Exercise Makani Pahili

Two annual exercises were sponsored by SCD in FY 2010— Makani Pahili and Kai Mimiki.

Every year prior to the start of the Hawaii hurricane season in June, Makani Pahili (Hawaiian for Strong Wind) is held in all counties to provide participating agencies an opportunity to exercise their emergency management plans and preparedness activities in response to a hurricane threat. SCD coordinated two tsunami response exercises named Kai Mimiki (Hawaiian term referring to the retraction of the ocean immediately prior to a tsunami wave) focusing on either a locally generated or distant tsunami.

– 2010 Annual Report pp. 22-23

No other exercise sets the conditions for the challenges of a disaster like that of Hawaii’s marquee annual “Makani Pahili” hurricane exercise traditionally held before the beginning of each hurricane season in May. This exercise serves as the standard for Joint-Interagency collaboration facilitating a dynamic exchange of operational activity that fosters solid partnerships among key stakeholders during a scenario based disaster. The Category IV hurricane modeled in this exercise serves to stress all facets of the response community

– 2011 Annual Report pp. 5

JFHQ-HI Joint Staff (to include DOMS) are a key component/ participant in the State of Hawaii’s annual hurricane response Exercise MAKANI PAHILI (MP).This year, the Joint Staff planned, coordinated, and executed plans which validated, mobilized, & deployed components of its Specialized Hazard Assistance Response Capability (SHARC) Team, as well as, established a Forward Emergency Operations Center at a remote/neighbor island (simulated) Incident Site.

– 2012 Annual Report pp.5

Exercise MAKANI PAHILI, May- June: The exercise is an annual exercise conducted on Oahu by the Hawaii National Guard and State Civil Defense, and other agencies to respond to a CAT III-IV hurricane and establish a Tactical Operations Center in order to provide Command and Control of forces in support of post-landfall response and recovery.

– 2012 Annual Report pp.10

JDOMS focus on providing National Guard Domestic Operations for the state is best highlighted by its participation in Hawaii’s annual hurricane Exercise MAKANI PAHILI. This exercise establishes a comprehensive training venue to test response and recovery operational plans for federal, state, and local emergency managers.

– 2013 Annual Report pp. 5

MAKANI PAHILI, held Jun. 2-6, exercised the HING’s role in responding to a category 4 hurricane that impacts all the counties throughout the State of Hawaii. The HING once again exercised the Joint Task Force 50 – the dual status commander and the Title 10/32 Joint Staff

– 2014 Annual Report pp. 5

Hawaii State hurricane Exercise MAKANI PAHILI – working alongside the Honolulu Fire Department; conducting environmental safety assessments, and search and rescue operations

– 2014 Annual Report pp. 7

Hawaii State hurricane Exercise MAKANI PAHILI – worked in conjunction with Department of Emergency Management, Honolulu Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services as well as Hawaii K-9 (Live-Find and Cadaver Dog) search teams on a multi-venue search and rescue event at Bellows Air Force Station training area.

– 2014 Annual Report pp. 7

Our department was tested again during Exercise VIGILANT GUARD/MAKANI PAHILI 15 in June. This was the largest natural disaster exercise in Hawaii National Guard history, refining our plans to enable us to be even more responsive in the event of another large-scale event within the state.

– 2015 Annual Report pp. 1

Hawaii State Hurricane Exercise VIGILANT GUARD / MAKANI PAHILI

Over 700 Army and Air National Guardsmen from the Nevada and Oregon CERF-P with California Homeland Response Force joined the Hawaii CERF-P in a mass casualty, medical triage, search and rescue event which integrated Kauai, Maui, Oahu and Hawaii County Fire Departments in conjunction with Department of Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services as well as Hawaii K-9 (Live-Find and Cadaver Dog) search teams on a multi-venue search and rescue event at Kalaeloa (Oahu), Queens Hospital West (Oahu), KMR (Hawaii), Hanepepe Armory (Kauai), Maui Fire Department Training Area

– 2015 Annual Report pp. 6

Hundreds of HIANG Airmen participated in Exercise MAKANI PAHILI/VIGILANT GUARD, during June 2015. MP/VG 15 was the largest disaster preparedness exercise in Hawaii National Guard history. Participants included Airmen from the 292nd Combat Communications Squadron who operated a JISCC (Joint Interoperable Site Communications Capability), Block III providing tactical communications as part of the HI CERF-P team in demonstrating HING response to a statewide hurricane. Forty Airmen from the 297th Air Traffic Control Squadron provided tactical air traffic control for aircraft flying into and out of the airport at Kalaeloa.

