Air Defense Mission Breaks Ground on New Facility
Posted on Mar 14, 2019 in Ceremonies (Change of Commands, Retirements, Promotions, etc.)
Team Hickam ushered in a new era of air defense during a ground-breaking ceremony for the new F-22 Aerospace Control Alert [ACA] Facility on February 14, 2019 at Joint Base Pearl-Harbor Hickam, Hawaii.
Representatives from Pacific Air Forces, 154th Wing and 15th Wing, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers gathered for a traditional Hawaiian blessing performed by Kahu Kelekona Bishaw. Included were seven ground-breaking o’o sticks used in traditional Hawaiian ceremonies.
“The milo wood bowl and the o’o sticks keeps us connected to the aina (land),” said Bishaw, “In old Hawaii, the o’o stick was the multi-purpose tool for farmers. It was used to dig, harvest and to protect.”
The current building was built in 1958 and it will be torn down once the new facility comes online. The new facility will continue to support the ACA mission which is carried out by pilots, maintainers, and weapons crews. They are on call 24/7, ready to respond at a moments notice against air threats to the Hawaiian Islands.
“The new alert shack has been a long time coming,” said Brig. Gen. Gregory S. Woodrow, Commander, 154th Wing. “The old alert shack hasn’t been updated much from 1958. We owe it to our service members to build something worthy for the mission Team Hickam is going to perform.”
Team Hickam consists of Hawaii Air National Guardsmen and active-duty service-members. This unit is one of several ACA sites around the country, which provides a national network of combat aircraft capable of activating at any time under any weather condition in response to airborne threats to national airspace.
Hopefully, retired pilots and maintainers who worked in the old alert facility will be invited to the facility blessing.
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