the pacific vol. 40, nr. 1 winter 2006 vol. 40, nr. 1 winter ......the pacific u.s. army corpsof...

The PacificConnection

U.S. Army Corpsof EngineersHonolulu District

PacificConnection

The Vol. 40, Nr. 1Winter 2006

Year-in-review Edition

Vol. 40, Nr. 1Winter 2006

Year-in-review Edition

The Pacific Connection, an unofficial publication authorized by AR360-1, is a periodical produced by thePublic Affairs Office, Honolulu District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Shafter, HI 96858-5440.Telephone (808) 438-9862. This command information publication is for employees and others who requestit in writing and is also available on line: http://www.poh.usace.army.mil/. Contents are not necessarilythe official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or theDepartment of the Army. Circulation: approximately 1,100.

Honolulu District Commander.......... Lt. Col. David E. AndersonChief, Public Affairs .......................................... Joseph BonfiglioMedia Relations Specialist ........................... Dino W. BuchananPacific Connection Editor ........................................ Sarah H. Cox

OpinionCommander’s Comments

2 The Pacific Connection Winter 2006

Lt. Col. David E. AndersonCommander and District Engineer

This newspaper is printedon recycled paper.

On the cover: The Year 2005

Cover design by Roland I. Stinedepicts a montage of projects andsuccesses for 2005.

The year 2005 was a challengingyear for the Honolulu Engineer District.

I’m so proud of all we’veaccomplished, how we’ve overcomeserious challenges that were thrown inour path, and how we have contributedto the well-being of Soldiers, civilians,and the environment.

Palau Compact Road, the breakwaterat Kaumalapau Harbor, the MakuaValley EIS, numerous projects onKwajalein Island and the Indonesiacoastal road project will require ourbest efforts and team work.

With so much going on here atHED, it would be easy to get stressedand forget about the last line in ourvision statement — to have fun. I’vesaid it before, but it’s so important tomaintain balance in your life and try tohave some fun.

Take care of yourselves and yourfamilies, make time to enjoy yourselfhere in paradise and find time forhobbies and things you enjoy.

So enjoy this “Year-in-Review”edition of the Pacific Connection. It isour “yearbook” of the year just passed.It provides a great snapshot of anawesome year.

I hope everyone had a chance torest up over the holidays and isprepared for another great challengingyear, as we continue to strive to be:

The best place where the bestpeople serve...

...singularly focused on executingquality projects...

...reliable and responsible......and having fun!

Essayons!

I’m proud how so many of ushave stood up to support disaster reliefand the Global War on Terror.

I want to personally thank all thevolunteers who deployed toAfghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo as wellas those who volunteered in response toHurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Rita andWilma and the tsunami in Indonesia.

Also thanks to those who stayedbehind taking on the additional duties ofthose deployed. Volunteering andmaking a difference exemplifies thegenerous aloha spirit that makes up theHonolulu District.

Times and technologies may havechanged but HED’s basic mission:

remains relatively unchanged.This year marked HED’s

Centennial — 100 years ofcontributions to the defense of thePacific and the country. We, along withall those who came before us, haveearned the Nation’s trust by deliveringquality projects. We’ve evolved to meetthe needs of the Nation and balance theneeds of the environment. Recent worldcircumstances have created a new typeof war and supporting our Soldiers in thisGlobal War on Terror remains our numberone priority.

I’m confident we’ll maintain themomentum of our successes in 2005and focus on the hard work ahead.Projects and initiatives like WholeBarracks Renewal, MILCONtransformation, Global War on Terror,C-17 Beddown, projects in support ofthe new Stryker Brigade in the 25th

Infantry Division, implementation of theNational Security Personnel System, the

“I’m confidentwe’ll maintain themomentum of our

successesin 2005”

to provide superior federalengineering and relatedservices in the Pacific Regionin order to strengthen theNation’s security and improveour quality of life

The Pacific Connection

Winter 2006 The Pacific Connection 3

The 2005 RLDP - Team Leadership graduates: (L to R) Evan Ting, PaulKai, Michael Wong, Lynette Kwock, Ronnie Kirkland, Michael Onuma,Adalina Chun, Gary Nip (Advisor) with HED Commander Lt. Col DavidE. Anderson.

2005:

Lt. Col. David Anderson presents the Bronze Order of the de FleuryMedal to Chief, Engineering and Construction Division James L.Bersson at the Command Town Hall December 2.

The 2005 RLDP - Leadership Assessment graduates: (L to R) Phillip Mun(Advisor), Vecy Pascual, Lisa Clark, Paula Reinhard, Pam Hayes, BevLedesma, Misty Payne, Edith Matsuki, Kendall Lee, Sandy Ishida with HEDCommander Lt. Col. David E. Anderson.

HED Honors Regional Leadership Development Program Graduates

HED Employees of the Year : (L to R) Lynette Oh, Project Manager ofthe Year; Justin Pummell, Professional Employee of the Year; HEDCommander Lt. Col. David E. Anderson; Misty Payne, AdministrativeSupport of the Year; Louis Muzzarini, Leader of the Year. Not pictured:Alfred Carvalho, Technical Employee of the Year.

Project Delivery Team of the Year, C-17 North Sector Beddown PDT:Front Row, (L to R): Jody Yoshishige, Gayle Oshiro, Al Carvalho,Gerald Young, Laura Miles, Bryan Ginoza (A-E), Wendy McClain (A-E), Richard Iha, Scott Mochizuki with HED Commander Lt. Col. DavidAnderson; Back Row, (L to R): Tom Broderick (Kiewitt), Wendy Mow,Bob Inouye, TSgt. Robert Padar (BCE), Lou Schiffl (BCE). NotPictured: Bernie Marcos (PACAF) and Gordon Kuioka.

Recognizing excellence and future District leaders

Photos by Joseph Bonfiglio

• RLDP: The third Regional LeadershipDevelopment Program (RLDP) classbegan Jan. 10 with the initial welcome byLt. Col. Anderson. To date, 29 peoplehave progressed through the program.

JanuarJanuarJanuarJanuarJanuaryyyyy

Work is progressing on the $10 million vehicle paint shop on Kwajalein Island. Courtesy photo


• Design Charrette: Chris Takashige andEarl Hiraki participated in a designcharrette for the Schofield Barracks UrbanAssault Course. Jan. 25-27 at the HaleIkena on Fort Shafter.• MG Robert Griffin visit: The DCGUSACE visited Jan. 26-27 touring theKaumalapau Breakwater Project, PacificRegional Visitor Center, Kaneohe Dam andthe Waikiki Beach Shore Protection Project.• Partnering Workshop: LouisMuzzarini, Allyn Tabata, Roy Fujinaka,Kimberly Jyo, Allan Ponciano, FabianLadao, Robert Shimizu and Earl Hirakirepresented Construction Branch in aPartnering Workshop with Dick PacificConstruction Corporation at the newNehelani, Schofield Barracks Jan. 27.• Asquiroga Bay: By January, the repairof Asquiroga Bay Shore ProtectionProject, Guam, is essentially complete.The shoreline was severely damaged byTyphoon Pongsana in 2002.• Indonesia Tsunami Assistance: Aninitial engineering assessment team isdeployed to Indonesia and Sri Lanka inresponse to the December 2004 tsunami.Technical Integration Group’s JustinPummell and Benton Ching deployed toperform mapping and geospatial analysisduties for the Sumatra-Andaman IslandEarthquake/Tsunami at the request of thePacific Ocean Division EmergencyOperations Center.

