FReeper Canteen ~ Road Trip: Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii ~ 01 DEC 2009

Serving The Best Troops And Veterans In The World! | The Canteen Crew

[laurenmarlowe]

 

 

~The FReeper Canteen Presents~

Road Trip: Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii

Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) is located on the island of Hawaii between Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and the Hualalai Volcanic Mountains. It extends up the lower slopes of Mauna Kea to approximately 6,800 feet in elevation and to about 9,000 feet on Mauna Loa. The training area is about midway between Hilo, on the east coast and the Army landing site at Kawaihae Harbor. The area is the largest DOD installation in Hawaii.

The PTA consists of 108,863 acres, of which 24,048 are leased by the Army from the State of Hawaii. The remaining land is ceded and includes the impact and range areas and a portion of the west maneuver area. The leased areas include the northern maneuver areas and the support complex.

The training site can be reached from Oahu by either direct military helicopter or fixed wing flights to PTA or by using commercial airlines to either Hilo or Kona. From Hilo or Kona the site is reached by using Saddle Road. The distance is approximately 40 miles to both towns. The Saddle Road is frequently closed to the public due to poor surface conditions caused by storms and heavy military vehicles.

In preparation for large scale training exercises at PTA, the ground forces are flown to Hilo and transported over Saddle Road. Supporting equipment and vehicles are transported from Oahu by ship or barge to Kawaihae and driven to the site. A tank trail parallels much of the Saddle Road. These movements involving personnel, equipment and light vehicles could ideally be accomplished by flying directly to PTA; however the 3,700 foot Bradshaw Air Field runway is inadequate to accommodate large transport aircraft such as the Air Force C-141's.

The physiography of Pohakuloa is deceptive in terms of training suitability.  Almost the entire site is level or gently sloping, uninhabited, and having few trees or deep gullies to inhibit training.  Nevertheless, a large percent of it is almost completely unusable for maneuvers due to the rough lava flows that occur over much of the surface area.  There are several geological features within the installation. Cinder cone hills or puu's, products of the latest eruptive activity on Mauna Kea, are found in the northern part of the installation and are surrounded by more recent lava flows from Mauna Loa. 

These recent flows (less than 200 years) are the most notable features of the central and southern landscape and together with the northern flows cover approximately 30% of the training area.  Recent lava flows surround and contrast with islands of vegetation call kipukas.  The two types of lava found throughout Hawaii, pahoehoe and 'a'a, are present at PTA as well.  The pahoehoe flows have smooth undulating surfaces and can be traversed on foot for short distances. The rough 'a'a, however, are jagged, slag-like piles of impassable material.

As the largest training area in Hawaii, Pohakuloa can be used to accomplish nearly all of the varying types of training required by the military forces.  PTA has a 51,000 acre impact area which is over 10 times the size of the one at Schofield Barracks.  There are approximately 32,000 acres free of recent lava flows and are considered fully usable for large maneuver exercises. 

Learn More About Pohakuloa Training Area HERE!!

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[HopeandGlory]

Good morning Troops, Veterans and Canteeners.

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I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic, for which it stands;
one nation UNDER GOD,
indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.

Prayers going up

[laurenmarlowe]

United States Marine Corps Band ~ National Anthem

[SandRat]

In.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Woohoo!!! You were able to get one more post out of your computer. Good job....we are going to Hawaii!

[american_ranger]

I was once XO of the unit that owned that M60 tank.

[laurenmarlowe]

U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft from the 335th Fighter Squadron drop 2,000-pound joint direct attack munitions on a cave in eastern Afghanistan on Nov. 26, 2009. The 335th is deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft assigned to the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and based on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, conducts operations over eastern Afghanistan Nov. 26, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller

Smoke rises from a cave in eastern Afghanistan after being bombed by U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft crews assigned to the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, which is based at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Nov. 26, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jason Loomis eats his Thanksgiving meal around the firepit on Combat Outpost Cherkatah, Khowst province, Afghanistan, Nov. 26, 2009. Loomis is deployed with Company D, 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, unique, for the road trippers!

Road Trip: Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies military
and the family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.

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[american_ranger]

Spent a lot of time there.
Also drove my jeep up to the observatory at least three times.

[american_ranger]

Ate a lot of lave dust on that tank trail.

[american_ranger]

lave=lava

[Kathy in Alaska]

Welcome to the Canteen, american_ranger.....how neat that you recognize a piece of history, and you are a part of that history too. We thank you and your son for your service to our country.

[BIGLOOK]

Aloha ahiahi Lauren!

E komo mai Pohakuloa!

[luvie]

Now THERE’S a road trip I could totally enjoy!

I’ll start packing now! LOL!

Thanks for the great trip, (((Lauren)))

We’re comin’ to see ya, Big Guy! LOL!

[luvie]

Great pictures, Lauren!!

God bless those brave troops who are doing all they can
to keep us safe!!

[luvie]

Thank you for your service...and this great story!

[BIGLOOK]

Aloba West Texas Rose!

Just be sure to dress warmly when visiting Pohakuloa....it's a bit chilly at 9000' in the morning, late afternoon and all night long. Noon's a good time though.

[Kathy in Alaska]

laurenmarlowe’s computer may have see its last post. She’s been having trouble and is trying to post now.

[mylife]

The click it of ticket sign on base cracks me up!

Here! take this tank into battle, but you’ll get a ticket if you drive on base at 25 mph without a seat belt on LoL!

PC run amok LoL

[editor-surveyor]

Good evening Kathy :o)