By Moses Kaoiwi Jr.
In September 1983, after returning from Basic Training and joining the 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry of the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard, I attended my first training weekend at Pōhakuloa Training Area.
I knew little about Pōhakuloa beyond its reputation as an Army training ground. Packing my gear in the unit locker room, my squad leader advised me to bring a sleeping bag. I opted for my poncho liner instead – a decision I regretted when the cold, piercing air at midnight made for the coldest night of my 17 years.
That unforgettable night taught me the importance of listening to experienced leaders and marked the beginning of many enduring lessons at Pōhakuloa about resilience, perseverance, and the value of training.
Over the years, I came to appreciate Pōhakuloa’s rugged, remote location. Its volcanic high-elevation terrain and subalpine tropical dryland climate created unique challenges for training and leadership. Here, Hawaiʻi Guardsman learned to be adaptable, resilient, and to work as a team.
The environment demanded readiness for anything, from abrupt weather changes to strenuous tactical drills, which tested and revealed our individual fortitude and perseverance.
Pōhakuloa taught me invaluable decision-making skills under pressure and in rugged terrain. These lessons guided my actions in real world missions: such as when I secured Hanalei after Hurricane ʻIniki; planned recovery for the 2000 Big Island floods; deployed to Iraq and Kuwait; led operations after Hurricane Iselle; managed crises during the 2018 Wainiha floods on Kauaʻi and the Leilani Estates lava flow on the Big Island; and commanded the Hawaiʻi National Guard Joint Task Force during COVID-19.
As the future of Pōhakuloa is being carefully considered, I hold both gratitude and kuleana – responsibility grounded in relationship. I recognize the deep concerns surrounding its stewardship and the enduring connection many lineal descendants have to this land as wahi pana.
At the same time, I know, personally, how Pōhakuloa shaped my growth, my leadership, and my commitment to serving Hawaiʻi. For me, Pōhakuloa is more than just a training area; it is a place that made me who I am today.
My hope is that a path forward can be found – one that restores, protects, and honors this ʻāina, while thoughtfully allowing future generations of Hawaiʻi Guardsmen to learn the same hard lessons of resilience and perseverance that Pōhakuloa taught me.
Whatever decisions emerge, may they be guided by aloha ʻāina and wisdom for those yet to come.
PŌHAKULOA
Moses Kaoiwi Jr.
| I nā lā ʻae ʻo ia, he koa kaniwāwae au, ua huakaʻi au i Pōhakuloa. Noʻao nā lā, ʻuhē nā pō. |
In youthful days, I was an infantry warrior, and I journeyed to Pōhakuloa. The days were scorching hot, the nights wet and cold. |
| Hele mālie au ma luna o nā kula ʻaʻā a pāhoehoe. Mai puʻu Keʻekeʻē mai, hele au i puʻu Omāʻokoʻili. Ke hele au, aia ʻo Puʻu Ahi ma koʻu ʻaoʻao ʻākau— koʻu kukui ia. ʻIke au i nā pūʻā hipa hihiu, holo lākou ma luna o ka ʻaʻā a pāhoehoe. |
I walk quietly across the ʻaʻā and pāhoehoe fields. From puʻu Keʻekeʻē, I walk to puʻu Omāʻokoʻili. As I walk, Puʻu Ahi stood at my right— my guiding light. I saw the flocks of wild sheep, running across the ʻaʻā and pāhoehoe. |
| Lohe au i ka mele polinahe o nā pālila ke hoʻolāʻau lākou i nā māmane. |
I heard the soft, gentle song of the palila as they fed among the māmane trees. |
| Hiamoe au i ka ʻūmalu o Puʻu Omāʻokoʻili, ma lalo iho o nā hōkū. ʻIke au i ka lewa, ʻike ka lewa iaʻu. Palekana au ma ʻo Omāʻokoʻili. |
I slept in the shelter of Puʻu Omāʻokoʻili, beneath the stars. I saw the heavens, and the heavens saw me. I am safe with Omāʻokoʻili. |
| Mākaʻikaʻi mālie mai nā puaʻa iaʻu i ka pō, ke huli nei lākou i ka mea ʻai māmā. |
Quietly, the pigs came to visit me at night, searching for food. |
| ʻAʻole au i lohe. Ke moeʻuhane nei au. I ke ala ʻana aʻe, huʻihuʻi ka makani aheahe iaʻu. |
I do not hear them. I am dreaming. When I awake, the gentle breeze chills me. |
| ʻIke au i nā kapuaʻi puaʻa i ka ehu kakahiaka. E Pōhakuloa— nau i hoʻoikaika iaʻu, nau i kūkulu koʻu ikaika. E Pōhakuloa, nau nō i hana iaʻu he koa. |
In the morning dust, I saw the footprints of the pigs. O Pōhakuloa— you strengthened me, you built my resilience. O Pōhakuloa, it was you who made me a warrior. |
