combat vehicle, which can be outfitted in 10 different ways with everything from a 105 mm cannon for a mobile gun system to a completely wired command center, costs about $1.5 million each.
Read the entire article to learn more about the Spearhead.
Movers brace for military's summer rush
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By Harold Nedd, Pacific Business News
Moving companies in Hawaii are bracing for their largest-ever summer-long rush in business from the military as the armed forces look to pack up thousands of soldiers who are leaving the state and welcome hundreds more from the U.S. Army's Stryker Brigade combat team.
Come June, the moving industry expects to see a 75 percent boost in business from the military, despite growing worries about whether it has the capacity for what the armed services say they need.
From the increased demand, the movers are poised to capture a significant chunk of the $4 billion that The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii estimates the military generates for the economy, second only to tourism in the state. [...]
Movers are competing with the building industry for a growing shortage of qualified drivers. Commercial drivers are needed for flatbed trucks and tractor-trailer rigs that can haul tons of household items for the soldiers.
Moreover, storage space is tight. Movers expect to be especially confronted with that issue as household belongings arrive ahead of 2,263 soldiers, spouses and children from the Army's Stryker Brigade.
At the same time, moving companies are betting that the biggest challenge for the industry is going to be providing quality service in a short period of time without overworking employees, who could be looking at 12-to-18 hours work days.
"I'm sure companies out there will work until 11 at night to meet the military's demand," Parker said.
Hawaii Stryker brigade getting ready to roll
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By William Cole, Honolulu Advertiser
After four years, a 3,000-page environmental impact report and a federal lawsuit, the Army’s planned Stryker brigade for Hawaii appears to be a reality.
And not a minute too soon, at least in terms of the Army’s timetable for bringing approximately 300 armored vehicles to the state, a move that will fundamentally change the way the Army operates here.
The first ground will be turned this month on a series of projects that will transform land on Oahu and the Big Island for use by the 3,818-soldier unit. The 19-ton Strykers begin to arrive a year from now, and the unit is expected to be operational in 2007.
The project, one of the Army’s biggest in Hawaii since World War II, will include the creation of 71 miles of private trails on Oahu and the Big Island, six new firing ranges, two airfield upgrades, and the purchase of 1,400 acres adjacent to Schofield Barracks.
The pace of the $1.5 billion project picked up almost immediately once the Army prevailed last week in a legal battle against three Native Hawaiian groups that filed suit in federal court to halt the brigade’s arrival.
Construction contracts worth approximately $225 million for fiscal 2005 will go out to bid in the next six months, said Ron Borne, the Army’s transformation director here. Fiscal 2006 probably will see $125 million in construction, he said. Other projects will be completed through 2010.
The first contract was a $9.2 million award to Parsons Corp. to build a small-arms qualification range on Schofield Barracks, Borne said.
The work, part of a plan to consolidate pistol, rifle and machine-gun marksmanship ranges, will include digging trenches for targets, grading, utility work and construction of an administration building and control tower.
Stryker projects on
$164.5 million in Army construction begins soon on Oahu and the Big Island
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By Gregg K. Kakesako, Star-Bulletin
With its key legal battles behind it, the Army will begin construction next month of the first of 28 projects designed to prepare Schofield Barracks and the Big Island's Pohakuloa Training Area for its newest unit -- the Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
Ron Borne, the Army's transformation manager at Schofield Barracks, said construction will begin this year on at least nine of the 28 Stryker-related projects totaling $164.5 million. [...]
The first two dozen vehicles should arrive at Schofield Barracks in May 2006. Eventually, the 25th Division will have 300 Stryker vehicles that can be outfitted in 10 different ways, with everything from a 105-mm cannon for a mobile gun system to a completely wired command center. Each Stryker costs about $1.5 million.
The tracked combat vehicles and another 810 soldiers will be assigned to the Tropic Lightning's 2nd Brigade, which last month completed a year's combat tour in Iraq.
The first soldiers seeking assignment to the Stryker brigade should arrive later this year, Borne said, as part of the Army's summer normal job rotations. By October, the 2nd Brigade will grow to more than 3,850 soldiers from 3,000.
The unit should be operational by May 2007, Borne added.
