May is Military Appreciation Month. Unlike in many communities, in Hawaii the related activities and events held are obvious to the average citizen. Oahu hosts a major presence of all five military services: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. That is unique since most communities with a major military presence would have only one service with a major installation nearby, or at least not all five. Why is this the case?

In 1898, when the Spanish American War broke out and the United States seized control of the Philippines from Spain, Hawaii’s value increased, resulting in its annexation. Hawaii is one of the most strategic locations on Earth laying at the crossroads of the Pacific and helping form the Alaska to Hawaii to Panama defensive perimeter for the United States.

Indeed, between 1898 and the start of World War II, what was known as Fortress Oahu was created, which included dozens of coastal artillery batteries and miles of underground tunnels. The Navy was located here to project offensive power while the Army was here to defend the island (and most importantly to protect Pearl Harbor) from amphibious invasion and other types of attack.

The local community is by and large military- friendly and more so than many mainland communities. However, the relationship can still be compli- cated. The best example of tension between the military and the local community came in 1932 in the form of the “Massie Affair,” where a young Hawaiian man was murdered by military-affiliated individuals who were able to avoid any punishment, thanks to a commuting of their sentence by the appointed governor of the territory.

But the relationship between the military and the local community is also intertwined as locals from Hawaii serve in the military at a proportionally higher rate than those from other communities. Statistics demonstrate this in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and up through today. People born in Hawaii, including many Native Hawaiians, even went to enlist to fight in the American Civil War.

Virtually every family from Hawaii has a member serving in the military or that is a veteran. Hawaii also has a much larger number of veterans living in it than most other states, coming in at 9 percent of the total population; for comparison, California comes in at 5 percent.

Today we are hearing that the military has shrunk to its smallest level since before WWII. However, with the National Security Policy of the United States emphasizing a “Pivot to the Pacific,” Hawaii has scarcely felt this impact. It is no wonder National Security Policy makers came to this conclusion since Hawaii remains one of the most strategic locations on Earth, and every war the U.S. has been engaged in, from WWII to present, has taken place in Asia.

Despite some Army soldiers departing last year, Marines added to Oahu from Okinawa off-set the soldiers who left. And while the Army and other services will continue to look at how many and what kind of service members are best to have on Oahu, the overall presence of the military will no doubt remain very strong for the foreseeable future.

What this also means to the local community is the military and its support mechanisms will remain a major part of the state’s economy. As it has for decades, it remains the second-largest industry in Hawaii’s economy. This is an economic advantage — but it also means to be successful in Hawaii that businesses, private educational institutions and other private institutions should continue to include the military community in their strategic planning and the customer base they serve.

In addition to the sheer numbers of military service members, military family members, veterans, Department of Defense civilians and defense contractors, these demographics also tend to have greater buying power relative to those from other local industries.

There are many reasons to appreciate the military in Hawaii this month.

It can be complicated, but Hawaii and its military community are intertwined and it looks like this relationship can be defined as “long term.”