De-militarize Hawaii—Anti-RIMPAC War Exercise
MILITARISM, 22 Jun 2026
Jim Albertini | Malu 'Aina - TRANSCEND Media Service
The biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) war games, the largest military naval exercise in the world, is scheduled to take place in the waters around, the air above, and on the ‘aina of Hawaii from 24 Jun to 31 Jul 2026.
The U.S. Pacific Fleet has announced 31 countries will participate, including “a multinational force of approximately 40 surface ships, 5 submarines, 140 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel.”
It’s been reported that RIMPAC 2026 will include the sinking of at least 9 decommissioned military ships in Hawaiian waters by live fire from the air, surface, and submarines.
Other detailed plans of the military training for 2026 have yet to be released, but past training has included beach/reef assaults, etc. on and around several islands including live fire training at Pohakuloa in the center of the Big Island of Hawaii.
See: https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/05/25/cancel-rimpac-2026/
Hawai’i is one of the most militarized places in the world, and Hawai’i has the greatest percentage of the land controlled by the military of any State in the U.S. The largest military base in Hawai’i is in the center of Hawai’i Island – the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA). It is 133,000 acres in size. Millions of live rounds are fired annually at Pohakuloa by a wide range of weapons.
UH Manoa Professor, Kyle Kajihiro posted to US Senator Brian Schatz:
“People are NOT interested in getting more rent for stolen and abused Hawaiian land. The key question is how and when the military will clean up and restore these Hawaiian trust lands before returning it. The State already determined that the proposed military use is incompatible with the conservation-zoning of the land.”
Two F-22 Raptor War jets roared overhead several times doing stunts during the 12 Jun Friday Hilo Peace Vigil. Each F-22 Raptor costs $334 Million and $85,000 per flight hour, while 43% of Households on Hawaii island are food insecure. Shameful!
A Lockheed-Martin F22A Raptor in flight.
(Ronnie Macdonald / Flickr)(CC BY 2.0)
Where is the outrage against RIMPAC military exercise every two years that results in the endangering of marine life and Hawaii’s ecosystem –air, land, and water, historic and cultural sites, people, plants, and animals? Reports in the past said there are so many ships in Pearl Harbor for RIMPAC that the massive electronic pulsing makes it impossible for surrounding residents even to open their garage doors.
What are the effects on marine, human (especially children), and other life from all these electronics, as well as military bombs, shells, and toxins? And be on the lookout for drunken sailors roaming our streets and human trafficking.
- Make aloha, not militarism and training for war, the beacon of Hawaii.
- See No RIMPAC posters here https://malu-aina.org/?p=12323
- Cancel RIMPAC Now & Forever!
Hilo RIMPAC Protest:
Sunday 28 Jun 2026 Pauahi & Bayfront 1-3 PM
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Jim Albertini is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment, a former Catholic School teacher, and long-time social justice activist since the US war on Vietnam. He has done research on the use of depleted uranium at Pohakuloa Military Training Area and is the author of “The Dark Side of Paradise: Hawai’i in a Nuclear World.” Jim is the founder and director of Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action, a spiritual community based on peace, justice and sustainable organic farming on Big Island, Hawai’i – P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai’i 96760. Phone (+ 808) 966-7622 Email: ja@malu-aina.org – website: malu-aina.org
Tags: Anti-militarism, Demilitarization, Ecology, Environment, Hawaii, Pacific Islands, Pacific Ocean, Pentagon, RIMPAC, US Military, Warfare
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 22 Jun 2026.
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