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US Army Pacific Command (USARPAC)

United States Army Pacific Command (USARPAC). The U. S. Army, Pacific serves as the Army Component Command to the Commander in Chief U. S. Pacific Command (USCINCPAC), less the geographic area of Korea. USARPAC commands active U. S. Army and U. S. Army Reserve forces in Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, and in possessions and trust territories administered by the United States in US Pacific command.

In October 2000, USARPAC became a Multi-Component Unit (MCU) and Army Service Component Command (ASCC) as part of the US Army transformation to meet the emerging security needs of the United States in which USARPAC continues to be a key strategic player. The whole idea of the multi-component unit is to give active army units additional resources to accomplish the mission. The multi-component integration is important in the overall picture of the Army's success going into the 21st century. With the Reserve and National Guard assuming a more active role in total Army operations and the "One Team, One Fight, One Future" concept, multi-component integration provides for a better understanding of each component's role in achieving victory.

USARPAC trains Army Forces for support of military operations and peacetime engagements in order to contribute to decisive victory and promote regional stability. USARPAC solicits, awards, and administers contracts in support of mission-related requirements, including administrative supplies and services, waste disposal, food services, minor construction, facilities, maintenance and repair, grounds maintenance, ADP equipment and services, and laundry services.

Following World War II, numerous Army headquarters in the central Pacific were consolidated with the goal of forming a single Army command based in Hawaii. In 1957, the U.S. Army, Pacific (USARPAC) was established at Fort Shafter, following inactivation of the Far East Command. As Army component of the unified command led by the U.S. Commander in Chief Pacific, USARPAC was assigned a threefold mission: Provide necessary ground Army combat forces; Support those forces administratively and logistically; and Provide reserves and contingency plans to meet any ground threat to United States interests in the Pacific.

On March 23, 1979, The Department of the Army announced the establishment of the U.S. Army Western Command (WESTCOM). Then, a decade later, U.S. Army forces in the Pacific were further consolidated. Army units in Alaska and in Japan were placed under the command of the Fort Shafter headquarters, which was once again designated U.S. Army, Pacific. The new command was formally reestablished on August 30, 1990.

In the years since the end of the Vietnam War, Army forces in the Pacific have participated in major peacekeeping operations in the Sinai Desert, and have provided humanitarian and disaster relief missions in Bangladesh, the Philippines, Guam, and the island of Kauai.

Although fully trained for warfare, USARPAC soldiers are also skilled in conducting operations other than war. Whether it is assuring order among refugees at Guantanamo, providing flood relief in the deltas of South Asia, or maintaining a cease fire in the Middle East, USARPAC personnel operate far and wide in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. In late 1994, fully one half of the 25th Infantry Division deployed to Haiti as the United States and other governments worked to restore democracy to that unfortunate nation. Two years later, USARPAC peacekeepers went to Bosnia to help restore hope to that warshattered land.

Joint Rear Area Coordination (JRAC)

The United States Army Pacific (USARPAC), in partnership with local, state and federal authorities, have developed a plan of preparedness for the state of Hawaii. The Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Command, has identified the USARPAC as the executive agent for joint rear area coordination (JRAC). This task is normally accomplished in a wartime theater of operation, but in this case, it is being accomplished for the state of Hawaii. Teaming with local and state civil organizations and federal agencies, JRAC-Hawaii (HI) has accomplished a significant amount in the short time since Sept. 11.

JRAC-HI is protecting its military installations by reducing and restricting entry points using roving patrols. Guard duties have completely changed. Guards must now understand the changing dynamics of a more dangerous world, and must learn to expect the unexpected. Military installations worldwide are now on the front lines and are the subject of surveillance and probes more than ever before. Guards must be more alert to activities both on and off the installations, and they must constantly vary security procedure patterns to eliminate predictability. They must also be linked to local law enforcement and must be the beneficiaries - and target audience - of a regular joint and interagency intelligence summary. Because of these changing conditions, JRAC-HI reinstituted more formalized guard mounts and instructions - tailored to the current operational environment.

JRAC-HI has identified mission essential or vulnerable areas (MEVAs) both on and off the installations. MEVAs are facilities and capabilities essential to accomplishing the military mission. These MEVAs have been thoroughly assessed and security needs addressed. Tailored after general defense plan (GDP) battle books from the Cold War in Europe, MEVA folders detail every aspect relevant to the defense of these critical sites. Local civil authorities have done the same with over 150 of their own MEVAs and both the civil and military authorities regularly conduct site surveys.

JRAC-HI has fine-tuned procedures for providing military support to civil authorities (MSCA) in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. As the executive agent for MSCA in Hawaii, American Samoa, and neighboring islands, JRAC-HI provides a defense-coordinating officer to coordinate military support of civilian consequence management operations. Even before Sept. 11, JRAC-HI maintained a close relationship with local and state government leaders, who can leverage many standing MSCA concepts and plans as the JRAC operation comes together. JRAC-HI's participation in steering committees and plenary groups, such as the Hawaii Emergency Preparedness Executive Committee, the Hawaii Energy Council and the Joint Armed Services/State of Hawaii Civil Defense Coordinating Committee, is instrumental in sharing information and developing joint and civil-military solutions to emerging challenges.

JRAC-HI has established quick reaction forces (QRFs) drawn from both U.S. Marine Corps and Army units. These QRFs are capable of moving on short notice by air or road to any place in the state to provide additional security or to assist in any other way. While awaiting adjudication at the national level on the procedures for employing those forces in domestic situations, JRAC-HI is regularly conducting joint training with civil authorities.

JRAC-HI has worked to identify seams in its collective efforts to secure Hawaii's soil and people. This coordination is taking place with all the military services in Hawaii, state and local civil defense (CD), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), National Guard (NG), Honolulu Police Department (HPD), fire departments, and a host of other local and federal government agencies such as the state health and transportation departments. Also included in this effort are the FBI, Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), U.S. Customs Service (USCS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as well as selected private firms and enterprises involved in supporting Hawaii's critical infrastructure. The Joint Interagency Planning Group, established by USARPAC within days of the attacks, has been the principal driver behind this effort.