The Stryker, named after two Medal of Honor recipients, is the brainchild and legacy of retired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric "Ric" Shinseki. The Strykers, much lighter than the 67-ton M-1A1 Abrams tanks, were conceived to be easily deployed. They are the first new Army vehicle to enter service since the Abrams tank in the 1980s.
Army allowed to buy land for Stryker unit
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By Gregg K. Kakesako, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
A federal judge has sided for the second time this week with the Army and against native Hawaiian groups fighting to block the Army's latest Stryker combat unit at Schofield Barracks.
The Army received court approval Tuesday to spend $15.9 million to purchase 1,402 acres of Campbell Estate land to expand the training areas at Schofield Barracks and construct a motor pool and a rifle and pistol range for its new Stryker Brigade Combat Team. [...]
The Army plans to spend $693 million on Oahu and the Big Island on 28 Stryker-related military construction projects in the next five years to build and upgrade existing facilities to accommodate the Strykers.
The first two dozen 19-ton, eight-wheeled Stryker vehicles will arrive at Schofield in May 2006. The Army hopes that the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat team with 810 additional soldiers will be operational a year later.
Last year, Army paid Campbell Estates $1 million for 71 acres adjacent to its Kahuku Training Area on Windward Oahu.
In 1999 the Army spent $23.5 million for 8,214 acres of Campbell Estate land in Kahuku.
If you follow the link to the full article, you can view an interesting time table at the very end of this news story.
See also:
Judge again rules in favor of Hawaii Stryker plan - Army Times
Army gets go ahead to put Stryker brigade at Schofield
Draw your own conclusions after reading the last sentence.
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By Gregg Kakesako, Star Bulletin
Federal Judge David Ezra today cleared the way for the Army to create a Stryker brigade at Schofield Barracks.
In a 24-page decision Ezra rejected claims by Earthjustice, which represents Ilioulaokalani Coalition, Na Imi Pono and Kipuka, and said that the Army followed all requirements of existing federal environmental laws in approving the Schofield site. [...]
The 20-ton Stryker, named after two Medal of Honor recipients, is the brainchild and legacy of retired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric "Ric" Shinseki from Kauai, once the Army's highest-ranking officer. The Strykers, much lighter than the 67-ton M-1A1 Abrams tanks, were conceived to be easily deployed. It is the first new Army vehicle to enter service since the Abrams tank in the 1980s.
The 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade, which just returned after spending a year in Iraq, has been designated to become the new fighting unit.
See also
Common Platform for Command
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By Julian Nettlefold
Recognizing the urgent need to control the “jungles of spaghetti” in heavily wired modern command posts, the Army is moving ahead with the Command Post Platform (CPP) development and integration program. Valued at up to $400 million over the next five years, the award to prime contractor Northrop Grumman includes an initial $26 million contract for the design and construction of 10 prototype command posts.
The need for advanced command post technology was highlighted during the AUSA winter meeting with a briefing from Northrop Grumman and Brigadier General Philip Coker, director of capabilities developments, Futures Center HQ, Army Training and Doctrine Command.
“For those of you who have fought battles in the dark, under fire in cold, wet weather, the layout of one’s command post can make all the difference to the success or failure of a battle,” Coker said, “Many of us have entered CPs and tripped over wires and machines, thus blanking-out current force positions and maneuvers. In addition, commanders and liaison officers moving between forces will often come across different CP layout and systems.
“We believe that to achieve essential force performance in battle, all command posts must be built on a common platform and operating environment. Not only should the systems be common and centrally linked, but also the command post itself should have no internal support posts that may exclude the commander’s vision of the developing battle. In addition, we must ensure that these command posts are also available in aerial platforms while the commander is visiting his forward echelons, and in mechanized systems for advancing mechanized troops,” Coker continued.
“Operation OIF underlined the urgent need for new command post technology,” said Lieutenant General William S. Wallace, who commanded V Corps during the Iraq campaign and currently serves as commanding general, Combined Arms Center, Army Training and Doctrine Command. “It was a disaster during OIF. In the past we spent four to six hours in the command post, now it can be as little as 10 minutes or even on the move.”
As prime contractor, Northrop Grumman will develop and field Army command posts, where commanders direct operations and control forces. CPP provides common command centers with advanced command-and-control hardware and technology to give commanders improved control over their digital forces using Force XXI FBCB2 and other Army battlefield command systems. It will also allow soldiers and officers to move between echelons without having to retrain command post operations.