As if foreshadowing a year of devastating natural disasters, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC)was activated Jan. 1 after the islands of Oahu and Kauai sustained substantial flooding. Photo byJoel Hendrix

Project Manager Derek Chow discusses the AlaWai Canal/Manoa Valley flood prevention projectwith the media. Photo by Dino W. Buchanan

• Kwajalein Atoll Seminar: Pacific RegionalVisitor Center holds a seminar aboutKwajalein Atoll Jan. 11 with participationfrom the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S.Army Space and Missile Defense Command,U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S.National Marine Fisheries Services,Republic of the Marshall Islands EPA.

• Chief’s visit: HED/POD holds a TownHall meeting Jan. 12 with Chief ,U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Carl A. Strock.• Kwajalein Vehicle Paint ShopGroundbreaking: Work began on the19,400 square foot facility Jan. 19. Theproject is one of many HED hasconstructed in support of the RonaldReagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Siteand the 2,000 American military andcivilians who support the mission.• Project blessing: Contractor, SafecoInc. held a project blessing ceremony Jan.21 for the Hydrant Fuel SystemReplacement Project on Hickam Air ForceBase.

• Tropical Cyclone Olaf: The District EOCis activated when Olaf hits American SamoaFeb. 1 as a Category 4 storm. TheAmerican Samoan Manua islands of Tauand Ofo were severely impacted by thestorm. Dan Meyers and Eric Li of CivilWorks Technical Branch deployed toconduct initial project inspections. LincolnGayagas of Emergency Managementdeployed to conduct rehabilitationinspection and became the lead Corpsrepresentative. Technical IntegrationGroup’s Benton Ching and Justin Pummellworked long hours into the night in order todevelop map books for all of AmericanSamoa. Two days after Olaf struck, themap books deployed with the emergencypersonnel and were invaluable tools fororientation purposes and mark-up withcritical infrastructure and damagesinformation. TIG continually updates thebooks to provide invaluable historicalrecords.• OB/GYN Clinic at Schofield BarracksOpens: Grand opening ceremony for theOB/GYN and Pediatric Clinic at SchofieldBarracks is held Feb. 1. Scott Mochizukiand Sheldon Nishina (EC-CF) wererecognized for their efforts.• Wetlands Preservation in HawaiiSeminar: The Pacific Regional Visitor’sCenter holds a wetlands seminar Feb. 8featuring a panel discussion by variousstate and federal agencies on what isneeded to preserve Hawaii’s wetlands.• Mathcounts: As part of HED’s outreachprogram, employees volunteer to serve asproctors, scorers and monitors for the Feb.12 event which encourages Hawaii’s youthto pursue career in science and engineering.

FFFFFebruarebruarebruarebruarebruaryyyyyWinter 2006 The Pacific Connection 5

HED volunteers Tom Goto (left) and RonNakagawa assist with the Oahu High SchoolMathcounts competition. Courtesy photo

HED Engineer Ron Pang (right) and Edi Setianto of the U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID) discuss damage to the coastal road in Indonesia after the December 2004tsunami. HED/POD is partnering with USAID to reconstruct the coastal waterway from BandaAceh to Meulaboh. Courtesy photo

• ASACW Tour: The Honorable JohnPaul Woodley Jr., Assistant Secretary ofthe Army for Civil Works, visits HED andPOD Feb. 18. He toured various civilworks projects and the Pacific RegionalVisitor’s Center.• New Deputy Chief, E&C Division:Curtis Yokoyama returns to HED fromPOD, where he served as the POD StaffStructural Engineer.• Engineer Week Outreach: CynthiaWong coordinated HED participationwhich included a display in Kahala Malland a hands-on display at the PacificRegional Visitor’s Center. The displaysdemonstrated to school age children themath and science skills used in engineering.

• National Engineer’s Week: Theweek of Feb. 20-26 offered a variety ofactivities and competitions such as“Kids Discover Engineering”,“Introduce a Girl to Engineering” andthe recognition of various engineers inour communities.• FSRO transition: The Fort ShafterResident Office became the FortShafter Area Office Feb. 22 . TimPhillips became Fort Shafter AreaEngineer, Bob Inouye the Air ForceResident Engineer and Dickson Mathe Army/Civil Works ResidentEngineer.• HED Overview Class: HumanResources Office holds the HEDoverview class for newcomers Feb.23-25 giving new employees a glimpseinto HED’s varied projects, branchesand missions.• Feng Shui Classes: Design BranchChief Gary Nip conducts Feng Shuiclasses Feb. 24 to help employeesimprove their health.• Lunch on the Lawn: The SpecialEmphasis Program Committee (SEPC)holds “Lunch on the Lawn” Feb. 25as part of Black History Month. Theevent included a variety ofentertainment and educational items.Design Branch Secretary Sharon Kashiwabara

views a Black History Month display.Photo by Dino W. Buchanan


• Ala Wai Flood Prevention Project: Project Manager Derek Chowmet with Hawaii Congressman Neil Abercrombie’s staff March 1concerning the Ala Wai Canal Flood Prevention project. HED ispartnering with Hawaii’s Department of Land and NaturalResources to study ways of restoring the Ala Wai ecosystem andprevent flooding. Among the options being considered: buildingflood walls around the Ala Wai Canal, widening and dredging thecanal to increase its carrying capacity and raising the canal bridgesso debris won’t block the flow of water and diverting floodwatersto the Ala Wai Golf Course and other “storage” areas.• E&C Technical Seminar: Regulatory Branch held a DivisionTechnical Seminar March 9 with guest speakers from the Stateof Hawaii Department of Health, Environmental ManagementDivision.• Kaumalapau Harbor, Lanai: The contractor completed theevaluation/assessment on the condition of the existing dock.The $16 million project includes repairing the existing breakwaterbuilt by private interests in the 1920s. Kaumalapau is Lanai’s onlycommercial harbor capable of accommodating tug and barge ser-vices necessary to the welfare of the island’s residents and visi-tors. The Kaumalapau Harbor was officially transferred from LanaiCompany to the State of Hawaii in July 2000.

HED members discuss the Makua Military Reservation Draft Environ-mental Impact Statement (DEIS). The 60-day public review period be-gan on March 25. Courtesy photo

MarchMarchMarchMarchMarch

Former POD Commander, Brig. Gen. Larry Davis inspects the existingKaumalapau Harbor. Courtesy photo

• Small Business Safety Training: The Safety/OccupationalHealth Office conducts small business safety training forcontractor personnel at the Prince Kuhio Federal BuildingMarch 17.• Manele Harbor Reprogramming Request: Approval toreprogram funding from Port Allen Breakwater Repair Projectinto the Manele Harbor Dredging Project is granted.• Dining Facility in Quad 1 at Schofield Barracks opens: Thefacility is part of the $907 million Whole Barracks RenewalProgram to modernize and upgrade single Soldiers’ quarters atSchofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield and Tripler ArmyMedical Center through a multi-year.• Mass Management Tool (MMT): Delivered to several islandpopulations including Kauai, the Big Island, CNMI, Guam,Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Maui, Kalauao and American Samoa.The MMT is a decision-making tool used by emergencymanagement planners to help keep island residents safe duringnatural disasters.

