SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Appendix D ⎯ Responses to Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact StatementInstallationTotal Area(acres)Maneuver Land(acres)Schofield Barracks 15,034 8,106Wheeler Army Airfield 1,370 0Kawailoa Training Area 23,348 23,348Dillingham Military664 449ReservationMakua Military Reservation 4,195 0Kahuku Training Area 9,480 9,455Pohakuloa Training Area 132,867 82,510Total 186,958 123,868Since the 2004 Transformation FEIS, the Army acquired additional land atPTA and South Range. The acquisition of these lands, the initial planning ofwhich had begun prior to the transformation of the 2/25 th , results in the differencesin maneuver land acreages under Army ownership between the 2004FEIS and this EIS.The formula used to calculate the maneuver land shortfalls is based on a debtto equity ratio of the maneuver land shortfall at a given location divided by thetotal maneuver land that an alternative stationing location has on hand tosupport the requirements of the 2/25 th SBCT and any other BCT stationedthere. Any installation with a maneuver training land deficit that is twice asgreat as the maneuver land it has on hand is to support BCT training requirements(i.e. less than ⅓ the total training land needed to support doctrinal requirements)was not carried forward as a viable stationing alternative for theSBCT and its larger training space requirements.51. The Army needs to identify clearly how many IBCTs are in Hawaii. OHA believes that thereare currently two IBCTs in Hawaii. Also, what are the cumulative effects of adding anotherIBCT?Response: There is one IBCT stationed in Hawaii, the 3/25 th . The 2/25 th SBCT deployed toSouthwest Asia in November 2007 and the decision on its final stationing locationis still pending, though Hawaii has been selected as the Army’s PreferredAlternative for its stationing. The effects of adding another IBCT are discussedin Sections 5.3.17, 5.4.16, 5.5 of this FEIS. Cumulative effects are discussed inSection 5.6. The construction projects and training required to support an additionalIBCT in Hawaii if Alternative B or C is selected are discussed in Sections2.6 and 2.7, respectively.52. The Army refuses to consider transforming the 2 nd Brigade at an overseas host nation. Why isthe SBCT stationed at Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany allowed to be based on foreignsoil? Are there any IBCTs outside the U.S. that can be exchanged with the 2/25 th SBCT?Response: As discussed in Section 2.9 of the EIS, national security and defense policydocuments such as the NSS, NDS, QDR, and other documents set forth defensepolicy that the U.S. should rely on the rapid projection and deployment ofunits from within the U.S. This ensures the U.S. can fully control the availabil-February 2008 D–20 2/25th SBCT Final EIS