“Northrop Grumman is committed to the effective and timely transformation of the Army,” said Otto J. Guenther, vice president and general manager, Tactical Systems Division, Northrop Grumman Mission Systems. “This award validates how Northrop Grumman can leverage the deep, broad capabilities and knowledge resident in its sectors to bring truly transformational systems to military operations. Our strong partnership with the Army in developing and fielding battle command-and-control systems such as FBCB2 and Blue Force Tracking will be instrumental in assuring success of the CPP program.”
Following the initial 18 month contract award, the Army will execute follow-on options to develop command posts for Stryker Brigade Combat Teams 5 and 6, which will be the first units equipped with the operational test units. Full-rate production options, which begin in 2006 and continue through 2010, will equip the remaining Army units.
The current contract covers 10 active divisions and 10 brigades, with 26 shelters per division and nine to 11 for separate brigades. The first equipped division will be 1st Cavalry Division, prior to its redeployment to Iraq. This requirement could grow to as much as $1.4 billion as the Army moves to equip command posts at the battalion and lower level.
Extra money for the CPP program has been requested in a defense supplemental appropriation. In addition, the Marine Corps is discussing the need for new systems, and key U.S. allies are interested. “The U.K. has developed some good ideas for new command post technology and we are working with them to develop the best solutions,” Coker said.
Army takes steps to ease Schofield housing crunch
Link to Full Article
By William Cole, Advertiser Military Writer
Soldiers returning from war, new soldiers coming to Hawai'i and large-scale family housing and barracks renovation projects have created a housing crunch at Schofield Barracks.
Some 880 people are on the waiting list for family housing, and the situation is expected to peak in the summer with the soldier overlap and arrival of 800 more personnel plus their families for a new Stryker brigade.
"Field grade officers (major, lieutenant colonel, colonel) who are not key and essential will have to look off post," Janine Lind, Army Hawai'i Family Housing property manager, said in a post publication.
With so many moving pieces, the Army is preparing for a worst-case housing scenario this summer. In addition to the family housing effort, the base also is in the midst of a more than $802 million barracks renovation that started in fiscal 1995 and is expected to run through fiscal 2008.
Three of the base's historic "quads" are being worked on now and are closed, said Dino Buchanan, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Honolulu Engineer District.
Soldiers said that in some cases, newer barracks with two-bedroom suites designed for two soldiers have seen the temporary addition of a third soldier.
Pfc. Michael Hegstrom, 20, who just returned from Iraq, said, "it's not unbearable."
"In Iraq, there's 10 guys to a room," added Spc. Aaron Blenden, 27. "I'm not worried about (a temporary space crunch)."
"As of now, we're fairly good with barracks, but with the new Stryker brigade coming, we'll be moving, and I don't know what the living arrangements will be," said 1st Lt. Jason Felix, 29, who's with the 65th Engineer Battalion.
Stryker Brigade 101
The following information was provided by one of our contributors, Ranger Joe, as a brief explanation of the various units within the Stryker Brigade, and the structure of the Army in general. If you have comments, corrections or additions, please feel free to let us know.
Clarification 08/15/05: This explanation has not been updated to reflect the structure of the 172nd SBCT. The basic structure remains the same for all Stryker Brigades, however.
Say your Stryker soldier’s address looks like “C Co, 1/23 SBCT”, or “B- 2/3 Inf, 3-2 SBCT”. What does that all mean?
The Army has many types of units to which a soldier may belong. Although these may have different names depending on the Branch (e.g., Infantry vs. Aviation), the concept is the same. Small units belong to larger ones… all the way up the chain. Also, unit designations are often abbreviated – which makes understanding them all the more challenging.
Think of this analogy: You live in a duplex with 4 others in your half, and another family in the other half of the building, on a street with 10 other homes, in a neighborhood with 200 homes, in a town with 2,000 homes, in county with 10,000 homes, in a state with…. Well, you get the picture.
Depending on the level of detail you wanted/needed to convey, you could say you lived in:
•Georgia, or
•Jones County, or
•Jonesville, or
•Lake Side Plantation, or
•Pond Street, or
•123B Pond Street, Lake Side Plantation, Jonesville, Jones County, Georgia, USA, North America.