Construction work progresses on the C-17 Flight Simulator building onHickam AFB. HED is responsible for the $153 million C-17 Beddownproject which includes the C-17 Simulator building, Squadron Opera-tions building and a Consolidated maintenance complex as well as sup-port facilities. Courtesy photo

Sam Song, former Deputy Chief,Engineering and ConstructionDivision, was presented theBronze Order of the de FleuryMedal during his retirementceremony in March. Song retiredafter 29 years of governmentservice. Photo by JosephBonfiglio


AprilAprilAprilAprilApril

• UH College of Engineering Career Job Fair: Lisa Clark (HR),Tammy Luke (PP-A), Curtis Yokoyama (EC), Clayton Sorayama (EC-Q) and Mike Onuma (EC-DM) represented HED at the Career JobFair April 1.• General Contractors Association Award Dinner: Chief, E & CDivision, James Bersson was recognized at the April 2 event forhis contribution serving as a judge for the 2005 Build HawaiiAwards Program.• Hawaii Technology Education Association Fair: As part of HED’slocal outreach program, Lawrence Onaka and Roy Chung (both ofEC-DA) served as judges for the 51st Annual event April 5.• Governor’s proclamation: In celebration of HED’s first centuryof service to Hawaii and the Pacific Region, Hawaii GovernorLinda Lingle proclaims April 15 as USACE Honolulu EngineerDistrict Day.• Manele Bay Dredging: Dan Meyers traveled to Lanai with Army7th Dive Detachment Soldiers April 15, 2005 to successfully locate aFiber Optic Cable in the federal navigation channel. The cable’sunknown location temporarily suspended the dredging contractor’swork.• Partnering in the Pacific Seminar: A seminar on storm waterquality was held at the Pacific Regional Visitor’s Center. Theeducational event featured experts from the University of Hawaii,State of Hawaii and City and County of Honolulu.• Earth Day 2005: The RVC staff and Corps personnel participatedin the April 23 event which included trolley rides to seven differ-ent Earth Day activity sites including Manoa, Palolo and Makikistreams.• Corps of Engineers Workshop: More than 200 people attendedthe cooperative workshop hosted by Honolulu District and the A-E/construction contractor community at the Hale Koa Hotel April 19.Presentations provided industry partners with information onDistrict projected workload, technical subjects and perspectives.

U.S. Army Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. Carl A. Strock presented HawaiiCongressman Neil Abercrombie the Silver Order of the de Fleury Medalat Corps of Engineers Headquarters in Washington, D.C. April 13.Courtesy photo

• Leadership Seminar for the Pacific Island Power UtilityManagers Conference: Joel Hendrix (EM) and Justin Pummell(TIG) presented the Hawaii Critical Infrastructure GIS GeneratorDatabase to the “Leadership Seminar for the Pacific Island PowerUtility Managers” conference at the East-West Center, Universityof Hawaii-Manoa Apr. 19. The presentation focused on variousforms of GIS analysis to determine where emergency generatorscan be obtained and deployed during a disaster.• PROSPECT Training: Resource Management conducts acourse on Budget Training at the 9th Reserve Service Center, Ft.Shafter.• Child Development Center Addition, Fort Shafter: Constructionbegins April 27.• PACOM support: Technical Integration Group’s Justin Pummelland Benton Ching briefed USPACOM members on GIS capabilitiesin support of PACOM’s upcoming Critical Infrastructure Protection(CIP) assessment in the Republic of the Philippines. Thisrepresents the active role Honolulu District has in the Global Waron Terror.• Wailupe Stream Project: Eric Lee assists in collecting data forthe Wailupe Stream Interior Analysis Field Work and Research.• POD Military Construction Contractor of the Year: NikingCorporation, a contractor under the Small BusinessAdministration’s 8(a) program, was POD’s selection for the 2004Military Construction Contractor of the Year award for theiroutstanding performance on the FY04 C-17 MILCON project,Kuntz Gate and Road on Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. This wasthe first project in the C-17 Beddown program which willtransform Hickam AFB into the Pacific C-17 hub.

On Earth Day elementary students learn about the salinity content ofthe Pacific Ocean from a local hydrologist at HED’s Pacific Re-gional Visitor’s Center. Photo by Dino W. Buchanan


MaMaMaMaMayyyyy

• Malama Kailua Festival: The Malama Kailua Festivalattracted more than 5,000 people on May 1. The Corps ofEngineers and City and County (C&C) of Honolulu sponsoredan exhibition table and provided information on Corps and C&Cactivities in Kawainui Marsh.• Small Business Seminar: The Small and DisadvantagedBusiness Utilization (SADBU) Office held a seminar for smallbusiness owners on the Island of Hawaii May 3. The day-longevent outlined procedures for doing business with the U.S.Army and the Corps of Engineers.• Liliha Outreach: Employees provided entertainment andaloha to Honolulu’s Liliha Nursing Home residents May 3.

A Hawaiian worker and project blessing ceremony was held May 21for the joint DLNR-HED $3.26 million Kahului Light Draft HarborProject on Maui. Courtesy photo

Program Analyst Jill Tomishima (left) and Secretary Anne Chang receive a Chinese fortune telling lesson from Support Assistant Susan Chun as partof Asian/Pacific Multicultural Day. Photo by Dino W. Buchanan

• Makani Pahili Disaster Exercise: Joel Hendrix (EM) andJustin Pummell (EC) participated in the State of Hawaii’s MakaniPahili disaster exercise May 12 which entailed using a GISemergency generator product created to predict what facilitieswill be affected by a natural disaster.• SEPC Asian Pacific Multicultural Day: The Special EmphasisProgram Committee and Resource Management Office sponsoredthe May 17 event which included music, displays, a fashionshow, story telling and a cooking contest.• Support to Small Business Administration Program: ErickKozuma and Dickson Ma (EC-Q) presented a seminar May 20 atFort Shafter.• Kahului Harbor Project Blessing ceremony: The joint DLNR-HED $3.26 million project includes widening and deepening thechannel, replacing the loading dock and installing a boat ramp.• Engineer Inspector General (EIG) Visit: Selected staffmembers were interviewed by the EIG concerning the RegionalBusiness practices May 23-27.• Whole Barracks Renewal (WBR) Phase 6A Aviation Bde, :Tenant spaces (AAFES and Credit Union) were turned over tothe customer May 31.• HURREVAC Training: Benton Ching (TIG) assisted theUniversity of Hawaii with tsunami-inundation modeling andmapping. The HURREVAC program is used to create variousscenarios to show/predict damage after a disaster occurs.• Sri Lanka Tsunami Assistance: Pat Tom prepared plans torepair three harbors in Sri Lanka damaged by the Indian Oceantsunami. Stan Boc, ERDC, traveled to Sri Lanka to accomplish a siteinspection and to provide technical assistance. John Emmerson(PPM) coordinated and represented POD.• New Gazebos: Employees in Fort Shafter’s buildings 127 and230 begin using gazebos for breaktimes.

