Photo By Chelsea Smith | Lt. Col. Joseph Zingaro, 165th Civil Engineer Squadron commander, briefs First Lady of...... read more read more
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WAHIAWA, HI — Department of Defense officials of the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program welcomed distinguished visitors to the site of the Aloha Garden Project at Helemano Plantation in Wahiawa, Hawaii, June 26.
The First Lady of Hawaii Dawn Amano-Ige, Wahiawa Council Chair Ernie Martin, President and CEO of ORI Anuenue Hale, Inc. Susanna F. Cheung, and other top DoD officials toured the site of three duplex-style homes built for clients of ORI Anuenue Hale, Inc., a program that seeks to provide relief and promote the general welfare of the elderly, disadvantaged, and disabled.
The multi-service project led by the U.S. Air National Guard in partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, is part of the DoD’s IRT program, a volunteer training opportunity that provides training and readiness for military personnel while addressing public and civil-society needs.
Aloha Gardens brings sorely-needed affordable housing to seniors who require access to support services in the underserved communities of Central Oahu and North Shore.
“Housing is very important to our people,” said Cheung. “We are in the middle of nowhere and it’s important that we bring people, and families, together. We really appreciate the IRT program and thank all of the military volunteers for coming to help us.”
Capt. Jason Askins, IRT program civil engineer and project manager, said the program provides service members meaningful opportunities to train and cross-train alongside civilian partners, and helps the DoD achieve mission readiness in a joint military environment.
The program also offers value-based solutions to communities with critical infrastructure or service-based needs. Askins reports that 180 personnel contributed approximately 13,000 training hours to date, and will save ORI Anuenue approximately $550,000 in costs over the life cycle of the project.
Moreover, the training service members gain improves military retention and recruiting by moving service members out of the office and into a dynamic working environment, said Askins.
“It is remarkable how the military and community came together to provide services that the community would not be able to receive otherwise,” said Amano-Ige. “We really appreciate what the IRT has done to provide services to individuals and those in need.”
As the project nears completion, the future looks promising for seniors, the disabled and the economically disadvantaged who will have a new place to call home, and volunteers who will indelibly be rooted in the community’s history.
| Date Taken: | 06.27.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 06.28.2018 16:38 |
| Story ID: | 282513 |
| Location: | WAHIAWA, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 156 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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