– 2015 Annual Report pp. 20

The Training, Education and Information Branch is responsible for many preparedness activities, including coordination of training for State Emergency Response Team (SERT) members and HIEMA staff and the planning and execution of exercises such as the Statewide Hurricane Exercise MAKANI PAHILI.

– 2015 Annual Report pp. 23

Vigilant Guard / Makani Pahili 2015

Story by Airman 1st Class Robert Cabuco
154th Wing Public Affairs
Monday, June 1, 2015

HONOLULU – With above normal activity predicted for the 2015 hurricane season by the National Weather Service Forecast Office, nothing can be more timely than the Vigilant Guard/Makani Pahili hurricane preparedness exercises which took place in Hawaii.

More than 2,200 National Guardsmen, active duty and civilian personnel recently participated in a disaster preparedness exercise in the state of Hawaii called Vigilant Guard/Makani Pahili 2015. About 700 of those Guardsmen were from outof-state. The multifaceted exercise, sponsored by the U.S. Northern Command and National Guard Bureau, combines the Vigilant Guard regional exercise, the first conducted in Hawaii, and the Makani Pahili hurricane preparedness exercise, led by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA), formerly called State Civil Defense.

With over a year of planning behind them, the various agencies were ready to challenge the participant’s collaborative proficiencies in regards to emergency preparation, coordination, response, and recovery management during National Guard domestic operations and catastrophic events.

Brig. Gen. Bruce Olivera, Joint Task Force 5-0 commander, explained that “a Category 4 Hurricane will hit the state of Hawaii” as part of the simulated exercise initiating other “complex scenarios such as mass casualty, collapsed structure, and cyber infrastructure.”

The scenarios took place at various locations across Hawaii. Locations on Oahu included the Hawaii National Guard Headquarters, the Regional Training Institute in Waimanalo, the Queen’s Medical Center – West Oahu, Pier 29, and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. On Hawaii Island, training occurred at the Keaukaha Military Reservation. On Maui training was held at the Hawaii Army National Guard Puunene armory and the Maui Fire Department training area. On Kauai, training was at the Vindiha Stadium and the HIARNG Hanapepe armory.

Olivera’s leadership abilities were put to the test as a dualstatus commander (DSC) where a single commander, usually a National Guard officer, is given tactical control of both state controlled National Guard forces and active duty military forces. During natural disasters, the governor has overall control and can request support from the DSC as needed.

The exercise also involved civilian first-responders such as the police and fire departments as well as National Guard units (on Title 32 status) and active duty forces (on Title 10 status). National Guardsmen from other states including California, Oregon, Utah, Nevada and Guam also participated in the exercise.

“We have observers from seven Asia-Pacific countries here to observe and see what we do.” Olivera said. The foreign delegates have previously observed and some have participated in training during past Makani Pahili exercises.

Hawaii has experienced natural disasters in the past and has responded well due in large part to the multiagency cooperation facilitated by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. Vigilant Guard/Makani Pahili 2015 provides a unique opportunity to combine these experiences with a new arrangement to have federal active duty troops incorporated into a major storm scenario.

–2015 June Pūpūkahi pp. 1

Hawaii community partners to exercise its Alternate Port Concept for first time

117th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (Hawaii)
Story by Capt. Christine Rosalin
Friday, June 6, 2015

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Participants from federal, state and local agencies, and private industries demonstrated the “Alternate Port Concept” for the first time in Hawaii on June 5 as a part of the Vigilant Guard/Makani Pahili 2015 exercise.

The demonstration included pre-positioning of the crane and associated equipment, arrival and mooring of transport barge, and unloading and distribution of cargo.

The purpose of the full-scale crane demonstration is to prepare federal, state and local partners for their respective roles during a disaster that requires activation of an alternate port in Pearl Harbor due to Oahu’s main ocean ports being disabled.

“This is significant because this is the first time the Navy base in Hawaii will open its port to civilian traffic, and this is critical because we have a single point of failure, the Port of Honolulu, for bringing cargo into the State of Hawaii,” said Doug Mayne, Administrator of Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

The Port of Honolulu serves as the hub for cargo distribution throughout the State of Hawaii, with more than 80 percent of Hawaii’s consumable goods being transported through it. This means it could potentially become the single point of failure in the chain of supplies coming into Hawaii should a catastrophic event close the harbor.