9

JuneJuneJuneJuneJune

• Safety Day: The annual event included a health fair, speakers from Schofield Barracks andthe American Heart Association as well as a unit run/walk June 1.• Living Reefs Seminar: The Regional Visitor Center held“A Living Reefs Seminar” June 8 incollaboration with DLNR, University of Hawaii Sea Grant – West Hawaii, the Waikiki Aquariumand the Hawaii Wildlife Fund. This educational outreach effort by businesses andgovernment agencies raises awareness about impacts to our coral reefs. • Roi-Namur Fuel Pier Repair Project: HED participates in a pre-design conference for theRoi-Namur Fuel Pier Repair Project with USAKA (Kwajalein) June 7-9.• Dillie Rapley returns from Iraq: Real Estate Specialist Dillie Rapley returns from Iraq. Sheis one of several HED employees who have deployed in support of the Global War on Terror.• Partnering session: Environmental Branch Chief Chuck Streck and EnvironmentalProtection Specialist Helene Takemoto participated in a partnering session on Guam with theEnvironmental Proteciton Agency.• HED Organization Day 2005: The District celebrated its heritage and enjoyed camaraderiewith family and friends.


Gray skies couldn’t dampen spirits of the sandcastle building contest at HED’s 2005 Organization Day held June 24 at Bellow AFS.Photo by Dino W. Buchanan

HED biologist Cindy Barger wins the Federal Executive BoardEmployee of the Year Award (Professional Category) at the 2005 FEBluncheon held in Waikiki June 8. Photo by Joseph Bonfiglio

The 53-mile long Palau road nears completion. The second Daewoo Inc. asphaltplant became fully operational this month allowing the Korean contractor todouble its asphalt-generating capacity. Courtesy photo

HED’s “Safety Guard”, Eric Bjorken,directs traffic during the two-mile run/four-mile walk in conjunction with HED SafetyDay. Photo by Sarah H. Cox

and emergency operationcenters.

The eight-member team,made of specialists for contract-ing, liaisons, mission manage-ment, data management, logis-tics and quality assurance, ar-rived in Mississippi August 26to await the costliest AtlanticOcean hurricane in U.S. history.

On August 29, 2005, Hurri-cane Katrina roared across theU.S. Gulf Coast leaving behind$200 billion in damages, five mil-lion homes without power, thou-sands of homeless families andmore than 1,280 dead.

Shortly after HurricaneKatrina devastated the Missis-sippi and Louisiana coastlines,HED deployed a three-personLogistics PRT and a six-personRoofing Quality Assuranceteam to work the FEMA tempo-rary roofing mission out ofUSACE’s Louisiana RecoveryField Office (LA RFO) in BatonRouge.

The roofing team supportedFEMA’s Operation Blue RoofProgram by assessing thedamage, providing temporaryplastic sheeting and conduct-ing final inspections of theblue roofs installed.

Days before HurricaneKatrina made landfall, U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers EmergencyOperation Centers (EOC) aroundthe globe were preparing for 24-hour operations.

Members of HED/PODEOCs began making prepara-tions for deploying responseteams to provide assistancewhen called upon by the FederalEmergency ManagementAgency (FEMA).

The EOC serves as a com-mand center for local, regionaland national emergencies, coor-dinating taskers, alerting, prepar-ing and deploying responseteams, putting plans in place andpreparing daily situation reports.

The EOC is managed by theEmergency Manager for the Dis-trict Commander who overseesthe District’s overall emergencyresponse.

“As a storm develops, wemonitor it closely via variousweather internet sites,” said Ho-nolulu Engineer District Emer-gency Operations Planner Lin-coln Gayagas.

“In the Pacific, we are the re-sponding organization forstorms like Hurricanes Katrinaand Rita; we are a support orga-nization - providing volunteersand expertise as needed in sup-port of FEMA.”

The first HED volunteers, aPower Planning and ResponseTeam (PRT), left Honolulu on a“pre-declaration mission” twodays before Hurricane Katrinamade landfall.

The team helps provideemergency generator power tocritical facilities such as hospi-tals, police stations, waterpumping stations, water treat-ment centers, and civil defense

10 The Pacific Connectio

HED Personnel Provide Quality Support to2005 U. S. Hurricane Relief Efforts

Story by Sarah H. CoxCommand Information Specialist

Allan Ponciano, HED Construction Representative makes his way to theCorps’ Quarterboat on the Mississippi River. The self-sufficient boat de-ployed to New Orleans to house scores of Corps employees assisting withHurricane Katrina disaster relief. Courtesy photo

HED Construction Representative Steve Takeguchi assesses roof damage aspart of FEMA’s Blue Roof Program. Courtesy photo

Kennji Santiago (LM) inspects anemergency generator in Mississippiwhile deployed with the Power PRT.Courtesy photo

According to HED Emer-gency Operations Planner KatieTamashiro, what makes theFEMA missions successful is

having the right people. “Hav-ing people who truly want tomake a difference, people whohave the right mind set is neces-sary to every mission.”

Tamashiro and HED EMChief, Joel Hendrix deployed toLouisiana, each as a member ofFEMA Strike Team for St. Ber-nard Parish and for WashingtonParish, respectively.

Both were assigned as theUSACE Liaison to manage,monitor, and provide support toall mission assignments fromFEMA i.e. emergency power,temporary roofing, temporaryhousing, debris management,technical assistance under theCorps’ authorities.

“We need to continue de-veloping our collective ‘expedi-tionary mindset.’ Our missionsare different from those workingin downtown Honolulu”.

“The professional commu-nity needs to know that wearen’t engineers who just sit incubicles all day,” Gayagas said

The Corps maintains morethan 40 PRTs at its districtsaround the world - ready to re-spond to disasters.

At press time, HED had de-ployed 47 employees to theGulf Coast region.

on Winter 2006 11

‘Hawaiian Belles’: The Aloha Spirit Thrives in Recovery Areas

It’s 3 a.m., the air thick and sticky.Long work hours make days and nightsswirl together like melted ice cream, butthere is hearty laughter, music and “AlohaSpirit” coming from the 24-hour SupplyRoom at the Louisiana Recovery FieldOffice (LA RFO) in Baton Rouge.

Inside the former college classroomturned supply room, three HEDemployees use their Aloha Spirit while in-processing employees, processing timecards and issuing tools and supplies toU.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)employees who’ve deployed to the areasdevastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Laureen Vizcarra, Pauline Kahalioumi andPam Hayes were among 47 HED memberswho deployed to Louisiana and Mississippiin the aftermath of Katrina, one of the worstAtlantic Ocean-bred storms on record.

Story by Sarah H. CoxCommand Information Specialist

Vizcarra and Kahalioumi worked themidnight shift at the LA RFO, while Hayesassisted the Human Resource office withtime cards and administrative duties.

“Anything which helps the people gettheir lives back to normal quickly makes adifference,” Vizcarra said. “We know weare making a difference with every rainsuit,every water jug and every hammer wehand out.”

And in true Aloha Spirit, the HawaiianBelles and their HED teammates know theyhave made a definite difference in the livesof many.

“We get a sense of accomplishment;do our utmost to ensure we help themission teams accomplish their goals,”Vizcarra said.

