Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 12, 1 Kekemapa 2004 — Judge refuses to halt Stryker Brigade plans [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Judge refuses to halt Stryker Brigade plans

By Sterling Kini Wong Three Native Hawaiian groups who have sued to block the U.S. Army's planned Stryker Brigade unit in Hawai'i received a setback last month, when a federal judge declined to issue a preliminary injunction that would have halted the project while legal arguments are being prepared. U.S. District Judge David Ezra denied the groups' request to stop work on the brigade before arguments are heard in the case, saying in his 19-page

ruling that national security must be considered during a time of war. "The harm to the Army and its efforts in the global war on terrorism from a preliminary injunction are both demonstrative and severe," Ezra wrote. "Plaintiffs wish to ignore that our nation is at war." The Army applauded Ezra's decision in a written statement, saying: "Ensuring our soldiers have the best equipment and facilities possible is

critical to winning on today's battlefield. Judge Ezra's decision ... is a positive step in that direction." Earthjustice attorney David Henkin, who represents the groups 'īlio'ulaokalani, Kīpuka and Nā 'Imi Pono, told loeal press that he was disappointed in the ruling. Earthjustice filed the lawsuit on behalf of the groups in August, arguing that the Army did not consider alternative locations despite the fact that its own environmental study acknowledged that creating a Stryker Brigade in Hawai'i would destroy Native Hawaiian cultural sites and native ecosystems, and would prevent the exercise of traditional cultural practices. The proposed project would bring 291 of the 20-ton Stryker vehicles to Hawai'i. According to the Army's EIS, the project would include training at five existing military locations, and require the expansion of Schofield on O'ahu by 1,400 acres and Pōhakuloa Training Area on Hawai'i island by 23,000 acres. On July 7, the Army released a "record of decision" to go forward with the Stryker Brigade, whieh is expected to be operational by 2007. ■

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The Army plans to bring 291 of the 20-ton Stryker Vehicles tO HaWOi'i. Photo: Sterling Kini Wong