“In the event of a natural disaster the Department of Defense has a core mission to provide support to the civil authorities, said U.S. Navy Capt. Rob Espinosa, Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer for Navy Region Hawaii.

The Navy worked with several private companies including Young Brothers, Matson, Horizon Lines, and Hawaii Stevedores to make APC a reality.

“The Navy’s role was to provide the real estate to the State of Hawaii,” said Espinosa. “While we have the capability perform this mission, the intent is to get the private industry back to work.”

“They are less than five miles away with personnel and equipment so why not turn over the mission to our industry partners who this day-to-day and do it best,” said Espinosa. “The fact that we’re exercising this plan today sets us up for success later.”

“We’ve been working to develop this plan for about seven years, and it’s been a great partnership from the whole community working to ensure we can provide supplies to the State of Hawaii in the event of a disaster,” said Mayne.

– 2015 June Pūpūkahi pp. 2

Video Corner

– 2015 June Pūpūkahi pp. 2

Hawaii National Guard and University of Hawaii host the 3rd Annual Po’oihe Cyber Security Exercise

154th Wing Public Affairs
Story by Airman 1st Class Robert Cabuco
Friday, June 6, 2015

HONOLULU – Recently, the federal government had fallen victim to a cybersecurity breach of its computer networks, leaking personal information of millions of federal employees. The hackers of today are more skilled and use more sophisticated methods, which increases the scope of targets they can attack.

During the statewide hurricane preparedness exercise private, commercial and government agencies in Hawaii defended against cybersecurity breaches on critical infrastructures and services.

Critical infrastructures, such as those within the energy sector, would prove to be a viable target for cyber-criminals. This is why “we are focusing on the energy sector as a critical infrastructure” in this year’s exercise, says Jodi Ito, information security officer for the University of Hawaii and primary coordinator for the Po’oihe Cyber Security Exercise 2015.

“One of the things in Hawaii is that we are very dependent on critical infrastructures, because we do not have alternative sources. The ability to be able to drill and protect these [resources] in a protected network environment makes for better learning experience preparing us for an actual crisis,” said Ito.

The Po’oihe exercise is sponsored by the Hawaii National Guard and was integrated into Vigilant Guard 2015, a regional annual exercise, and Makani Pahili 2015, a state annual hurricane preparedness exercise. In the exercise scenario, a Category 4 Hurricane has swept through the State of Hawaii paving the way for a pandemic outbreak and a cybersecurity attack.

The participants are split into four teams: A Blue team for defenders, Red team for aggressors, Black team for infrastructure, and White team for judges and referees.

Staff Sgt. Chad Stanley, from the 154th Communication Flight, Hawaii Air National Guard, participated on the Black team. He discovered that “Po’oihe was a great chance to see how military and civilian skill sets can complement each other” in a collaborative environment.

Senior Airman Jasper Green, from the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 292nd Combat Communications Squadron on Maui , was assigned to the Blue team. He said, “As a first time participant, I had a great experience with the exercise. I learned that planning and communication can enhance the overall outcome of defense posturing.”

Green recently graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology.

Industrial facilities like water plants, power grids, telecoms networks and defense warning systems are controlled by systems that perform a number of elementary yet mission-critical tasks. However, the systems that manage their daily activities are highly vulnerable, from an IT security standpoint.

In times of natural disasters, leadership and administrators attention is focused on preparation before the storm and recovery activities after it passes. For cyber-criminals, these are the perfect times to launch an attack on the state’s critical infrastructure assets. These are prime targets for a multitude of malicious groups including terrorist cells, criminal syndicates, rogue governments, disgruntled employees and many, many others.

Ito explains that the exercise provides additional targets such as “county information centers, which provide information to the civilians about things like shelters that they can go to and other types of critical information. Another critical infrastructure is the tug and barge industry, because we’re dependent on the service to move all of our goods between the islands. So they become a target for hackers whose attention is focused on trying to affect their databases, affect the Web servers, bring down their email servers to simulate a hostile attack during a disaster.”

With the increased scope of this year’s exercise comes increased participation. Participants included personnel and equipment from Hitachi (Japan), Guam, California National Guard, Hawaii National Guard, Army Reserves, Navy, active duty Air Force, FBI, state, city and county, Hawaiian Electric Company, industry, academia (UH faculty, staff and student and including a few high school students). The two-day exercise has over 170 participants involved and over 50 volunteers who participated in the planning and design of the range setup and the scenario design and execution.

This exercise marks the second time members from Hitachi (Japan) has participated. Ito says, “They are interested in participating because they don’t have the opportunity to participate in these types of exercises back in their country.”