“Their frustrations are our frustrations,their successes are our successes.”

Volunteer response workers sometimesface emotional stress as well as physicalhardships. These three HED volunteerresponse workers chose to utilize theirHawaiian spirit as a source of moralsupport. Their USACE teammates inLouisiana dubbed them the “HawaiianBelles.”

The Aloha Spirit has been defined inHawaii as a sense of caring and hospitalityto other people - even those who facestressing environments. Luckily, theHawaiian Belles brought plenty.

“We try to keep our sense of humor andlaugh out loud,” said Laureen Vizcarra, anengineering technician. “To ease the stressand keep each other awake, we listen tooldies music and we all get togetherperiodically throughout the night to sharea laugh.”

HED Information TechnologySpecialist Pauline Kahalioumi alwaysbrings a bit of Hawaiian Aloha Spirit toevery disaster relief deployment.

“I share chocolate Macadamia nutcandies. If we can give a little of our timeto make someone’s day a little happier -we should,” Kahalioumi said.

“It’s the Aloha Spirit.”For the HED disaster relief teams,

deployment to these areas is certainly notall fun and laughter. These teams worked12 hour shifts, seven days a week.

The LA RFO operated 24 hourseveryday to receive and distribute a varietyof supplies from cots to mail to water.

Vizcarra and Kahalioumi prepare tools and sup-plies for USACE employees deployed to the GulfCoast. Courtesy photo

HED raises $1,287for Hurricane relief

Lt. Col. David E. Anderson (left) listens for bids asAuctioneer Dave Kam, (Chief, Contracting) pre-pares for the “pie-in-the-face” deployment. The2005 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) fund-raiser held Oct. 12 included a luncheon andopportunities for employees to “deliver” a pie totheir favorite leader. The fund-raiser netted$1,287 for the American Red Cross HurricaneKatrina relief fund. Photo by Sarah H. Cox

Pauline Kahalioumi (left) and Laureen Vizcarra and unload supplies at the Baton Rouge LouisianaRecover Field Office. Laureen, Pauline and coworker Pam Hayes were dubbed the “Hawaiian Belles”by their USACE teammates. Courtesy photo


JulyJulyJulyJulyJuly

Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. Carl A. Strock presided over the PacificOcean Division Change of Command ceremony at Fort Shafter. Col. (P)John W. Peabody became the Division’s 27th Commander during theJuly 29 ceremony. Photo by Sarah H. Cox

• HED mentors students: Employees mentor five high schoolstudents in the Leeward Community College Upward Bound program.• New Deputy Commander arrives: Major Robert J. Kroning arrivesafter serving a year in Baghdad, Iraq.• Hurricanes in the Pacific Seminar. The Pacific Regional Visitor’sCenter, Hawaii Civil Defense, FEMA and the National WeatherService conducted a public forum on Pacific Hurricanes andemergency egress procedures.• Schofield Barracks Fire Station: The $5.4 million contract forconstruction of the fire station on Schofield Barracks was awarded.• C-17 Corrosion Control Hangar, HAFB: The design directivewas received on July 29. The hangar is one of the many projects inthe $153 million C-17 Beddown program.• Rockfall Mitigation Project Hawaiian Blessing : Moanalua Val-ley residents and project workers attend ceremonies July 25.• POD Change of Command Ceremony: Col. (P) John W. Peabodybecame the Division’s 27th Commander July 29, relieving Brig. Gen.Larry Davis during ceremonies held in Fort Shafter’s Palm Circle.

Hawaii State Representative Glenn Wakai (right) looks at the MoanaluaValley hillside with HED Engineer Randy Mita (center) and a PrometheusConstruction representative. HED partnered with the State of Hawaii in aproactive project to remove boulders from the Diamond Head side of thevalley to avert potential rockslides. Photo by Dino W. Buchanan

Project Manager Derek Chow (center) returns from a four-month tour ofduty supporting Corps’ reconstruction efforts at FOB Danger near Tikrit,Iraq. Courtesy photo

The 10,000 square foot, $5.1 million Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA)Headquarters and Range Control Building opened July 8. The buildingsupports the 2nd Brigade 25th Infantry Division. Photo by Bob McElroy


AAAAAugustugustugustugustugust

Honolulu District Geographer Wins National GIS Map AwardStory by Sarah H. Cox

Command Information Specialistby offering users more than just a visualsnapshot of an area,” Pummell said.

Pummell and his TIG counterparts, asmembers of the National GIS PlanningResponse Team, are often called upon byFEMA after natural disasters to providevital data or maps quickly.

“Knowing the conditions of a disasterarea before they go in is crucial toemergency responders,” Pummell said.“GIS allows us to give emergency workersthe information they need to perform theirmissions.”

Emergency Management planners takeadvantage of GIS not only for relief efforts,but for hazard scenario modeling and futureevacuation planning.

Besides assisting EmergencyManagement, TIG is currently working onprojects for the National Capital Region,American Samoa shoreline surveys,proposed trails on the Big Island of Hawaiiand Oahu, various U.S. Army Garrison,Hawaii Department of Public Worksprojects and highway mapping for the Stateof Hawaii Department of Transportation.

In August, HED Geographer JustinPummell won first place, best single mapproduct at the 2005 Environmental SystemsResearch Institute (ESRI) International UserConference for creating a map of theFederated States of Micronesia Flush ToiletAvailability. His full-color map was selectedthe best from 3,500 entries.

Pummell’s creation was one ofapproximately 100 different maps he and theHED Technical Integration Group Team(TIG) created after Typhoon Sudal blewthrough the Federated States of Micronesiain April 2004. The TIG’s maps provided theemergency responders with vitalinformation prior to their arrival in thedisaster area.

Using the latest in GeographicInformation System (GIS) technology,Pummell’s award-winning map showcasesthe USACE’s relationship with FEMA, aswell as USACE’s efforts to build a geospatialdatabase in remote Pacific regions.

In simple terms, the GIS is a computersystem; a combination of a skilledprofessional, hardware, software and data.The data can come from a number ofsources such as a census, the internet,databases, CAD files, aerial photographs,global positioning system or any otheraccurate source.

“GIS combines the real and digital world

• Coastal Zone and National Flood InsuranceProgram Workshops: USACE, along with DLNR andFEMA, participated in the “Coastal Zones and theNational Flood Insurance Program Workshops” onthe islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii toprovide flood information to the public.• Makua Military Reservation EIS public meetings:HED and 25th ID Garrison Commander held meetingsat Waianae District Park and Nanaikapono ElementarySchool Aug 23, 25 and 27.• Life Skills Clinic: The 15th Medical Group’s new6,082 square-foot clinic on Hickam AFB opened forbusiness.• Super Typhoon Nabi approaches Commonwealth ofNorthern Marianas (CNMI): The Category 3 stormcaused 17 deaths in the CNMI.• CNMI Governor’s Request: Governor Juan Babautapersonally requested HED’s Environmental ProtectionSpecialist Helene Takemoto to give a FUDSpresentation for the CNMI’s 3rd Annual Governor’sSafety and Health Week.• Power Team Deploys: Prior to Hurricane Katrina’sarrival, HED deployed an eight-manResponse TeamAug. 26 to help provide emergency electric power tocritical facilities.

