{"id":248200,"date":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=248200"},"modified":"2024-08-08T00:18:05","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T00:18:05","slug":"military-state-officials-emphasize-community-and-collaboration-at-hawaii-mac-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=248200","title":{"rendered":"Military, State Officials Emphasize Community and Collaboration at Hawaii MAC Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"editor-image single\">\n<figure class=\"photo cur-photo\">\n          <span class=\"centered-image\"><br \/>\n            <span class=\"img-container\"><br \/>\n              <a class=\"rich-text-img-link\" href=\"https:\/\/api.army.mil\/e2\/c\/images\/2024\/08\/07\/70fe7e40\/original.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>              <\/a><br \/>\n                          <\/span><br \/>\n          <\/span><figcaption>\n                        <span class=\"image-caption\"><br \/>\n              <span class=\"caption-text\"><br \/>\n                Brig. Gen. Lance Okamura, US Army Pacific, Ed Sniffen, director, Hawaii Department of Transportation, James Barros, director, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and David Roudybush, deputy to the garrison commander, U.S. Army Garrison Hawai\u2019i, participate in a panel discussion at the Military Advisory Council (MAC) conference in Honolulu, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and community engagement to address Hawaii&#8217;s needs.<br \/>\n                <span class=\"caption-author\"> (Photo Credit: Robert Haynes)<\/span><br \/>\n              <\/span><br \/>\n              <a href=\"https:\/\/api.army.mil\/e2\/c\/images\/2024\/08\/07\/70fe7e40\/original.jpg\" title=\"View original\" target=\"_blank\">VIEW ORIGINAL<\/a><br \/>\n            <\/span><br \/>\n          <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>HONOLULU \u2014 At a recent Military Advisory Council (MAC) conference, military and state officials underscored the importance of community engagement and collaboration to ensure the well-being of Hawai\u2019i\u2019s residents.  This engagement with military and state partners was to share perspectives, accomplishments, and a way forward on successful partnership ventures that benefit both the communities of Hawai\u2019i and various agencies within the Department of Defense.  Among the attendees were Representative Jill Tokuda, Hawai&#8217;i\u2019s Second Congressional District, Governor Josh Green, Mayor Rick Blangiardi and various senior officers within the Hawai\u2019i Area of Operation.  Key topics included emergency preparedness, environmental stewardship, and infrastructure improvements.<\/p>\n<p>Capt. Sam \u201cSmokey\u201d White, commander Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, praised the collaborative spirit, highlighting the role of Kolekole Pass as a critical access route during emergencies. \u201cKolekole Pass provides us with essential access to training areas and serves as a vital evacuation route in the event of natural disasters,\u201d White said.<\/p>\n<p>Ed Sniffin, director, Hawaii Department of Transportation, emphasized the state&#8217;s commitment to maintaining and improving this key route. \u201cOur partnership with the military is crucial, especially when it comes to ensuring safe and accessible routes during emergencies. We aim to formally announce the reopening of Kolekole Pass for emergency use by the end of the year,\u201d Sniffin stated.<\/p>\n<p>James Barros, director for Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, highlighted the collaborative efforts between the state and military in response to recent disasters. \u201cOur partnership has been instrumental during emergencies like the Maui wildfires. The military\u2019s support in evacuation and disaster response has been invaluable,\u201d Barros said.<\/p>\n<p>David Roudybush, deputy to the garrison commander, U.S. Army Garrison Hawai\u2019i, expressed his commitment to environmental and cultural stewardship. \u201cKolekole Pass not only provides operational support but also access to culturally significant sites. We aim to foster better understanding and respect for Hawaii\u2019s heritage among our military personnel,\u201d Roudybush noted.<\/p>\n<p>The panelists also discussed ongoing and future projects aimed at benefiting the local community. \u201cFrom improving infrastructure to enhancing environmental protection, our collaborative efforts are focused on creating win-win situations for both the military and the community,\u201d White added.<\/p>\n<p>Audience members had the opportunity to pose questions to the panel, leading to discussions on specific projects and the broader implications for the community. \u201cThis whole-of-society approach is essential. The military and state governments cannot do it alone; we need the support and involvement of the entire community,\u201d Brig. Gen. Lance Okamura, US Army Pacific concluded.<\/p>\n<p>The MAC conference showcased the commitment of military and state officials to working together for the betterment of Hawaii\u2019s communities, emphasizing transparency, responsiveness, and a shared responsibility in addressing the challenges ahead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brig. Gen. Lance Okamura, US Army Pacific, Ed Sniffen, director, Hawaii Department of Transportation, James Barros, director, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and David Roudybush, deputy to the garrison commander, U.S. Army Garrison Hawai\u2019i, participate in a panel discussion at the Military Advisory Council (MAC) conference in Honolulu, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and community engagement [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":248202,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-248200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=248200"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248200\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":248203,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248200\/revisions\/248203"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/248202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=248200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=248200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=248200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}