According to Ito, “In Japan, the exercises are a little more regimented, the scenarios are a more controlled. Their government has a little more hand in it. Our exercise represents a more academia, industry, and government partnership. This type of exercise, because of the different personalities from all of these different agencies, lends itself to completely different free-flowing form where the participants can exercise more creativity in their responses. This makes the exercise more dynamic, less structured, controlled or scripted.”

The participants are challenged and find it to be an opportunity to think differently. One thing specifically different in this exercise from the years past is they were told they cannot patch anything immediately or they cannot apply antivirus, because in an emergency situation, they would be constrained from doing that. They wouldn’t know what they would affect or break as part of those patching solutions. In a normal attack situation, their first response is to patch and block the network, but they are not able to do that in an emergency situation, so the responders are forced to think differently than they are used to.

Ito says that “We are drilling this as an exercise. Although there is a little competition amongst the teams, the goal is to have them do their best. They also must be able to talk to each other, develop relationships in a collaborative environment.”

During the event, points are earned for various achievements and milestones for each team. After the storm, the California Air National Guard team provided the silver lining and scored the most points defending Hawaii against cyber aggressors.

– 2015 June Pūpūkahi pp. 3

JAG trains with Vigilant Guard 2015

69th Public Affairs Detachment
Story by Sgt. Brianne Roudebush
Friday, June 6, 2015

OAHU, Hawaii – “JAG,” the TV series that ran for 10 years, between 1995 and 2005, served as many people’s first and only look into the roles and responsibilities of the Judge Adjutant General. During disaster response training however, the JAG’s role is less criminal investigation and more legal consultation.

Six JAG members with the 49th Military Police Brigade (Homeland Response Force) participated in the Vigilant Guard/Makani Pahili 2015 exercise in Hawaii May 31 through June 8.

Their role during the exercise was to lend their experience to the Hawaiian counterparts.

“We bring a good amount of operational law knowledge due to our experience with emergencies in California as well as working with the HRF,” Maj. Christopher Weaver, the command judge advocate, said.

The team was responsible for researching legal authorities for the deployment of the HRF outside California, preparing documents and legal memos, and ensuring that all units understand the rules for the use of force in Hawaii.

Their main effort was focused on providing legal guidance and support to the commander.

“If JAG was not present at these types of trainings, we may not to be able to see legal ramifications that might be present that we need to consider during operations,” Sgt. 1st Class Bernie Lagasca, the chief paralegal with Headquarters Headquarters Company, 49th MP Brigade, said.

Operations during VG/MP 15 ran 24 hours a day, and at least one member of the legal team was always present in the tactical operations center.

“We need to be able to cover all the shifts so that we can support all aspects of the operations,” Lagasca said.

The six-man team consisted of a command judge advocate, attorneys and paralegal specialists.

“The homeland response force JAG is probably the most experienced team in the state of California,” Weavers said. “We get this experience from doing multiple exercises and because the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IX is located in California.”

Vigilant Guard/Makani Pahili 2015 is a large-scale, multi-agency exercise designed to improve collaborative efforts in the response to domestic emergencies. National Guard units from multiple states joined forces with local, state and federal agencies to respond to a hurricane that wreaked havoc on the Hawaiian Islands. The training provides an opportunity for less experienced members to learn how all the components work together.

“It is important for junior enlisted Soldiers to participate in this type of exercise because they are being exposed to the mission in its entirety instead of being locked down in an office,” Spc. Sean Chaffin, a paralegal specialist with the 49th MP Brigade, said.

Chaffin said his role was to provide research and analysis of regulations and policies and to gather information for the attorneys.

“I like that I get to get out and see the role of the JAG for the bigger picture of the HRF,” he said.

– 2015 June Pūpūkahi pp. 3

Kalealoa Rubble Pile Exercise

117th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (Hawaii)
Story by Pfc. Paul Berzinas
Thursday, June 6, 2015

HONOLULU – National Guard service members from several states participated in a rubble pile search and rescue exercise at the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team headquarters in Kalealoa, Hawaii, June 4 as a part of the Vigilant Guard/Makani Pahili 2015 exercise.

The purpose of the exercise was for the National Guard, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and active duty military components to rehearse responding to a number of disaster scenarios involving chemical spills and collapsed structures.

In the event of a natural disaster in Hawaii, there is a high likelihood that other states would be called in to provide assistance, said Col. Peter B. Cross, the commander of the 49th Military Police Brigade from Fairfield, Calif. and commander of the FEMA Region IX Homeland Response Force.

