HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

121

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

  
   

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING the united states department of defense to maintain the current structure of the united states pacific command.

 

WHEREAS, The United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) enhances security and promotes peaceful development in the Asia-Pacific Region by deterring aggression, responding to crises, and fighting to win; and

WHEREAS, USPACOM is the oldest and geographically largest unified command, encompassing 43 countries, nearly 60 percent of the world's population, five of seven worldwide U.S. mutual defense treaties, and the source of approximately one-third of U.S. trade; and

WHEREAS, USPACOM includes approximately 300,000 uniformed and civilian personnel or about 20 percent of all active duty U.S. military forces, and nearly 100,000 of these forces are forward deployed; and

WHEREAS, the impact of USPACOM on the Hawaii economy is around 15 percent of the state gross product, being the fourth largest employer and representing over $2,000,000,000 in payroll; and

WHEREAS, recently announced Pentagon plans aim to switch command over certain U.S. military units on the West Coast of the continental U.S. from USPACOM to Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia; and

WHEREAS, such a change could be seen as a signal to adversaries in the region that the U.S. is losing interest in the region and thereby increases the risk of terrorism; and

WHEREAS, military leaders of USPACOM believe that some reorganization of U.S. forces is reasonable, but the forces selected for transfer under the proposal should remain part of the USPACOM and maintain operations in the Pacific region; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2002, the Senate concurring, that the United States Department of Defense is requested to maintain the current command structure of the United States Pacific Command; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this concurrent resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the United States Secretary of Defense, the members of the Hawaii congressional delegation, the Governor of Guam, the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Command.

Report Title:

Pacific Command; request to preserve current structure