U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, on a Hawaii visit this week, was saying the right things at a town hall meeting at Schofield Barracks. Wormuth said the Army would press for defueling at Red Hill “as quickly as possible,” its two officers on a joint task force leaning into that role.

But she also leaned into the argument that the Army’s Pohakuloa Training Area is key to national security. The stated aim of being a “good partner” with the community seemingly assumes a future for PTA as well.