The California HRF brought about 150 soldiers to Hawaii to participate in the exercise, and Cross’s mission was to command almost 900 Soldiers and Airmen for the duration of VG/MP15. The soldiers were divided up into four Civil Support Teams and eight chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear emergency response force packages, said Cross.

Soldiers and Airmen responding to the simulated disaster were faced with over 50 role players exhibiting various injuries strewn about the rubble pile, as well as a simulated chemical spill, said Capt. Manuel J. Arino, commander of the 330th Military Police Company, a unit in the California HRF.

The National Guard soldiers were presented with various situations intended to accurately represent an actual disaster, said Arino.

“We’ve been doing rehearsals for the last three days, so we’ve run through three or four different scenarios,” said Arino. “We’ve had a contaminated suit, we’ve had a soldier pass out from heat exhaustion, and we also had another scenario with a different chemical.”

– 2015 June Pūpūkahi pp. 4

Increasing cooperation for disaster response

69th Public Affairs Detachment
Story by Sgt. Brianne Roudebush
Monday, June 6, 2015

OAHU, Hawaii – More than 150 California Army and Air National Guard members from across the state participated in Vigilant Guard/Makani Pahili 2015 on the Hawaiian Islands May 31-June 8.

VG/MP15 is a large-scale, multi-agency training exercise designed to improve collaborative efforts in response to domestic emergencies. The scenario, a hurricane that wreaked havoc on four of the Hawaiian Islands, required National Guard units from multiple states to team up with local, state and federal agencies in order to protect life, property and critical infrastructure and to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the wake of the hurricane.

“The reason it’s important [to conduct this type of training] is that if there is a state emergency of this magnitude, we can almost certainly bet that we will request help from other states,” Col. Peter Cross, the commander of the 49th Military Police Brigade (Homeland Response Force), said. “It fosters and builds relationships and simulates what will really happen if there is a disaster.”

The 9th Civil Support Team out of Los Alamitos, California assessed the threats and resources needed at the different training sites, the 330th MP Company Casualty Assistance and Support Element out of Ontario, California provided security for the contaminated areas, and the 49th MP Brigade (HRF) out of Fairfield, California provided the mission control element over the CSTs, CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Packages, and the CASE.

In the HRF’s tactical operations center, Soldiers and Airmen manning phones and computer monitors ensured operational success. They tracked the scope of the disaster as well as each unit’s location, mission requirements, supplies and any issues encountered.

“Especially in this high-tempo environment, whether it’s training or real-world, tracking information from higher and lower echelons is very important,” said Spc. Corinne Coleman, a human resource specialist with the 185th MP Battalion, Headquarters Headquarters Detachment. “We need to track everything and close loops so we aren’t degrading the mission or letting our Soldiers down in the process.”

During this exercise, junior enlisted and junior officers were given the opportunity to run the show; they were in charge of running the day-to-day operations within the TOC.

Coleman, who has participated in a HRF exercise before on the search and extraction team, said working in the operations center has been an eye-opening experience. She was able to see how each echelon worked together and gain a clearer understanding of why each team operates the way it does.

“This is a no-fault learning environment,” Coleman said. “I was prepared to learn whatever I was tasked to do. Now when mistakes do happen, we know how to correct ourselves, not overreact, and quickly adjust fire.”

Major Isaac Bristow, the senior logistics officer for the brigade, agreed that the exercise was an ideal opportunity to provide training to junior personnel.

“Junior enlisted personnel need to be able to fill in the gaps in the absence of senior leadership,” he said. “To do that, they have to have a good foundation of what a senior does in order to step in to that role.”

Junior personnel need to be able to competently and successfully run the daily operations to allow senior leaders to engage in the planning process.

Cross said it helps keep the integrity of the mission when the junior enlisted and junior officers handle the day-to-day operations, allowing the senior staff to plan and focus on future operations.

“This exercise, more than any other exercise, showcased our ability to do that,” Cross said. “Our junior enlisted and junior officers really were the all stars for this particular mission.”

Members of the 149th Combat Communications Squadron, an Air National Guard unit out of North Highlands, California, and the 42nd MP Brigade, and active-duty unit out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, were also invited to participate in the training. They augmented the 49th MP Brigade in the tactical operations center.

The 149th Combat Communications Squadron operated the Joint Incident Site Communications Capability, which provided satellite communications during operations.

