The Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands on Kauaʻi recently hosted its 2nd annual Workforce Awareness field trip with the Waimea Canyon Middle School.
The trip on March 6 was designed specifically for middle school students who will be selecting their career academy classes soon. The students were introduced to career paths they may not have known exist.
The students experienced a behind the scenes view of careers at the Pacific Military Range Facility and gained firsthand insight into the skills and education needed for these professions.
The military facility employs approximately 900 local residents and roughly 80 active-duty sailors and is Kauaʻi’s largest high-tech employer. PMRF also is the world’s largest instrumented multi-domain range, capable of supporting surface and sub-surface, air and space operations simultaneously.
“Hiring local residents strengthens the relationship between the local community and the installation,” said Executive Officer Cmdr. Eli Marshall. “PMRF gains local talent and provides that local talent career opportunities that help to manage Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living, and the base benefits from a workforce that is committed, experienced and connected to the community we serve.”
The military facility has a wide array of careers for all skill levels and is the ideal setting for students who dream of careers on their home island in a STEM-related field. They include engineers supporting advanced testing projects, logistics specialists and environmental biologists protecting native wildlife.
The military facility also is in need of professionals who care about the island and the community to serve in a variety of other roles, including administrative support, fire fighting, active-duty and food service positions.
During the students’ visit to the Pacific Military Range Facility, they rotated through different stations which aimed to showcase the broad array of jobs available.
One station brought the students to the aircraft hangar where civilian and military pilots, aircrew and maintainers taught the students about the aircrafts on base, the work that goes into making them fly and the public safety benefits of having another operational airfield on the island.
Another stop on the field tours was to Waiapuaʻa Bay where biologists from PMRF’s Natural Resources team held an educational presentation about the work being done to protect endangered species and native wildlife on the base.
A local educator and chaperone for the field trip, asked one of the wildlife biologists if this was her only job, which she nodded to confirm.
“That’s important,” the educator said to his students. “These biologists are helping the environment. They’re supporting the island while still being able to support their families. You don’t have to go work at a hotel. You do have options.”
By opening its doors to local schools, the local U.S. Navy installation strengthens ties with families and educators, while fortifying its commitment to investing in the next generation. The annual event not only highlights career pathways within the military, civil service and contractors, but also shows students how these roles support national defense, innovation and community well-being.
The goal of the workforce awareness field trip was to inspire students to dream big and pursue careers aligned with their interests and talents, according to PMRF’s press release.
“Whether a student aspires to become an engineer, a pilot, a recreation specialist or service member, PMRF plants the seeds of possibility, and hopes that young minds will see that their future career is closer to home than they imagined,” the press release said.
