Military & Defense

Hawaii’s military and defense sector plays a critical role in national security and the state’s economy. This pillar advances policies that strengthen defense readiness, expand local business participation, support innovation, and align workforce development with high-demand defense and federal opportunities.

Our Mission

To strengthen Hawaii’s defense ecosystem by supporting local businesses, advancing innovation and research, and building industry-driven workforce pipelines that enhance defense readiness, economic diversification, and long-term resilience.

The Chamber protects and optimizes Hawaii’s military training lands, strengthens civilian–military engagement, and develops workforce pipelines aligned with defense/federal industries. Initiatives ensure local participation in federal contracts and retention of high-skill defense-related jobs.

Preserving military assets and aligning workforce programs sustain high-wage jobs, retain federal dollars locally, and strengthen defense-related industries. Broader benefits include improved civil–military coordination and national security.

Our Purpose

The Military & Defense Policy Committee supports the goals of the 2030 Blueprint for Hawaii by:

Building partnerships between defense agencies, local businesses, and education institutions to expand workforce pathways and contracting opportunities.
Supporting policies and initiatives that grow local participation in federal defense contracts and strengthen Hawai‘i’s innovation capacity in advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, and logistics.
Promoting dual-use infrastructure, energy, and supply chain resilience projects that benefit both military and civilian communities.
Developing metrics and dashboards to track progress, transparency, and impact — linking federal dollars to local jobs and business growth.

Military & Defense Scorecard

Our Vision

A strong, innovative defense ecosystem where local businesses and talent can succeed, military readiness is supported, and defense investments deliver lasting economic and community benefits for Hawaii.

Policy Committee Focus Areas

CIVILIAN-MILITARY COORDINATION

Strengthens Hawaii’s capacity to coordinate defense readiness, economic development, workforce pipelines, and community interests by supporting the Military Affairs Community Relations Office (MACRO) as the state’s central civilian–military engagement and policy coordination office.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & CAREER PATHWAYS

Advances industry-driven training and education aligned with high-demand defense and federal sectors, ensuring Hawaii has the skilled talent needed for good-paying jobs and long-term competitiveness.

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

Supports policies that lower the cost of innovation, expand research and development capacity, and encourage high-technology firms to conduct and retain R&D activities in Hawaii.

ENERGY & INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE

Advances projects that enhance energy security, transportation, and supply chain resilience for both defense and civilian communities, as well as Encourages the preservation and responsible use of military training lands as critical defense, economic, workforce, and resilience infrastructure benefiting national security and local communities.

MILITARY CONTRIBUTION TO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Recognizes the military’s critical role in Hawaii’s emergency preparedness and community resilience, including lifesaving operations and disaster response, and affirms coordinated partnerships as essential infrastructure supporting public safety, health, and overall community resilience.

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Contact us if you want to know more about or get involved with legislative action, advocacy events or the 2030 Blueprint.