“This simulates a real-world scenario in the event that cell towers go down,” 1st Lt. Steve Januario, the communications officer in charge with 149th, said. “The unit will still need the capability to communicate with the different islands, teams and the joint task force.”

This was the first time the 149th supported the HRF.

“It was been a good experience working with the Army to learn how they operate,” he said. “It has been very beneficial for us to build these relationships in the event that a disaster does occur.”

Two members of the 42nd MP Brigade, Capt. Christina Tamayo and Sgt. 1st Class Adam Gossens acted as the chief and deputy of assessment and protection. The active-duty unit does not usually participate in HRF missions. They said they conduct similar training, but it is not usually disaster-based. They were able to learn a lot about the HRF mission and the different terminology used.

In a real-world incident, the 42nd would be the HRF’s active-duty counterpart. They were able to share their knowledge and capabilities with each other.

“Our intent was for all of us to work together to help increase our cooperation between the components and establish a shared understanding,” Capt. Amber Luchtefeld, the brigade adjutant for the personnel section.

The ability for different Army and Air National Guard units as well as active-duty and civilian personnel to work together was a critical component of the VG/MP15 exercise.

“They are dealing with a real-world situation right now in Texas,” Sgt. Maj Cari Beetham, the brigade’s operations sergeant major, said. “They need us to be able to handle these disasters. There is a real need for us to be able to support or civil authorities and our citizens.

Cross echoed theses sentiments and thanked Brig. Gen. Bruce Oliviera and the Hawaii National Guard for including California in the exercise.

“We would not be able to manage an emergency without or state partners,” Cross said. “By Hawaii inviting us, they are highlighting and emphasizing the importance of state partnerships and we look forward to working with them in the future.”

– 2015 June Pūpūkahi pp. 4

199th Weather Flight reports real-time battlefield weather conditions for Exercise Vigilant Guard/Makani Pahili 2015

154th Wing Public Affairs
Story by Airman 1st Class Robert Cabuco
Wednesday, June 6, 2015

HONOLULU – Among the many agencies that represent the brick and mortar that supports command elements during the Exercise Vigilant Guard/Makani Pahili 2015 in Hawaii, the 199th Weather Flight represents a keystone that provides critical weather forecasts to decision makers.

The Hawaii Air National Guard 199th Weather Flight’s primary mission is to provide weather forecasts for the Hawaii Army National Guard’s 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Represented by Hawaii Air National Guard, Maj. Dana Uehara, the weather flight “predicts weather conditions at a point in time that will determine when command will launch recovery and relief efforts. They will plan the mission based on the information the weather flight provides.”

Uehara is a staff weather officer for the weather flight as a traditional guardsman and also serves as a civilian satellite analyst for the 17th Operations Weather Squadron on the active duty side. Before the Guard, Uehara had served 10 years of active duty as a weather analyst in Travis Air Force Base, Korea, U.S. Army, Pacific (USARPAC) and finally the Air Force Weather Agency in Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

The observations generated by Uehara are derived from Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) reports released by the National Weather Service and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Uehara decodes the TAF data and extracts wind speed and direction, temperature, and weather elements such as showers, thunderstorms and lightning. These factors are used to determine when to begin relief efforts, send out surveillance teams to assess damage, and release air reconnaissance and recovery teams.

Aviators specifically request visibility conditions, cloud heights and ceilings to assist in determining flight plans. Uehara reports the storm’s current position and path, determines impacted areas, and the strength of tropical storm force winds.

Last year, Uehara was activated for the state active duty in response to the real-world threat of Hurricane Anna. He set up shop at the Joint Operations Center (JOC) and put to use what he is now practicing in the Exercise Vigilant Guard/Makani Pahili 2015.

There are many challenges when interpreting the various models produced by the data. “Each forecast begins with an analysis of the hurricane’s current location and intensity. If the models give different results, the forecaster has to decide which one to use for the official forecast or compute a median result,” says Uehara.

The JTF 5-0 gathers information from many agencies to make decisions during catastrophic events. The 199th Weather Flight provides critical input that will guide leadership’s decisions and keep everyone safe through the storm.

– 2015 June Pūpūkahi pp. 5

HI-EMA kicked off the annual Makani Pahili Exercise, which ran from June 3 through 7, 2019. Makani Pahili is the State of Hawai‘i’s annual hurricane preparedness exercise conducted by all four counties, as well as other federal, private, and nongovernmental stakeholders. The exercises are crucial to preparing for responses during a catastrophic event.

– 2019 Annual Report pp. 27