11th Annual Hawaii Military Partnership Conference

News: 11th Annual Hawaii Military Partnership Conference

Defense Media Activity – Hawaii News Bureau

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Tech. Sgt. Michael Holzworth

U.S. Navy Adm. Robert F. Willard, U.S. Pacific Command commander, gives the keynote address during the 11th Annual Hawaii Military Partnership Conference Jan. 5, 2012, in Honolulu. The event is held annually by the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii to give Hawaiian civic leaders a better understanding of the importance of the military presence in the Pacific.

HONOLULU — Senior military commanders from all branches of service, local officials and business leaders attended the 11th Annual Hawaii Military Partnership Conference Jan. 5 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

The annual event, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, serves as an opportunity for military leadership to present the importance of a strong U.S. presence in the Pacific region to civic leaders from the Hawaiian community.

“As the crossroads to Asia, Hawaii is unquestionably the forward most state and most strategic to us in terms of entry into Asia,” said Adm. Robert F. Willard, U.S. Pacific Command commander, “It is an incredibly important region of the world.”

In addition to Hawaii’s strategic military importance, the economic impact is also a large part of U.S. forces presence.

According to the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, in FY 2009 the total spending by the armed services in Hawaii was $6.5 billion, which resulted in more than $12.2 billion in direct and indirect impact to Hawaii’s economy.

“Pacific Air Forces, in general, infuse $632 million into the Hawaiian economy,” said Lt. Gen. Paul Selva, U.S. Pacific Air Forces vice commander.

Selva also said it is not all about the money that comes in and goes out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam; there is a lot of community engagement, for example, young airmen banding together to raise about $10,000 for relief after the tsunami in Japan last year.

Regardless of the reasons, either strategic, economic or community involvement, the military presence in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific region is as important as ever.

While introducing the keynote speaker, Congresswomen Colleen Hanabusa of Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District, quoted Willard, speaking about the importance of the Pacific, “Security in all the means land, air, space, cyberspace and maritime will be necessary to enable our freedoms that are fundamental to global prosperity in this area.

“The Pacific is the theater of the 21st century, and Hawaii is right smack in its center, literally and figuratively, and we must prepare,” Hanabusa said.