Each example is correct to describe where you live…just the starting point (thus level of detail) varied.
In military terminology, a soldier’s unit is always described from the smallest to the largest…just that the starting point (squad, platoon, company, etc.) is optional. For example, the mailing address starts with Company, then Battalion / Regiment, Brigade, and Division. (ex B Co. 2/3 Inf 3-2 SBCT)
In the Infantry, the smallest unit is typically a Fire-Team, one half of a squad. Fire-teams are usually labeled Alpha and Bravo team. Typically, a Sergeant (SGT) or Corporal (CPL) is the fire-team leader.
The next unit up is a Squad (Sqd), 2 fire-teams. In the Strykers, one whole Infantry squad travels in a single vehicle, along with the crew (driver and vehicle commander). A squad is usually 8~10 men and typically lead by a Staff Sergeant (SSG) who is the Squad Leader. Squads are numbered (1, 2, 3, etc.)
The next larger unit is a Platoon (Plt). Typically 3 or 4 squads make up a platoon. The platoon is lead by a 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) or 1st Lieutenant (1LT) as Platoon Leader and a Platoon Sergeant, typically a Sergeant First Class (SFC). Platoons are numbered 1 thru x.
The next unit up is a Company (Co), typically having 3 or 4 platoons. Usually a Captain (CPT) or senior 1LT is the Company Commander, with a 1LT or 2LT as the Executive Officer (XO) (#2 in command) and a First Sergeant (1SG) as the senior NCO. Companies are usually given letter labels (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, etc.) – but not always.
The next parent unit is a Battalion (Bn), typically having 3~5 companies. Battalions are usually commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) with a Major (MAJ) as the XO. A Sergeant Major (SGM) is usually the senior NCO. Battalions are numbered, 1 thru x.
The next larger unit is often a Regiment (Reg), made up of 2 or more battalions. Sometimes, a regiment is a “place holder” designation… not a functional deployable unit. Regiments have number labels (e.g., 75th Inf Reg, 3rd Inf Reg, etc.)
The next parent unit is a Brigade (Bde), typically with 3 to 6 battalions. A brigade is deployable unit, often with 4,000+ soldiers, commanded by a Colonel (COL) with a Command Sergeant Major (CSM) as the senior NCO. Brigades have number labels (e.g., 3rd Bde)
The next larger unit is a Division (Div or D), typically having 3 brigades, and commanded by a Major General (2-stars). Divisions have number labels (e.g., 2nd Infantry Division or simply 2ID)
Above this, are Corps (e.g., I Corp, V Corps), and Army (although this designation has not been used in over 50 years).
Here is a fairly high-level overview of the 3-2 SBCT organization.
Infantry Battalions / Regiments:
1st Bn / 23rd Inf Reg (1/23 Inf)
2nd Bn /3rd Inf Reg (2/3 Inf)
5th Bn /20th Inf Reg (5/20 Inf)
1/23, 2/3 and 5/20 each have 4 Companies: A, B, C and Headquarters & Headquarters Company (HHC). Each 1/23 and 2/3 Company has 3 platoons. 5/20 Companies have 3 line platoons, plus HQ, fire support and mobile gun system (MGS) platoons, for a total of 6.
Cavalry Squadron: (about the size of a battalion)
1/14 Cav (has 4 Troops – about the size of a company)
Other Units:
Artillery Battalion, 1/37 FA (has 3 Firing Batteries and a HQ Battery - a Battery is similar to a company)
Engineering Company, 18 Eng
MI Company, 209 MI
Signal Company, 334 Sig
Anti-tank Company, C/52
Support Battalion, 296 BSB
Here is a fairly high-level overview of the 1-25 SBCT organization.
Infantry Battalions / Regiments:
1st Bn / 24th Inf Reg (1/24 Inf)
1st Bn / 5th Inf Reg (1/5 Inf)
3rd Bn / 21st Inf Reg (3/21 Inf)
1/24, 1/5 and 3/21 each have 4 Companies: A, B, C and Headquarters & Headquarters Company (HHC). Each Company has 3 platoons. Like the 5/20, one of the Battalions' Companies has 3 line platoons, plus HQ, fire support and mobile gun system (MGS) platoons, for a total of 6. I don't know which one - if someone does please let me know.
