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NCSL Task Force on Military and Veterans Affairs |Honolulu, Hawaii | 2019

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The NCSL Task Force on Military and Veterans Affairs traveled to Hawaii recently for two full days of site visits and issue sessions.

On Thursday, Oct. 10, the task force toured Marine Corps Base Hawaii and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Members received briefings on the military mission and the geopolitical landscape of the Asia-Pacific region. They also walked through a Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) training area designed to replicate the sights, sounds and smells that soldiers might experience when deployed overseas. Members returned to the hotel for an informative meeting with Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki and other Hawaii legislators with military bases in their districts.

On Friday, Oct. 11, the task force held a business meeting, then joined with NCSL’s Energy Supply Task Force for two sessions on renewable energy siting challenges and a case study on Schofield Generating Station. Attendees visited the Pearl Harbor National Memorial in the afternoon.

Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019

TOUR: Marine Corps Base Hawaii and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

  • Transit to Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
  • Marine Corps Base Hawaii Command Brief.
    • Captain Rob Martins, Communication Strategy & Operations, Marine Corps Base Hawaii | Presentation
  • Transit to Marine Corps Training Area Bellows.
  • Tour of Marine Corps Training Area Bellows.
  • Lunch and “After Action Brief”.
  • Transit to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
  • Intelligence briefing from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
  • Transit to Hyatt Regency.

Q&A with Scott Saiki, Speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives

Friday, Oct. 11, 2019

Military and Veterans Affairs Task Force Business Meeting

Presiding: Representative Dean Dohrman and Representative Tina Orwall

  • Tour Takeaways
  • Discussion with Jay Dick on work of Americans for the Arts (10 min.)
  • NCSL Staff Update
    • New report: A Path to Employment for Veterans with Disabilities.
    • Highlights from military sessions at Legislative Summit.
    • 2019 state legislative activity, military and veterans affairs.
    • Member Roundtable.
    • Notable legislation or other programs 2019/2020.

(Military Task Force members join Energy Supply Task Force meeting)

Siting Renewable Energy

The rapid expansion of renewable energy can pose siting challenges for both generation resources and the transmission needed to carry energy to the grid. More states are seeking to ensure that wildlife impacts, property owner concerns, department of defense exercises and operations, and decommissioning are adequately addressed during the siting process. Presenters explored industry, federal and state actions, as well as policy options surrounding this issue.

  • Stan Rasmussen, regional environmental coordinator, U.S. Army | Presentation
  • Wren Wescoatt, principal, 7 Generation Consulting | Presentation
  • Scott Glenn, director, Office of Environmental Quality Control, Hawaii Department of Health | No Presentation

Case Study on Schofield Generating Station

On Oahu, the U.S. Army and Hawaiian Electric Company have partnered at Schofield Generating Station, the only power plant on Oahu located inland designed to make the island’s electric grid more resilient and in the event of an emergency, able to directly feed power to Army facilities. This session explored this collaboration and why.

  • Robert Isler, vice president, Power Supply, Hawaiian Electric | Presentation
  • Keith Yamanaka, energy manager, Directorate of Public Works, U.S. Army Garrison – Hawaii | Presentation

Tour with NCSL Executive Committee and Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee: WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, Pearl Harbor & Arizona Memorial

Meeting Adjourned.

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