Democratic U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie said he is confident that the Pentagon will continue to fund the Hawaii-based mobile Stryker combat brigade, which would pump nearly $700 million into the local economy. Abercrombie sure of funding
for isle mobile combat brigade
By Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.com"The principle thing right now is to finish the environmental impact statement so there are no legal or logistical questions," Abercrombie said yesterday.
The nation's first two Stryker Brigade Combat teams -- high-tech, versatile units designed for eventual deployment anywhere in the world within 96 hours -- are based at Fort Lewis south of Tacoma, Wash. Four others are being formed at Fort Polk, La., and in Alaska, Hawaii and Pennsylvania. With each combat team comes 309 Strykers, eight-wheeled, armored 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.
Earlier this week, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld approved funding of the Stryker brigade assigned to Alaska this fiscal year but said the decision on the Schofield Barracks-based and Pennsylvania units would be made next summer.
The Pentagon said the decision on whether to fund the final two will come only after officials look at possibly adding attack helicopters, 155 mm howitzers and reconnaissance drones to increase their firepower and command capabilities.
An alternative to funding the fifth unit at 25th Infantry Division and the sixth in Pennsylvania would be to go back and re-equip the first three brigades with greater combat power.
Each Stryker brigade costs $1.5 billion.
However, Abercrombie said the House Armed Services Committee, of which he is a member, is committed to supporting the formation of six Stryker brigades.
"I have no doubts that the Congress will fully implement these brigades," Abercrombie said.
Lt. Col. Mark Samisch, Army spokesman, said U.S. Army Pacific also remains "confident" that the Stryker brigade will be fielded in Hawaii.
The Stryker mobile armored force was conceived by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki and is designed to be sent rapidly on Air Force jet transport to hot spots around the world.
Last summer, the Army announced that 2nd Brigade at Schofield Barracks would be one of the six to make the conversion over the next decade.
More than $693 million in 32 Army construction projects is planned at Schofield Barracks and the Big Island's Pohakuloa Training Area in anticipation of the new unit. By 2004, Schofield's Stryker brigade would be beefed up with nearly 500 additional soldiers and 480 combat vehicles.
The training facilities at Schofield also would be improved and expanded with the possibility of buying land from Del Monte to create two new rifle and training ranges which eventually could replace Makua Military Reservation.
Star-Bulletin news services contributed to this report.
