The U.S. Army is planning to build an infantry platoon “battle course” at Pohakuloa Training Area.
The U.S. Army is planning to build an infantry platoon “battle course” at Pohakuloa Training Area.
The military construction project, which was authorized and funded by Congress for 2013, would support the live-fire training needs of the Army, Army Reserve, and Hawaii Army National Guard units, as well as other military services stationed or trained in Hawaii, according to a written statement from the Army.
The Army prepared an environmental impact statement and identified the Western Range of PTA as the preferred site. The Western Range is in an under-used portion of the PTA impact area where no ranges currently exist.
“The location has already been exposed to indirect munitions fire, and constructing the battle course here would reclaim a portion of the impact area,” the Army said.
The Army said the site works best for infantry operations “because it allows realistic scenarios, similar to what soldiers are expected to encounter in combat operations overseas, and therefore provides the greatest training benefit.”
The project is expected to cost at least $29 million.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Tribune-Herald.