The Army in Hawaii said it ended up spending less than the $8 million it estimated it would cost to send pilots and helicopters to Colorado for high-altitude practice ahead of a deployment to Afghanistan.

Military officials couldn’t provide the actual cost Monday, but said they worked "very hard" with the local community and state to conduct some high-altitude training on the slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.

Col. Frank Tate, commander of the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade at Wheeler Army Airfield, said that 62 pilots were able to get the required training in Hawaii, and another 215 had to be sent to Colorado.

The Army completed three environmental assessments — two federal and one combined state and federal study — in trying to meet requirements for high-altitude training in Hawaii.

The Army anticipated that a single federal environmental assessment would be needed, but did a second after it admitted the first attempt was flawed, then did a state environmental assessment after the state said one was required, leading to the trio of reports and training delays.

Those delays forced the transfer of the bulk of the training to Colorado.

Hawaiian cultural practitioners raised concerns that the sanctity of Hawaii island peaks was being violated by the training, and the Hawaii islandSierra Club chapter requested greater study of the effects.

Future rounds of such training would require even more comprehensive state and federal environmental impact statements — which differ from environmental assessments — the state Land Board said in granting a right-of-entry permit for the high-altitude training that took place last month.

Col. Douglas Mulbury, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii, said Monday the Army would conduct the studies if there is a need for high-altitude training in the future.

"I think the key to that is working in close cooperation, continuing with the state and then of course the Hawaii (National) Guard as we determine the way ahead," Mulbury said at a news conference. "We have just started that process now, but we do believe it will require some additional analysis."

Mulbury and Hawaii Army National Guard officials talked about the importance of the high-altitude training in a hangar at Wheeler with a new CH-47 "F" model Chinook, which active-duty Army and Guard units here are receiving.

National Guard units also need the high-altitude training for Afghanistan deployments.

In January, 2,600 Hawaii-based soldiers will ship out to southern Afghanistan.

Hawaii News Now video: Army uses state’s tallest mountains for Afghanistan training