Makua Military training: “wasting lives, land, money, energy and resources”

Joan Conrow wrote on her blog about the Army’s recently released final EIS for live fire training in Makua valley:

Now if only the military would pack up and leave, too, instead of pressing ahead with its controversial, and contested, plans to conduct live fire training exercises among the endangered species and archeological sites of Makua Valley. And as The Advertiser reports, good old Sen. Dan – surprise! – is solidly on board, albeit shaky in his facts:

Inouye, a World War II combat veteran who lost his arm in battle, said the Army is a good neighbor and longtime member of the community.

Rep. Neil Abercrombie sees things a little differently:

“Makua as a training site was acquired in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack in WW II and never intended to be permanent,” Abercrombie said. “Alternatives which match the training needs of a 21st-century Army are available.”

Sort of like how Kahoolawe, similarly acquired in WWII, was never intended to be a permanent bombing target. And some 50 years later, following intense public pressure, the Navy did finally beat it – leaving its devastation and unexploded ordnance behind.

What a waste. But then, that’s what the military is all about: wasting lives, land, money, energy and resources.

Right on!