Emergency Management Chief Joel Hendrix is interviewed by KITV Honolulureporter Dick Allgire Aug. 30 after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast.Photo by Dino W. Buchanan

Hurricane KatrinaDevastates the Gulf Coast

August 29: Hurricane Katrina roared acrossthe U.S. Gulf Coast leaving behind $200billion in damage, five million homes withoutpower, thousands of homeless families andmore than 1,300 dead.

From Mount Kaala Oahu, HED GeographerJustin Pummell (right) gathers data for a wet-land survey as Steve Kim, HED EnvironmentalProtection Specialist assists. Courtesy photo


• FEMA support mission to Louisiana: HED’s EmergencyManagement chief and military planner deployed Sept. 1 toBaton Rouge as mission liaisons.• High Operating Organization: Logistics received results ofthe High Performing Organization (HPO) study on Sept. 9.• POD Civil Works Summit: HED personnel participated inthe POD Civil Works Summit at Alaska District Sept. 14-15.• C-17 Flight Simulator building: Turned over to thecustomer Aug. 20.• Master Plan for Camp Humphreys, South Korea: Far EastDistrict requested input from HED regarding requirements inthe master plan. Camp Humphreys will be expanded to accept alarge portion of the military assets that are being relocated fromYongsan Korea.• GIS Support to HQ-USACE: Justin Pummell (TIG)participated in HQ Civil/Military Emergency PreparednessProgram (Partnership for Peace) Sept. 26 and was the GISrepresentative in the Romania and Kyrgyz Republic Table TopExercises.• Alenaio Flood Control Project (FCP) receives high marks:Reports from the Department of Public Works in Hilo, Hawaiiindicate that Alenaio FCP performed well after heavy rains.• Environmental Assessment for the Proposed TemporaryLodging Facility, Tripler AMC (TAMC): Task Order awardedto Wil Chee Planning for $87,000.• Project Order for TAMC Modularity: With additionalmilitary personnel expected on island in support of modularityand an increase in staff and facilities at TAMC, the SurgeonGeneral’s Office approved several projects for TAMC.• Hurricanes Jova and Kenneth approach Hawaiian Islands:Emergency Management activates the POH/POD EmergencyOperations Center. The storms created heavy rains, but did notmake landfall.

SeptSeptSeptSeptSeptemberemberemberemberember

Professional speaker Nancy Stevenshelped HED employees alleviate theirawkward tendencies when relating topeople with disabilities during a seminarheld at Ft. Shafter.

The educational event sponsored bythe District’s Special Emphasis ProgramCommittee (SEPC) increased employeeawareness of people with disabilities.

Blind since birth, Stevens is a snow skier,accomplished singer, musician, cross-country cyclist, hiker, rock-climber,counselor, entrepreneur and triathlete.

“We brought Ms. Stevens here for ourConsideration of Others Training and ourDisability Awareness Program,” said EEOManager Phillip Mun.

Mun said helping alleviate theawkwardness and making people feel at

SEPC Sponsors Disability Awareness Speaker

Professional speaker, musician, entrepreneur andOlympic athlete Nancy Stevens, performs for theaudience at Fort Shafter Flats. Stevens’ presen-tation taught the fundamentals of etiquette whenrelating to people with disabilities. Photo bySarah H. Cox

In September, HED awarded a contract of $43,736,330 to Nan, Inc.for the construction of Phase 2E of the Whole Barracks Renewal (WBR)project at Schofield Barracks. The contract includes Phase 2F1 of theWBR program as an option.

Phase 2E consists of constructing a barracks complex including barracks,battalion headquarters with troop aid stations, brigade headquarters, acentral cooling plant building, paving, walks, curbs and gutters, parking,road improvements, information systems and site improvements.

Construction package 2F1 consists of the construction of a six story-barracks with company operations facilities as part of a barracks quadcomplex. Phase 2F1 also includes a basketball court and the demolition oftwo buildings totaling 9,498 square meters.

Whole Barracks Renewal Progresses

ease around the disabled is the first step increating a successful working relationship.

Stevens’ presentation included singingand playing guitar, humorous anecdotes, ademonstration of new products for the disabledand a question and answer session.

“I learned things I’d never thought aboutbefore,” said Program Analyst Polly Bjorken.“From now on, I’ll always remember never topet or feed a working guide dog”.

Many District employees left thepresentation inspired by Stevens’ outlook onlife and realized their unfoundedmisconceptions about working alongsidedisabled people.

HED employees received Stevens’practical advice for working with people withdisabilities and an appreciation for the dailychallenges of 54 million Americans.

New living quarters such as this quad-complex at Schofield Barracksimproves the quality of life for thousands of Soldiers in Hawaii. The Corps isresponsible for the $907 million Whole Barracks Renewal (WBR) Programto upgrade single Soldiers’ quarters. Courtesy photo


Pacific Regional Visitor Center ParkRanger Garland Ireland (right)explains the complexities of the AlaWai Watershed to a group ofHonolulu area middle schoolstudents and teachers during WorldWater Monitoring Day Oct. 21 atPuu Ualakaa State Park. More than75 students attended the annualevent which included testing thewater quality of Makiki Stream andAla Wai Canal. The PacificRegional Visitor’s Center is locatedat Fort DeRussy in Waikiki and isopen to the public Tuesday throughSunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Photo by Dino W. Buchanan

• USACE Bridge Inspections: Eric Sugiyama (EC-Q), a FHA certified bridge inspector, participated as a member of an ERDC Team toinspect bridges on Army property on Oahu Oct. 3-6.• Photovoltaic/Diesel Energy System, Kwajalein: A final inspection was completed and work was accepted for the HybridPhotovoltaic/Diesel Energy System Project, Illigenni Island, U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands.• Dining Facility, Wheeler AAF: The facility was turned over to the customer Oct. 5.• C-17 Beddown Project, Hickam AFB: The Consolidated Maintenance and the Squadron Operations facilities were turned over to thecustomer Oct. 7.

OctoberOctoberOctoberOctoberOctober

HED Commander Lt. Col.David E. Anderson (left),U.S. Army GarrisonCommander Col. Howard J.Killian and Chief G7 25thID(L) G7 Lt. Col. MichaelWebb break ground on theStryker Brigade CombatTeam (SBCT) MotorpoolOct. 12. The event marksthe beginning of a project toprovide the SBCT an 84,954square foot vehicle mainte-nance facility and 1.77million square feet oforganizational vehicleparking. Courtesy photo

Celebrating HispanicAmerican Diversities

• Engineering Outreach, Holomua Elementary School: Eric Sugiyama (EC-Q) gave apresentation about bridges to students Oct. 17.• Career Fair, University of Hawaii at Manoa: Jim Bersson, Tammy Luke (PP-A),Clayton Sorayama (EC-Q), D.J. Fusero (EC-C) and Iris Hew (EC-C) accepted resumesfrom prospective interns and discussed USACE careers in Engineering.• Southeast Oahu Regional Sediment Management (RSM) shoreline inventory:Justin Pummell and Benton Ching (TIG) assisted Tom Smith and Jessica Hays (EC-T)in completing a coastal shoreline inventory along southeastern Oahu. Theinformation gathered during the survey is now a part of an interactive internetmapping tool for the RSM project.• The Kwajalein Resident Office (KRO) briefings to Lt. Col. Justin Hirniak: TheKRO conducted in-depth briefs and project site visits for the incoming Commander,Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site/USAKA.

