The U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation has awarded a $3.2 million grant to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to establish a Military and Community Affairs office in Hawaii.
What You Need To Know
The new office will focus on “effective collaboration and transparency between the State of Hawaii, county governments, the community and the U.S. Department of Defense”
The office is being touted as a key investment for the home of the largest geographic combatant commander — the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command —and one of the few metropolitan areas in the United States that hosts every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces
DBEDT said the scale of military presence in Hawaii “creates significant economic, social, and environmental interdependencies that impact the state’s economy, natural resources, and infrastructure.”
According to a DBEDT news release, the new office will focus on “effective collaboration and transparency between the State of Hawaii, county governments, the community and the U.S. Department of Defense.”
