Newsmaker
Monday, July 7, 1997
Name: Col. James T. Hirai
Age: 44
Education: UH, Troy State University
Occupation: U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii commander
Hobbies: Soccer, surfing, bike riding
For Col. James T. Hirai, taking command of the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii at Schofield Barracks meant coming home to Wahiawa, where he grew up and attended high school. But it also means carrying on the legacy of an organization that has the distinction of being an "Army community of excellence." A commanding presence
As garrison commander, Hirai's job has been described as being similar to a city manager responsible for a community of 68,000 people.
But Hirai's "city" covers a wide range of Army activities in Hawaii, Guam, Johnston Island and American Samoa, 15,000 uniformed personnel and 53,000 military dependents and federal civilian employees. "We're responsible for everything from streets and roads to maintaining training ranges."
The garrison manages the maintenance of facilities not only at Schofield Barracks but also at Fort Shafter, Tripler Army Medical Center, Aliamanu Military reservation, Helemano Military Reservation and Fort DeRussy on Oahu and the Pohakuloa Training Area and the Kilauea Military Camp on the Big Island. Hirata also is responsible for more than 8,700 military family housing units on Oahu.
His budget amounts to $347 million with another $27 million from self-sustaining operations of military clubs, bowling facilities, snack bars, golf courses and other recreational facilities.
Hirai said all of this goes toward "making sure our troops are ready. That's our bottom line, ensuring that our troops are ready to deploy anywhere in the world."
This will be the fourth Hawaii assignment for Hirai, a Leilehua High School alumnus who graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1974. He also holds a master's degree from Troy State University and is a graduate of the Army's War College.
His previous Hawaii assignments include serving as commander of the 25th Infantry Division's 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry, from 1992 to 1994 and two tours at Camp Smith as an operations officer and a speech writer for the U.S. Pacific Forces commander.
Hirai's father, Toshiyuki, and his uncle, Jack Hirai, served with the Military Intelligence Service in the Pacific during World War II.
He is married to the former Karen Fujiwara of Wahiawa, and they have two children: Nicole, 13, and Justin, 12.
Gregg K. Kakesako, Star-Bulletin
