SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii leadership held a strategic inbound personnel town hall Feb. 10, synchronizing essential support services to ensure mission readiness for soldiers and families arriving during the upcoming summer surge.
The live broadcast, originating from the Visual Information Center on Schofield Barracks, served as a key touchpoint for the garrison to align expectations with the Army’s ongoing transformation and rapid growth in the Pacific. Col. Rachel Sullivan, garrison commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Joshua Yost, garrison command sergeant major, led a panel of subject-matter experts to address the logistical and medical requirements of maintaining a ready and resilient force.
Sullivan emphasized the strategic importance of the Hawaii-based force, which spans 19 installations on Oahu and three on Hawaii Island. As the Army undergoes significant transformation, the garrison is preparing for a substantial influx of personnel.
“We are experiencing very significant rapid growth out here in Hawaii,” Sullivan said. “The majority of personnel assigned to these transforming units are arriving now and in the coming 365 days. This growth directly impacts our housing fill rates, which currently sit at 97 percent in the north and 98 percent in the south.”
To maintain warfighter focus on the mission, Sullivan urged families to engage early with the Garrison Housing Office and Island Palm Communities to navigate the tight housing market and manage their transition effectively.
A key component of readiness is the Exceptional Family Member Program. Dr. Stephanie Van, medical director for EFMP at Tripler Army Medical Center, stressed that medical readiness is a prerequisite for a successful overseas move.
“Everyone coming to an overseas location must complete family member travel screening,” Van said. “Updating medical records and completing physicals within a year of the report date is vital to ensuring the gaining location can support the family’s specific needs without delaying the soldier’s integration into their unit.”
Yost highlighted the My Army Post app as a primary tool for inbound soldiers to stay a step ahead in their relocation. The app provides streamlined access to checklists for both junior and senior service members, covering everything from pet quarantine protocols to in-processing requirements.
For soldiers arriving unaccompanied, Yost pointed to the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program as a pillar of community resilience.
“Our BOSS program was recently recognized as the Army’s number one large garrison community outreach program,” Yost said, noting that it provides social and volunteer opportunities that help sustain morale.
Addressing the unique challenges of the Pacific environment, Sullivan discussed the garrison’s 10-year plan to harden electrical and water infrastructure. While acknowledging the fragility of island systems, she said the garrison’s proactive maintenance and isolation protocols are designed to minimize mission impact during outages.
“Outages are a reality of our island paradise, but we are several years into a plan to significantly improve the resilience of these systems,” Sullivan said.
As the garrison prepares for a higher-than-normal volume of inbound personnel, leadership emphasized that early communication remains the most effective tool for a smooth transition.
“It is a wonderful assignment living here in Hawaii, but we know it can be a stressful time moving,” Sullivan said. “We are committed to providing the support structure necessary for our soldiers to remain focused on their mission from the moment they arrive.”
The full town hall recording and follow-up resources are available on the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii Facebook page.
| Date Taken: | 02.10.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.11.2026 13:50 |
| Story ID: | 557898 |
| Location: | HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 10 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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