Operation Trek808: PACAF and HING speed critical aid to Hawaii Island recovery

Military aircrews rushed critical utility equipment to Hawaii Island last week to speed power restoration after Tropical Cyclone Lala, flying six commercial power and utility repair trucks and a support trailer from California to Hilo aboard C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, according to the Air Force. The two-mission airlift, conducted Aug. 23–25 under Operation TREK808, delivered a total payload of 143,790 pounds and bypassed slower maritime transport routes.

State officials said the rapid-response effort grew from an initial text message a local electric company sent to Gov. Josh Green into a multi-agency defense support of civil authorities mission. “Operation TREK808 demonstrates what we can accomplish when federal, state and private-sector partners respond with urgency and purpose,” Green said. “Following my request for federal assistance, the Department of War, [Navy] Admiral Samuel Paparo and U.S. Pacific Command, Pacific Air Forces, the Hawaii National Guard, Southern California Edison and Hawaiian Electric moved quickly to bring utility crews, trucks and critical equipment to Hawaii Island. This coordinated mission will accelerate repairs, restore power sooner … and I am deeply grateful to everyone who answered the call.”

Total Force Airmen from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and March Air Reserve Base mobilized on short notice. The 452nd Air Mobility Wing established March ARB as a continental staging hub, where personnel processed emergency cargo with Team Hickam for the Pacific transit. Hickam’s 647th Logistics Readiness Squadron cleared a key hurdle by arranging approvals for the civilian vehicles to fly. Given a no-notice tasking on Aug. 23, Tech. Sgt. Sable Miller was airborne to California within 90 minutes and worked overnight to complete hazardous material certifications, preventing aircraft delays, officials said.

Active-duty and Hawaii Air National Guard aircrews and loadmasters from the 535th and 204th Airlift Squadrons coordinated directly with civilian utility specialists to plan weight and balance and secure the heavy electrical equipment for flight. The final trucks were safely offloaded in Hilo on Aug. 25.

“This mission demonstrates Team Hickam’s ability to respond and deliver aid during dynamic and demanding times,” said Col. Kyle Clinton, 15th Wing commander. “We rise together to support our neighbors in their time of need, alongside our Guard and state partners. That’s what being part of this community is all about.”

The Hawaii National Guard said the flights coincided with ongoing ground operations, with 222 personnel deployed across the islands. On Hawaii Island, Guard members have been assisting with wide-area search operations, debris clearance and community wellness checks following the storm.

“Military crews worked tirelessly to incorporate civilian equipment specifications into transportability by the nation’s premier Globemaster,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, Hawaii adjutant general. “The Total Force integration relationship between Pacific Air Forces and the Hawaii Air National Guard accelerated execution, an absolute necessity given the state’s archipelagic construct and geographic separation from the continental United States.”