Cavalry Squadron: (about the size of a battalion)
2/14 Cav (has 4 Troops – about the size of a company)
Other Units:
Artillery Battalion, 2/8 FA (has 3 Firing Batteries and a HQ Battery - a Battery is similar to a company)
Engineering Company, 73rd Eng
Support Battalion, 25th BSB
MI Company, (?)
Signal Company, 176th Signal Company
Please note – any exclusion of a specific unit or team was/is not meant in any way as a slight to their valuable contribution. This is all the data I have…
Guard’s cargo jet project lifts off
I forgot to post this article from last week related to the Stryker Brigades.
[Link to Full Article]
By Gregg K. Kakesako
Maj. C.J. Pindat Kahele and 1st Lt. Kai Kahele are the only husband-and-wife pilot team in the Hawaii Air National Guard.
By early 2006 they hope to be in the cockpit of a brand-new Globemaster jet transport as the only C-17 husband-and-wife pilot team for the Hawaii Air Guard.
Yesterday, they attended the groundbreaking ceremony of a $30 million complex that will be the home of the operations, training and maintenance sections of the Air Force's 535th Tactical Airlift Squadron and the Hawaii Air Guard's 204th Airlift Squadron. [...]
The Globemasters are the transportation element of the Pentagon's new mobile fighting force. The combat element will be the 2nd Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division, which by 2007 will have 3,600 soldiers using 310 eight-wheeled Stryker combat vehicles.
A C-17 jet transport can carry at least two fully equipped Strykers as far as 4,500 miles, Torres said. "But that range can be easily extended since a C-17 can be refueled midair by KC-135 jet tankers flown by the Hawaii Air Guard," Torres added.
U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, a key congressional supporter of the C-17 and Stryker projects, said the groundbreaking "demonstrates to our nation and the world that our active force -- the Air Force and the Guard -- can work together. This is proof positive here."
He added the new C-17 Air Force and Hawaii Air National Guard unit is a recognition by military and civilian policy-makers that "the area of concern and the area of importance" is the Pacific area.
"This aircraft is a demonstration of that," Inouye added. "The Stryker brigade is a demonstration of that."
Stryker brigades part of 25th ID Transformation
[Link to Article]
By Staff Sgt. Bradley Rhen
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii (Army News Service, Aug. 19, 2004) -- As part of the Army's ongoing transformation, a total of six brigades, including two Stryker Brigade Combat Teams, will form over the next three years under the 25th Division (Light) patch pending future decisions on unit designations.
Contrary to a recent Army Times article, 3,600 additional Soldiers will not be stationed at Schofield Barracks. Instead, three brigade combat team units of action will be formed under the Tropic Lightning Division, but will be located at other posts.
The new BCT(UA)s will be temporarily located at Fort Riley, Kan., Fort Benning, Ga., and Fort Richardson, Alaska. The BCT(UA) at Fort Richardson will have an airborne capability for forced entry operations.
Those locations could change, however, with a Base Realignment and Closure analysis due in 2005.
Growth in the number of Army modular brigades will include 1st Brigade at Fort Lewis, Wash., the Army's second Stryker Brigade Combat Team; 2nd Brigade at Schofield Barracks, which will convert to an SBCT by 2007; and 3rd Brigade at Schofield Barracks, which will convert to a BCT(UA) in fiscal year 2006.
The U.S. Army Center of Military History is currently examining options for renaming the new BCT(UA)s, so they will likely assume different unit designations.
The temporary stationing of modular BCT(UA)s is critical to ensure the Army is properly postured to fully support its strategic commitments, including ongoing operations in support of the global war on terror, according to an Army press release.
Additionally, this allows the Army to continue its transformation to a campaign-quality force with joint and expeditionary capabilities that meet the future demands of the combatant commanders, the release continued.
The locations of the new BCT(UA)s were selected based on existing capacities, available training space and current locations of similar units. The Army will revisit the locations of these units during the BRAC process.
The new modular forces will be capable of operating across the entire range of military operations. As part of Army transformation, capabilities previously found within the divisions and corps will be shifted to the BCT(UA). These new brigades are the first conversions in Army transformation and are designed to deploy as independent units in support of the joint force.
