The inspection found small but detectable traces of petroleum and of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, dubbed PFAS. The report, which had several redactions, also detailed assorted maintenance problems and missing documents. Read more
In September the Chinese military launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that flew 7,400 miles before splashing down in the Pacific south of Hawaii. Read more
Second Lt. Alex Willbanks first came to Hawaii as a rifleman after he enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2008 as a member of the 3rd Marine Regiment. Over the course of his career in the Corps, he did several combat tours in support of the sprawling global war on terrorism. Read more
As Japanese people gradually begin to eye international travel again after the pandemic, Hawaii remains the top dream destination for Japanese travelers, according to research by travel firms and the Japanese government. Read more
Changing modes of travel and shifting tastes are changing the way Japanese tourists experience Hawaii. And it’s changing how they perceive island culture — both while visiting Hawaii and back home in Japan. Read more
Younger Japanese travelers are often looking for something very different from what their parents seek when they travel. Read more
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Named for the late Hawaii senator and World War II Medal of Honor recipient, the ship officially arrived in Hawaii in 2021 for its official commissioning ceremony. Read more
Japanese diplomats and business leaders are also watching closely as the U.S. and China compete for influence across Oceania, where they have interests of their own. Read more
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service announced Monday that is asking the public for help as it tries to solve the 44-year-old killing of two Hawaii-based Marines. Read more
Radford and Makalapa Elementary were built over land that the Navy used during World War II as a waste dump, leaving behind toxins that make excavation hazardous for workers. Read more
The family of Mischa Mabeline Kaalohilani Johnson, the 19-year-old pregnant Army spouse who has been missing since July 31, announced Thursday that investigators now believe she is dead and that the missing-person case is now being treated as a murder investigation. Read more
Last week members of the world’s most elite military units gathered in Honolulu for an inaugural conference on special operations forces — or SOF — in the Pacific region. Read more
Mischa Mabeline Kaalohilani Johnson’s whereabouts are still unknown and the Army Criminal Investigation Division is still searching as the investigation remains open. Read more
Testing by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply earlier this summer indicated that a plume of contaminants often associated with petroleum fuel recently passed through a pair of drinking wells in Aiea near the Navy’s underground Red Hill fuel storage facility. Read more
The Indian navy’s INS Shivalik — the nation’s first Indian-built stealth warship — sailed into Pearl Harbor on June 27 to participate in Exercise Rim of the Pacific. Read more
The massive fire destroyed the Waiola Church, the first Christian church on Maui, whose cemetery held the eternal resting place of several members of the Hawaiian royal family, including the church’s founder, Queen Keopuolani, and Princess Nahienaena. Read more
Gov. Josh Green told reporters that “12,000 people-plus were displaced, or 3,000 properties were destroyed. The estimated cost of the overall recovery will ultimately exceed $12 billion.” Read more
Though the fire that destroyed Lahaina and killed more than 100 people was the most destructive of the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires, the first blazes were reported in Upcountry Maui and burned for weeks afterward. Read more
At the recently completed Exercise Rim of the Pacific in Hawaii, the world’s largest recurring naval exercise, Latin American sailors and marines played a prominent role in the training. Read more
The U.S. Navy’s 3rd Fleet commander Vice Adm. John Wade oversaw the exercise. Read more
Germany’s defense minister was in Honolulu this week to meet with American military leaders, as well as with German sailors and airmen who participated in the biennial Exercise Rim of the Pacific in Hawaii. Read more
