How two distinct military powers merged into one Pacific powerhouse

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 2010, the United States Navy and Air Force combined their legacies on Oahu. Today, Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam stands as a massive, integrated hub of strategic mobility, submarine maintenance, and global communications, serving as a vital cornerstone for operations across the entire Pacific region.

The formation of Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hlam (JBPHH) was not an isolated event, but part of a larger structural shift in American military logistics. Created by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission, the base is one of twelve such joint bases. It represents a formal amalgamation of the United States Navy's Naval Station Pearl Harbor and the United States Air Force's Hickam Air Force Base.

The base functions as a complex ecosystem of support and command. On the Navy side, Pearl Harbor—located 8 miles from Honolulu—serves as a critical hub for surface ships and submarines. Notably, it is the sole intermediate maintenance facility for submarines in the Middle Pacific. The station provides berthing, training, and dry dock services capable of accommodating the largest vessels in the fleet, and currently hosts more than 160 different commands.

The Air Force component, Hickam Air Force Base, is named after aviation pioneer Lt. Col. Horace Meek Hickam. It serves as the headquarters for Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and acts as a primary launch point for strategic air mobility and missions related to the Global War on Terrorism. The facility's influence encompasses advanced diplomatic support; notably, it functioned as a short-term hub for Air Force One while President Barack Obama spent his 2009 Christmas break in Kailua.

Beyond combat and transport, the base manages significant civilian-adjacent infrastructure. Its water system, sourced from Wells groundwater, supports military housing, the Aliamanu Military Reservation, and local schools. The region also hosts the world's largest communication station, the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific, located near Wahiawa.

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