National Guard to Assist at Five Hawai‘i Airports

Kahului Airport on Friday, March 27, 2020.

Hawaiʻi National Guard Soldiers and Airmen will be supporting the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation with the medical screening of incoming and departing passengers as well as airline crew at five Hawaiʻi airports.

Support at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and Hilo International Airport starts on Monday, April 6, 2020. Support for Kahului Airport on Maui, Līhue Airport on Kauaʻi and the Ellison Onizuka International Airport at Keahole will start soon.

The Guardsmen will be located at the passenger arrival gates and TSA security checkpoints to assist HDOT staff with medical screening that has been put in place during the COVID-19 crisis. Arriving passengers from domestic and international destinations, as well as departing interisland passengers will have their temperature taken to determine if an additional medical screening is necessary. The Guardsmen will not be armed while conducting this support mission.

On Friday, April 3, the State’s Incident Commander for the COVID-19 response, and Adjutant General of the Hawaiʻi National Guard, Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara, partially activated the Hawaiʻi National Guard Joint Task Force and four units of the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard and then named Brig. Gen. Moses Kaoiwi Jr. as its Commander. By Monday, 342 Guardsmen will be activated to assist the county and state with civil support missions.

At the time, Gen. Hara said there would be an estimated 54 to 57 members to assist with the initial roll-out in each county, primarily for assistance with the distribution of medical supplies and support.