Task force running Operation Keiki Shield receives top Pentagon award

The Department of the Army presented the prestigious 2023 Army Community Partnership Award to the US Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Pacific Field Office, in partnership with the Department of the Attorney General’s Criminal Justice Division – Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Honolulu Police Department and the Susannah Wesley Community Center, in April.

The award recognized the military, local law enforcement and community agencies that have come together through Operation Keiki Shield to combat internet and child sex trafficking crimes within the active-duty military in Hawaiʻi.

“This task force exemplifies the power of collaboration in our shared mission to protect the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Ruben R. Santiago, the special agent in charge of the Army CID Pacific Field Office. “The commitment and efforts put forth by Operation Keiki Shield in setting up operations to arrest those who seek to harm our children are both commendable and essential.”

In the past five years, the Army CID and Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit have participated in six military-led Operation Keiki Shields, leading to the arrest and/or prosecution of over 45 active-duty military personnel within Hawaii who are alleged to have committed internet crimes against children.

“The Community Partnership Award symbolizes our ongoing dedication to preventing these heinous crimes and ensuring the safety of children in Hawaiʻi,” said Santiago. “Together, we stand united in our resolve to create a safer environment for our keiki, demonstrating that through partnership and vigilance, we can and will make a difference.”

The Army Community Partnership Award recognizes Army installations and their community partners for initiatives that improve soldier and family quality of life, support Army priorities and strengthen local community relationships, among other things.

Anyone with information regarding missing children or the exploitation of children is encouraged to contact your local police department or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).