State of Hawaiʻi Department of Defense History
HIDOD
State of Hawaiʻi Department of Defense
The State of Hawaiʻi Department of Defense (HIDOD), officially established on Jan. 15th 1960, can trace its origins to the Military Department of the Territory of Hawaiʻi formed after WWII to administer the Hawaiʻi Army and Air National Guard under the leadership of the Adjutant General. In preparations for statehood, the State Civil Defense was added as the non-military component of HIDOD.
Amid the Cold War tensions and the Vietnam conflict, is when HIDOD refined its dual federal-state mission and civil defense systems expanded. In 1968, the 29th Infantry Brigade was mobilized for federal duty in Vietnam, marking a pivotal moment in Hawaiʻi’s contribution to national defense.
The 1970s focused on rebuilding and modernization with the Hawaiʻi Air National Guard updating its fleet, and Civil Defense capabilities matured through improved planning and tsunami warning enhancements.
The Hawaiʻi Army National Guard aviation capabilities expanded in the 1980s, while the Hawaiʻi Air National Guard upgraded its fleet with the F-15 Eagle and maintained round-the-clock air defense of the islands. Civil Defense operations advanced with response to Hurricane Iwa and the modernization of statewide emergency systems. The administrative attachment of the Office of Veterans Services in 1988 broadened HIDOD’s community mission. This new division was created to assist the many veterans who call Hawaiʻi home.
The 1990s marked increasing global engagement and domestic operational maturity. Guard units participated in missions from Bosnia to Kosovo while HIDOD responded to major disasters such as as Hurricane Iniki. The opening of the Hawaiʻi State Veterans Cemetery and expansion of youth and community programs including the Youth Challenge Academy, underscored a growing commitment to service.
Following the September 11 attacks, the 2000s brought the largest mobilizations since World War II. The 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team deployed more than 2,000 soldiers, while Air Guard units supported operations across U.S. Central Command. Concurrently, the department strengthened homeland security coordination, expanded strategic airlift capabilities with a C-17 associate unit and enhanced disaster preparedness through exercises.
Throughout the 2010s, HIDOD adapted to emerging threats with the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security in 2013 and the renaming of the State Civil Defense to the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency in 2014. The Air National Guard’s F-22 program achieved full operational capability, while HIDOD managed complex domestic responses, including the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and Hurricane Lane.
Most recently, the Office of Homeland Security moved to the Department of Law Enforcement and a new division Civil Military Programs was created to support Youth Challenge, STARBASE and State Approving Agency. HIDOD demonstrated extraordinary resilience with more than 1,800 Guardsmen supported statewide COVID-19 operations, followed by large-scale responses to the 2023 Maui wildfires.
Across seven decades, the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Defense has transformed from a territorial military organization into a modern, integrated defense enterprise. Anchored by the Hawaiʻi Army and Air National Guard, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Office of Veterans Services and Civil Military Programs, HIDOD remains committed to safeguarding the people of Hawaiʻi while contributing decisively to national defense.
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Established: Nov. 17, 1852
The Hawaiʻi National Guard can trace its lineage to the volunteers of the 1st Hawaiian Guard, organized on November 17th, 1852. A volunteer infantry company was formed by the members of the 1st Hawaiian Guard, and they were called the Honolulu Rifles. Under King David Kalakaua, the unit became the First Regiment, Hawaiian Volunteers. On July 6th, 1894, a new military unit was formed, and an Adjutant General was named. The unit was called the 1st Regiment of the National Guard of Hawaiʻi and Col. John Soper became the first Adjutant General of the Republic of Hawaiʻi. In 1916, Congress federalized the National Guard and placed it directly under the control of the War Department till 1919 after the war ended.
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Established: Nov. 4, 1946
The Hawaii Air National Guard was formed on November 4th, 1946, one year before the founding of the U.S. Air Force. The original four units, the 199th Fighter Squadron, the 199th Utility Flight, the 199th Weather Station, and Detachment C, 199th Air Service Group, operated out of Bellows Field flying the P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft with state militia volunteers. National Guard aviators have played significant roles in all of America’s wars and most of its major contingencies since the First World War. From those humble beginnings, the Hawaii Air National Guard has become the most diverse in the Air National Guard.
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Joined HIDOD: March 18, 1959
Hawai‘i’s organized emergency management began in 1951 with the creation of the Civil Defense Agency, later called State Civil Defense (SCD). Under the Hawaiʻi State Government Reorganization Act of 1959, SCD was established as the non-military component of the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Defense on March 18th, 1959, coordinating statewide emergency efforts alongside county civil defense agencies.
During the 1960s, SCD underwent significant professionalization, expanding its staff and developed extensive communications and warning systems — including sirens, teletype networks and the Civ-Alert broadcast system. Hawai‘i became the only state to complete a statewide Community Shelter Plan, providing fallout shelter coverage for over half of the population. SCD refined its operations through responses to droughts, floods, tsunamis and volcanic activity. The SCD expanded health and medical readiness, established seven functional branches and conducted robust public education programs.
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Established: July 1, 1988
The State of Hawai‘i Office of Veterans’ Services (OVS) was formally established on July 1, 1988, by Act 115/88 of the Hawai‘i State Legislature. This marked a pivotal reorganization in how the State served its veteran population, transitioning responsibilities from the Department of Human Services. With the creation of OVS, Veteran Service Counselors were consolidated into the new office, which immediately undertook major initiatives including the planning of the Hawai‘i State Veterans Cemetery (HSVC) to address the impending capacity limits at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). A site in Kāne‘ohe was selected, and by 1989, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) had approved federal matching funds for the cemetery’s phased development.
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Established: in process
The Civilian Military Programs (CMP) is in the process of recognition and approval through the 2025 State Legislature, but its predecessor was called Community Programs. CMP aims to strengthen the partnership between military resources and civilian communities, with a mission of leveraging skills, knowledge and organizational capacity to improve the quality of life for Hawai‘i’s people. Over time, the programs have included youth development, family strengthening, disaster resilience and broad community engagement initiatives.
The longest running program to fall under Community Programs is the Hawaiʻi National Guard Youth Challenge Academy which started in 1994. It targets young people aged 16-18 who face challenges such as academic struggles or involvement with the justice system teaching them military discipline, academic instruction and civic engagement.
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