HED employees learn to salsa at the SEPC-sponsored Hispanic American Culture eventOct. 28. The annual event included displays,guest speakers, Hispanic food and beveragesand dance lessons led by Project ManagerDarren Walls. Photo by Dino W. Buchanan

NoNoNoNoNovvvvvemberemberemberemberember • Pearl Harbor Maintenance Dredging: Dredging contract awardedto American Marine Corporation Nov. 2 for $2,128,800.• U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting, Palau: Task Force meetingPalau Nov. 4-7 to discuss status of on-going coordination withFederal resource agencies on Hawaii for coral reef mitigation issues.• GIS Day 2005: Justin Pummell of Technical Integration Groupparticipated in the State of Hawaii’s GIS Day activities at Ala MoanaBeach Park Nov. 15. He taught elementary students about GIS andits everyday uses as part of Geography Awareness Week.• Iao Stream Flood Control Project (FCP): HED EnvironmentalEngineer Ed Yamada and Chemist Mark Arakaki reviewed the draftEnvironmental Assessment for the Iao Stream Flood Control Project.The FCP project entailed formulating four designs and alternativesto correct the current levee system for the Iao Stream on Maui.• Bellows AFS Fountain Grass and Vegetation RemediationProject: HED is contracting services to assist the Air Force withminimizing and controlling the spread of obnoxious and introducedweeds, fountain grass and vegetation during the installation ofcommunication lines..• Support Work for Army Defense Ammunition Center (DAC):DAC, of McAlester, Oklahoma requested EC-E’s support to issue acontract for testing of a prototype, field-portable, quantitative thin-layer chromatography (TLC) system.• Samoa Coastal Erosion Atlas: J ustin Pummell (TIG), Tom Smith(EC-T), and Jessica Hays (EC-T) completed a draft version of theAmerican Samoa Shoreline Atlas. The atlas, produced every 10years for the American Samoa government, methodically analyzesthe current shoreline status of all major islands in American Samoa.It also provides the resulting information in an interactive GIS formatwhich can be used by the American Samoa Government, USACEand other agencies.

Helicopters removed the remains of approximately 50 boulders fromthe Moanalua Valley cliffside to a stockpile area on Tripler AMCgrounds as part of the Moanalua Rockfall Mitigation Project . HEDpartnered with the State of Hawaii to prevent potential rockslides tohomes in the Moanalua Valley. Photo by Sarah H. Cox

HED Commander Lt. Col. David E. Anderson (left) receives the AirForce District/Division Agent of the Year Award Nov. 15 from theCivil Engineer, HQ PACAF, Col. William Corson. Also honored bythe Air Force were:• Air Force Civilian Project Manager of the Year Award - DesignAgent: Gordon Kuioka• Air Force Civilian Project Manager of the Year - ConstructionAgent Award: Robert Inouye Photo by Sarah H. Cox

HED wins 2005 PACAF Awards


Honolulu District and contractor Healy Tibbitts employees inspect thecompleted Kahului Light Draft Harbor project in Maui. The $3.6 millionDLNR-HED project included deepening and widening the harbor,constructing three boat ramps and a loading dock. Courtesy photo

DecemberDecemberDecemberDecemberDecember

• HED Command Townhall: Annual award winners andRegional Leadership Development Program graduatesrecognized Dec. 2 at the Command Townhall Meeting. Seepage 3 for more details.• Roi-Namur Fuel Pier pre-design conference and site visit:HED held a conference Dec. 7-9 for the Roi-Namur Fuel PierRepair and Saltwater Intake projects with USAKA and KRS(Kwajalein support contractor).• Crystal Mahalo Award: The Hawaii Civil Defense presentedthe District with a special recognition award Dec. 9 inappreciation of HED’s outstanding support to Hawaii’s civildefense mission.• The Diesel Truck Stand modifications (HAFB): The de-sign projects were successfully turned over to the Air Forceon Dec. 14.

Information Management Officeemployees load trucks full of food,clothes, toiletries and toys for Hawaii’sneedy families. HED employees donated700 lbs. of food to the Hawaii FoodBank and a truck load of other items tothe Helping Hands Hawaii CommunityClearinghouse. (L to R) PaulineKahalioumi, Ruby Mizue, DarrylHasegawa, Roland Stine, MarshaPhillips, Ada Chun and Sharon Freitas.Photo by Lori Sorayama

Holiday Cheer: SEPC Shares Holiday SpiritSpecial Emphasis Committee (SEPC) volunteers present gifts toLiliha Retirement Home residents Dec. 14. The volunteers entertainedthe residents with Christmas songs and cheerful holiday fellowship.Photo by Sarah H. Cox

In spite of a hectic year for Emergency Management Division,Emergency Operations Planner Katie Tamashiro takes time toentertain co-workers at the RM/Executive Office holiday party.Tamashiro had just returned from Louisiana where she served as aUSACE Mission Liaison. She helped to manage, monitor andprovide support to all mission assignments from FEMA, such asemergency power, temporary roofing and housing, debrismanagement and technical assistance under the Corps’ authorities.Photo by Monica Kaji

HED construction representative Wayne Birgado (right) and his brotherStaff Sgt. Cliff Birgado are currently serving together in Afghanistan.Wayne, who has spent the past 18 months in Afghanistan with AED, isteaching his brother Corps procedures and policies. Cliff is a LogisticsNCOIC and a QA representative, while Wayne is currently assisting withthe Bagram Airfield Project. Courtesy photo


District Employees of the MonthSeptemberSamantha Young supports allof the one person offices whichinclude SADBU, Safety, EEO,PAO, HR & executive officeback-up as well as E & C CivilWorks. In her one year here,she has gained a great deal ofknowledge and skill and doesan outstanding job. She is alsoimproving her skills by par-ticipating in the RLDP Class.

SeptemberBenton Ching is recongnizedfor his exceptional support andprompt assistance in develop-ing the maps and informationthe Real Estate Office neededfor appraisal purposes. Theseproducts were critical in theDistrict’s process to execute theFY05 MCA Drum Road Up-grade. His “Can-Do” attitudeis a prized and valued asset toHED.

Benton Ching, Hydraulic Engineer Samantha Young, Admin. Assistant

Gerald Young, Civil Engineer

OctoberGerald Young’s recent projectsinclude five C-17 MILCONprojects on Hickam AFBincluding the Flight SimulatorFacility, Squadron Ops Facility,Consolidated MaintenanceComplex, and Support Utilities,phase 1 & 2. His work for theAir Force Project Office has beeninstrumental in trackingschedules and funds controls toprevent potential delays.

October:Kevin Araki goes beyond hisnormal duties and has a positiveimpact on the quality of productswe deliver to our customers. Hesingle-handedly ensures thatConstruction Branch employeesare equipped to deliver thehighest quality facilities andunderstand the Government’sresponsibilites in ensuringQuality Assurance on allconstruction projects.

