HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Since the 2023 Maui wildfires, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues to play a major role in Lahaina’s recovery.
For 250 years, USACE has played a vital role in keeping things moving across the nation and here in Hawaii.
“The Corps is wide and we are deep across this region,” says Brig. Gen. Joseph “Clete” Goetz, Commander of USACE’s Pacific Ocean Division, “It’s been about serving the American public, serving the Army, flood risk management, military construction, environmental restoration, we’re proud to be a part of all that.”
Gen. Goetz took command of the Pacific Division in June 2024. His teams were already in the thick of it all, working on Maui and dealing with the aftermath of the deadly wildfires of 2023.
“At the outset, it seems a little intimidating because it is a huge operation and you know the stakes at the time that you gotta get it right,” he said.
Fortunately, the general said he had the right people in the right places to meet mission success. They cleared the debris from hundreds of home sites and businesses and built the temporary King Kamehameha the third School in 95 days.
“A lot of our workforce grew up in Hawaii,” Goetz said. “They’re kamaaina, they’ve got friends and relatives over on Maui and in Lahaina, so when the fires hit, it was a deeply personal thing for a lot of our workforce.”
Beyond the hard labor and daunting physical tasks, Goetz says it was important for the corps to remain “pono” (to do what is right) by acknowledging cultural sensitivities in all aspects of their daily tasks.
“One of the things that I am most proud of is the way that we acknowledged and we respected culture from the start,” he said. “We employed cultural advisors to make sure that we were doing things right. We recognized what Lahaina means to native Hawaiians.”
As the second anniversary of the 2023 wildfires nears, USACE’s work on Maui is almost done.
“What we are doing now is taking the fire debris from a temporary disposal site that we built soon after the wildfire to the state’s permanent disposal site, and we hope to have that wrapped up within the next few months,” Goetz said.
Beyond the work on Maui, USACE has the critical responsibility of ensuring things are also flowing smoothly in the waters leading into Honolulu Harbor. The state’s Department of Transportation allows cargo ships to get in and out, carrying imports and exports that support Hawaii’s economy.
“Our future is to keep serving the American people, doing the things that they ask us to do,” Goetz said.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, celebrating its 250th birthday in sixteen time zones across the world, living up to the Army’s motto of “This We’ll Defend.”
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers celebrates 250th birthday in Hawaii with vital support to the islands – Hawaii News Now
