Admiral’s visit showcases Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands team

U.S. Navy Region Hawai‘i Commander Rear Adm. Brad Collins visited Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands on Kaua‘i for the first time Dec. 10-11, 2025, as part of his inaugural tour of Navy installations under his command.

Collins made a point to spend a good amount of his time while on base speaking with sailors of all ranks and asking how U.S. Navy Region Hawai‘i can better support the Barking Sands facility.

His visit also offered the chance for the Pacific Missile Range Facility team to showcase what they do, how they do it and the base itself.

The rear admiral’s touch points with leadership involved:

• Briefings about the base’s unique multi-domain — land, sea, air, space — testing capabilities.
• Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands involvement with local community — career days; science, technology, engineering and mathematics events; and emergency response.
• Infrastructure, such as the Mānā Well, which is the installation’s primary water source.

He spoke with enlisted sailors about their needs and met with the Pacific Missile Range Facility housing team as well as Master-at-Arms Seaman Emily Turner to check firsthand about the quality of living quarters for junior enlisted personnel at the Barking Sands installation.

Collins heard from civilian staff about natural resource preservation efforts and cultural importance of parts of the base, such as Lua Kupapa‘u O Nohili, or Nohili Crypt, which is a sacred, consecrated burial site located on the base and in Mānā.

Pacific Missile Range Facility Cultural Resources Manager and Archaeologist Tara Del Fierro and Deputy Public Works Officer Thomas Nizo explained the history of the crypt and memorial site as well as how the Navy works to preserve cultural resources found on the Barking Sands installation.

“These connections reinforce [Pacific Missile Range Facility’s] commitment to its community, promote mutual understanding and strengthen relationships between the military and local officials and organizations,” said the Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands winter 2025-26 newsletter.

Collins assumed command of U.S. Navy Region Hawai‘i in August 2025. He has a total of about 34 years of service, beginning his Navy career in 1992.

Before taking command of the Hawai‘i Region, Collins most recently served as commander for U.S. Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central, where he led shore operations to support more than 18,000 sailors, Marines, family members and retirees throughout nine regional military installations.