Kevin Araki, Mechanical Engineer

Randall Mita, Civil Engineer

NovemberAs part of Fort Shafter ResidentOffice, Randy Mita serves asTeam Leader for the ArmyProject Office. He has beeninstrumental in the success ofthe Rockfall Mitagationproject to remove bouldersthreatening lives and property.He is also the team leader forthe Tripler Army MedicalCenter (TAMC) Project Office.

NovemberReynold Chun’s extensiveengineering knowledge andunderstanding of customers’needs earns him high respect. Heinitiated efforts to scope and feenumerous year-end projectstworth over $1.5 million. Hisdedicated work ethic, teamattitude and outstandingcustomer support make him anoutstanding representative for theDesign Branch and HED.

Reynold Chun, Mechanical Engineer

DecemberRoxane Iseri provides outstand-ing leadership in guiding em-ployees through numerouschanges in business processesand implementation of P2. Sheensures the financial manage-ment support is provided effi-ciently. She also managesPPM’s operating budget, servesas a member of the CDO work-ing group and ensures timely fi-nancial closeout of old projects.

DecemberStan Wakumoto displays excep-tional leadership in support ofPOD Electrical Communitiesof Practice (CoP). He led effortsto implement Cathodic Protec-tion measures which improvequality and maintainability forour customers. He continuouslydisplays great leadership in ourcontinued support of all PDTsincluding those of Alaska, Ja-pan and Korea Districts.

Stan Wakumoto, Elec. Engineer Roxane Iseri, Program Analyst


Spotlight on the CustomerThird Honolulu District Partnering ConferenceStrengthens Partnerships in the Pacific

Story and photo by Joseph Bonfiglio Chief, Public Affairs

Al Carroll (left), Installation Management Agency, Pacific, discusses a finepoint with PM Gary Shirakata about the Makua Environmental ImpactStatement at the District’s Pacific Partnering Conference.

More than 120 Honolulu District customers and employeesgathered at Fort Shafter, Nov. 30, 2005 for the third District PacificPartnering Conference.

The theme was, “Strengthening Partnerships in the Pacific.”“You should know your Soldier’s voice in the dark. In order

for us to fulfill our mission to provide superior federal engineeringand related services in the Pacific Region and strengthen theNation’s security and improve our quality of life, we have to worktogether to ensure strong strategic partnerships between the Corpsand our customers,” Lt. Col. David E. Anderson, Commander,Honolulu District, said in his opening remarks.

“Our District is dedicated to customer care. We will alwaysemphasize customer service since we exist to serve you,”Anderson said.

Anderson mentioned the challenges facing the District,especially MILCON Transformation.

The forum is unique in that it had a cross-section of all DistrictPartners – Civil Works, Military and Interagency and InternationalServices.

After the opening remarks, participants received presentationsfrom Peter Young, the Chairperson, and Director of the State ofHawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources; WayneHashiro, then Director of the Department of Design and

Construction, City and County of Honolulu and Allan Carroll, Chief,Public Works Division, Pacific Area Region Office of the InstallationManagement Agency. All presented the latest developments intheir programs.

Hashiro and Young complimented the good partnership withthe Corps and pledged to work together to address issues in thefuture.

Carroll, a retired U.S. Army colonel and engineer, challenged theCorps to think out of the box and bend the rules in providingfacilities for the Army better, faster and on budget.

After Carroll spoke, Col. Howard J. Killian, Commander, U.S.Army Garrison Hawaii, spoke of the good relationship the Districthas with the Garrison, but also echoed Carroll’s urging to worksmarter, faster and greener.

The rest of the morning featured a series of breakout sessionsincluding:

• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)Process by Alec Wong of the Hawaii State Department ofHealth and Lolly Silva• Cultural Resources: Laws and Regulations by Christi Shaw• Honolulu District’s Contract Toolbox / Small BusinessConsideration by Monica Kaji and David Kam• Design Quality Management by Erick Kozuma• Legal Aspects of Construction Claims by Rick Totten• Regulatory Program – An Overview by George Young• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Coordination by Michael Molinaand Gina Schultz of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service andKanalei Shun• Geographic Information System by Justin Pummel• MILCON Transformation by Steve Cayetano• Civil Works and Interagency and International ServicesPrograms by Paul Mizue

The Honorable David Cohen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of theOffice of Insular Affairs, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, was the luncheonspeaker. He mentioned the importance of DOI / Corps projects in theMarshal Islands and Palau and looked forward to the completion ofthe Palau Compact Road scheduled for summer 2006.

“The conference was very useful,” said Chris Conger, ShorelineSpecialist with the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program.“I especially enjoyed the networking opportunities andpresentations on coordination with the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and theDistrict’s Regulatory overview. I plan to come back next year.”

All of the material from the Pacific Partnering Conference are ona web site accessible to the attendees where their questions andconcerns will be answered and periodically updated, as needed.

According to the Conference Committee Chairman, Paul Mizue,organizing and executing the conference was a true team effort forthe District involving participation from many divisions and offices.



U.S. Army Engineer District, HonoluluATTN: Public Affairs OfficeBuilding 230, CEPOH-PAFort Shafter, HI 96858-5440

2005 Employees of the MonthJan: Bruce Stevenson & Duane ArakawaFeb: Doris Aguilar & Roy ChungMarch: David Lindsey & Owen OgataApril: Ruby Mizue & “Jakarta Five”- Eric

Kozuma, Ray Kong, Ron Pang, EricSugiyama and David Wong

May: Geoff Lee & Chris TakashigeJune: James Tamura & Eric BjorkenJuly: Milly Arzaga & Brian ChungAug: Sarah Cox & E&C Budget team of

Louis Muzzarini, Anna Flatt andRandy Wong

Sept: Benton Ching & Samantha YoungOct: Kevin Araki & Gerald YoungNov: Randy Mita & Reynold ChunDec: Stan Wakumoto & Roxane Iseri

Hello:Jim Galariada, Garland Ireland, Keane Nishimoto, LanaO’Malley, Debbie Solis, Yvonne Watarai and Mary YoshimuraGood-bye:Roy Awakuni, Joe Barboo, Nic Cabe, Joe Delgado,Leonard Furukawa, Myra Hamamura, Greg Havo, StacieHirano, John Hutchins, Darold Homan, Bob Inouye, IvanAwa, John Lopes, Annette Zapf, Ron Pang and KarenTurnerCongratulations:Samantha Young and husband Dennis on the birth of theirdaughter Shayla Keilani.

Aloha means:

Lynn Arakaki, Chief, Construction/A-E Contracts Branch receives aCommander’s Coin from Lt. Gen. Carl A. Strock at the USACE Town Hallin Washington D.C. Nov. 17. Arakaki was recognized for her TDY assis-tance to the Principal Assistant Responsible for Contracting. USACE photo

Trick or Treat:District employeesshow off their creativeHalloween spirit onOct. 31. (L to R): LiseDitzel-Ma, PM;Rodney Leong, PM;Karen Chang, PM;Polly Bjorkan,program analyst;Roxane Iseri, chief,military programsupport; Anne Chang,secretary and TammyLuke, PM. Photo bySarah H. Cox

the pacific vol. 40, nr. 1 winter 2006 vol. 40, nr. 1 winter ......the pacific u.s. army corpsof...

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