Summary of the Project

What is an SBCT?
An SBCT is an styker brigade combat team that includes three infantry battalions. It is part of the bridge between current Army, or "Legacy Force," and the final transformed Army, or "Objective Force." Transformation into the proposed SBCT would add 810 soldiers and 291 Strykers and 55 other support vehicles. The new weapons to be introduced are the 105mm Howitzer cannon and 120mm mortar. Each vehicle would be equipped with a computer and Internet access.

Who would transform into an SBCT?
The Army is proposing that the 2nd Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) at Schofield Barracks transform into an SBCT, along with other locations on the U.S. mainland.

Where would the SBCT in Hawaii train?
As an SBCT, the 2nd Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) would train at Army lands on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii (Big Island). To support this training, roughly 32 projects involving ranges, roads, and training facilities would be developed, with an estimated construction cost of $693 million.

When would the SBCT in Hawaii become a reality?
The Army has finalized the Environmental Impact Statement and signed the Record of Decision for the transformation of the 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Light) to a Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) in Hawaii. Construction of SBCT projects would not begin before the Army receives a Final Biological Opinion from US Fish and Wildlife Service, and completes cultural consultations in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).The projected equipment fielding date is May 2005, and the initial operating capability is projected for May 2007.

Why an SBCT in Hawaii?
Its location within the Pacific Rim, which is a critical area of interest for the United States. Stationing an SBCT in Hawai‘i allows the President to rapidly respond to events in an area of increasing importance to national security. The goal of the Hawai‘i SBCT would be able to deploy a brigade anywhere within the Pacific Rim within 96 hours or to combine with other SBCT brigades or Objective Forces to place a division anywhere in the Pacific Rim within five days or five divisions within thirty days.

The 2nd Brigade’s composition and mission and the benefits of transforming to an SBCT. The 2nd Brigade is already a light infantry unit, which executes full spectrum military missions in complex terrain. Hawai‘i provides the terrain and conditions most likely to be encountered in the Pacific Rim. The enhancement of this unit to an SBCT would allow this already light unit to be more mobile, lethal, and survivable under a greater variety of conditions.

The ease of deploying the SBCT because of its proximity to multiple airbases of suitable size.