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5 public meetings on Hawaii Stryker brigade

HONOLULU — The Army plans to hold five public meetings next week to give residents an opportunity to voice their views on the basing of a Stryker brigade in the islands, the service said Wednesday.

The Army must conduct the meetings to complete an environmental impact statement on the basing of one of the modern, fast-response brigades in Hawaii. Residents will be asked what issues they think the study should address.

The Army already took steps last year to base a brigade in Hawaii by bringing Stryker vehicles and soldiers here.

But a federal appeals court in October ordered the Army to suspend its plans, saying the service violated the law by failing to conduct a full environmental impact statement. The Army launched the current study to comply with the ruling.

The first meeting will be held in Waianae on Oahu on Monday night. Other meetings will follow in Honolulu and Haleiwa on Oahu and Waikoloa and Hilo on the Big Island.

Native Hawaiian groups have sued the Army to stop the brigade’s formation in Hawaii, alleging the unit’s training will hurt the environment and desecrate cultural sites.

The Army said it wants to base one the brigades in Hawaii because it needs soldiers at locations close to potential hot spots in Asia.

In accordance with the appeals court order, the Army has suspended construction work that would lead to the permanent basing of the brigade in Hawaii.

But the Army did win permission from the court to train the unit’s 4,000 soldiers already in the islands so they can get ready for an expected deployment to Iraq early next year.

The environmental impact statement will examine the effect a Stryker brigade would have on Hawaii and four other possible locations: Alaska, Washington state, Colorado and Kentucky.

The public may comment at the meetings or submit remarks in writing to the Army through Feb. 19.

All meetings will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Locations:

• Jan. 29 — Waianae District Park Multipurpose Building, Waianae

• Jan. 30 — Kawananakoa Intermediate School, Honolulu

• Jan. 31 — Haleiwa Elementary School, Haleiwa

• Feb. 1 — Waikoloa Elementary School, Waikoloa

• Feb. 2 — Waiakea Intermediate School, Hilo