"The normal links between divisions and brigades are going away," said Lt. Col. Christopher Rodney, a Pentagon Army spokesman. "This is a major change in the command and control piece for our Army."
The BCT(UA)s are designed to operate independently and will in most cases report to the base commander until they are deployed, Rodney added.
On Jan. 30, 2004, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld approved increasing the number of active modular BCT(UA)s from 33 to 43 between FY 04-06. In accordance with the Army Campaign Plan, the Army began converting to modular designs this year with three new BCT(UA)s temporarily stationed at Fort Stewart, Ga.; Fort Campbell, Ky.; and Fort Drum, N.Y.
(Editor's note: Staff Sgt. Bradley Rhen is the editor of the Hawaii Army Weekly newspaper.)
Public gets look at Army’s future
Last week we linked to a number of stories about the Stryker vehicle demonstrations in Hawaii, which included soldiers from 3rd BDE, 2nd ID. I wanted to post this article separately because it has two very good photos of the vehicle from the event.
[Link to Full Article]
By Gregg K. Kakesako
More than 50 local politicians, foreign dignitaries and military supporters got a glimpse yesterday of the future of the U.S. Army in the Pacific: three 19-ton Stryker combat vehicles and a twin-hulled, high-speed cargo vessel. [...]
The Army brought in two versions of the Stryker -- which can be configured in 10 different ways -- and seven Stryker crew members from Alaska and one from Washington. One of the Strykers -- configured to carry nine soldiers and a two-man crew -- also sported what has been described as a large catcher's mask that surrounds the vehicle to protect it from rocket-propelled grenades.
Capt. Cathy Turner, 25th Division spokeswoman, said yesterday that on the Big Island, about 200 people showed up at Waimea on Saturday and 1,000 in Hilo on Sunday to check out the vehicles.
Stryker in Hawaii
Provided below are a number of articles discussing the public debut of the Stryker vehicle in Hawaii. Equipment and personnel from Ft. Lewis (including a 3-2 soldier) and Alaska made the trip for the demonstration. The 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division based in Hawaii will become the fifth SBCT.
Stryker debut - Honolulu Star-Bulletin
It's show and tell for Strykers on Big Island - Honolulu Advertiser
Civilians find Strykers impressive in Hawai'i visit - Honolulu Advertiser
Army unveils Stryker vehicles on Oahu - The Associated Press
Public exhibitions are set for Strykers
[Link to Full Article]
By Gregg K. Kakesako
The Stryker, the Army's new 19-ton combat vehicle, will make its island public debut Saturday in Waimea on the Big Island.
Two of the combat vehicles, the brainchild of retired Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki, were flown into Hickam Air Force Base on a C-17 cargo jet earlier this week from Fort Wainwright in Alaska and Fort Lewis in Washington, accompanied by two soldiers who operated the vehicle in Iraq.
Hawaii gets approval for Stryker Brigade
We missed this one yesterday.
By Staff Sgt. Bradley Rhen (Army News Service)
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii (Army News Service, July 12, 2004) U.S. Army Pacific has officially approved a Stryker Brigade Combat Team for Hawaii, putting to end three years of speculation, environmental studies and debate.
When it returns from its current Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) will begin the transformation into an SBCT. [...]
"We owe [Soldiers] the best possible training, the best possible equipment and the best possible technology not only to do their jobs for their country, but to protect their lives, and the Stryker Brigade does exactly that," Campbell said.
Hawaii's SBCT will be the fifth of six planned SBCTs. The first two are based at Fort Lewis, Wash., and there will also be one each in Louisiana, Alaska and Pennsylvania.
Only one is currently operational, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Lewis, and it is currently deployed to Iraq.
The Army's second SBCT - 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division - recently underwent its operational capabilities evaluation. It is expected to be certified by the Department of Defense as operationally ready sometime this summer, and will eventually replace 3rd Bde., 2nd ID in Iraq, officials said. [...]
UPDATE: The Associated Press also published an article yesterday regarding the 2/25 SBCT - "Hawaii will get chance to see Stryker up close".
Strykers At Schofield
Yesterday the Army officially approved the creation of the fifth Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. However, the first vehicles aren't set to arrive until 2006. Provided below are a couple articles summarizing the decision.
Stryker gets a green light - Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Stryker approval means 28 projects for Hawai'i - Honolulu Advertiser
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