Photo By Ruben Duldulao | The 182nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Illinois Air National Guard wrapped up their...... read more read more
Subscribe
In a joint effort to combat houselessness on Oʻahu, the Air National Guard, alongside the Air Force Reserve and modular home makers, have united to build permanent housing in Waiʻanae. Building on earlier phases, this mission seeks to deliver lasting shelter and stability for those living unhoused in Puʻuhonua ʻO Wai‘anae (The Village).
On Oʻahu near the Wai‘anae Small Boat Harbor, the Village, is home to approximately 200 individuals, including children, elders and working families. The community has built a unique and self-sustaining village rooted in traditional Hawaiian values of kuleana (responsibility) and communal care.
This partnership not only supports the local community but provides Guardsmen with meaningful, hands-on experience — delivering hundreds of training hours while completing essential Air Force training requirements.
"It's a humanitarian mission that we're helping with, they get the labor form us, we get training" said Capt. Shawn Van Horn of the 182nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Illinois Air National Guard. "It's a win for everyone."
This initiative is part of the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program, which enables National Guard units to engage in real-world missions that enhance readiness while serving communities. The 182nd Civil Engineer Squadron of the Illinois Air National Guard has been instrumental in coordinating the project’s construction logistics and ensuring training objectives are met efficiently.
"I think this is great all of our airmen get to come out, they get to work inside their specialty, outside their specialty and grow as a team. We got Guardsmen working and doing things that they are not normally doing during drill weekend," said Maj. Scott Perry of the 182nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Illinois Air National Guard.
"We're here for two weeks I believe there's seven rotations between the Army, Air Reserve, and Air Guard. We’re taking a section, then the next group will come in they take over what we do and then just keep building and building," said Van Horn. "It's a good mission and something that we look forward to because we don't normally get these kind of projects back in Illinois. It helps us do some things that's out of our comfort zones. It also allows to cross train, to work together and figure out solutions."
The effort to establish permanent housing for the Village began in 2018 when the community, under the threat of state-led eviction, took steps to secure their future. With the support of the former state governor and a successful community-led fundraising campaign, they purchased a 20-acre parcel in Waiʻanae Valley in 2020. This site now serves as the foundation for the new Village, which is projected to provide homes for nearly 300 residents once fully completed.
With development and operational costs projected to remain below those of traditional affordable housing projects, Puʻuhonua ʻO Wai‘anae is emerging as a pioneering model for community-driven, cost-effective housing solutions. In the current phase of construction, the Guardsmen are continuing work on new “hale” (homes), expanding on those completed in the previous year in alignment with the site’s long-term master plan.
Staff Sgt. Caleb Schacherbauer, an Engineering Assistant with the 182nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Illinois Air National Guard does a lot of the prep work designing the blueprints of the hale and surveying the land for placement.
"We're doing a lot of the layout, and it's structured a bit differently, we're using a lot of laser leveling. We post our laser level on certain areas to make sure the ground is level where we're building," Schacherbauer said. “Everyone that's been here has worked very hard and has put in a ton of effort to make sure that they're doing the best that they can. We're gaining a lot of hands-on training and it's been a very beneficial trip so far.”
Airman 1st Class Ivonne Estrada a Structures Civil Engineer with the 182nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Illinois Air National Guard focused on framework carpentry. Since this phase of construction focuses on using modular buildings, Estrada has been working on the foundation pouring concert blocks and digging support pillars reinforced with crushed coral.
"It's nice to get knowledge on other trades," said Estrada. "I've been getting a lot of experience and knowledge from everybody here; it's been a great working especially being fresh out of tech school. I was a little nerve-wracked, but I've enjoyed my time here, especially with all the teaching material.”
Estrada and Schacherbauer's experiences reflect the broader impact of the mission — not only as a training ground for developing technical skills, but as a powerful example of what service to community can accomplish.
This joint effort underscores the strength of collaboration between government agencies, the armed forces, and grassroots organizations in addressing pressing community challenges. As construction of the new hale progress, the Village remains a powerful symbol of commitment, resilience, and hope for a stronger future in Waiʻanae.
| Date Taken: | 06.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.03.2025 20:42 |
| Story ID: | 521907 |
| Location: | WAIANAE, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Helping Build Communities Through Training and Teamwork, by Rachel Blaire, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
