Army Council Meets Oct. 14 On Possible Military Base Closings

Oahu Council for Army Downsizing (OCAD) will have a public meeting Tuesday (Oct. 14) on the proposed return of military lands to the state of Hawaii.

Col. Al Frenzel (Ret.), a former U.S. Army War College faculty instructor, logistics and force restructuring specialist and council director, will lead the discussion about possible cuts to troop levels in Hawaii.

The Department of Defense announced it is looking to downsize between 100,000 and 130,000 personnel stationed in 19 states, including Hawaii.

OCAD is a non-governmental agency advocating for the downsizing of Army forces on Oahu, saying most of the troops are not strategically located, the cost of maintaining force levels in Hawaii is too high, and the Army is occupying critical land and consuming valuable resources.

According to the Quadrennial Defense Review 2014, the Army will continue to reduce its wartime-high force of 570,000 to 440,000-450,000 soldiers. Army National Guard will decrease from 358,000 to 335,000 soldiers, with the U.S. Army Reserve down to 195,000 from its current level of 205,000 soldiers.

OCAD believes Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield, Makua Valley, Dillingham Military Reservation, and Kolekole Pass with access on Lualualei Naval Road should be returned to the state by way of the Base Realignment and Closure process.

Frenzel will speak and answer questions from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Waianae District Park’s multipurpose room.

For more information, call Frenzel at 343-4916, email al@oc4ad.com, or go to www.oc4ad.com.