Task force to provide water and aid to military families

As state and Navy officials were testing for contamination in the Navy’s water supply system, U.S. Army Pacific stood up a new task force to offer medical screenings, drinking water and help finding temporary lodging to families living in the affected areas of Aliamanu Military Reservation and Red Hill housing.

The Navy operates the massive underground Red Hill fuel storage facility suspected of causing the contamination and manages the water supply for its military communities, but Aliamanu and Red Hill housing are under the Army’s jurisdiction.

USARPAC commander Gen. Charles Flynn ordered the creation of Task Force Ohana, headed by Col. Cain Baker, the 25th Infantry Division’s deputy commander for sustainment, to assist families in those two areas.

“We can’t solve this problem, but we couldn’t stand by and not search for those immediate resources that could hopefully help take some of the stress off these families,” said 25th Infantry Division spokeswoman Lt. Col. Jamie Dobson. “As the landlords, we are responsible for these residents, so we are surging support to make an immediate impact and take a little bit of stress off this emergency.”

Over 250 soldiers from 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, are going door-to-door delivering drinking water, and the Army is sending an additional 32,000 gallons of water from the Wahiawa well on Schofield Barracks for distribution to affected military communities, according to an Army news release.

Task Force Ohana has set up a help desk at the Aliamanu Military Reservation community center for residents who have questions and are looking for specialized resources. The Army also dispatched medical personnel from Tripler Army Medical Center to assist and evaluate potential symptoms for residents who are waiting for doctor’s appointments. The help desk is also assisting some families in finding temporary housing.

“Whether it’s a hotel room or another house that’s vacant, we’re trying to find individual solutions to individual needs,” Dobson said.

Maj. Gen. Joseph Ryan, 25th Infantry Division commander, was in Japan this week for a large-scale combat exercise and was scheduled to return to Hawaii today to help oversee the Army’s response to the water crisis. About 170 members of the 25th Infantry Division arrived Monday in Japan to train alongside Japanese troops. Several troops with family members living in the two housing areas also are expected to return.

The Red Hill facility fuels ships and planes for military operations across the Pacific. The Navy has been facing increasing scrutiny over its operations at the aging underground facility, which is built over an aquifer.

On Nov. 20 a mixture of fuel and water began leaking from the facility’s water suppression system, ultimately spilling approximately 14,000 gallons over that same weekend. Several nearby residents called 911 to report fuel odors.

It was the second spill from the facility this year after a previous incident in May.

On Monday, U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Samuel Paparo ordered a probe into the two leaks to determine whether they could be related. This came after emails leaked to local news media showed that Navy officials withheld knowledge of previous leaks while seeking an operating permit from the state and also hid the concerns of senior Navy officers.