JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - The 94th Army Air and Missile Command continues to provide joint and combined theater air and missile defense in order to meet operations plan requirements and support the rebalance to the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region. The 94th AAMDC Soldiers sustained partnerships with local communities, other Army units, sister services, and our allied nations. These relationships were strengthened while the Sea Dragons remained integrated at every level to build a resilient, cohesive team.

The 94th AAMDC commander’s top priorities are readiness, transition to war, and theater security cooperation.

Over the past year, the 94th AAMDC has been highly productive, as they improved our integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) during an increasing operational tempo (OPTEMPO) across all mission areas to include: real-world operations, theater security cooperation operations (TSC), AN/TPY-2 radar and terminal high altitude area defense (THAAD) permanent stationing, and exercise planning and execution. The Sea Dragon Team codified a comprehensive strategy in the newly developed 94th AAMDC Campaign Plan, which serves as a road map on our way ahead for IAMD in the Pacific.

The Sea Dragons maintained their mission readiness by participating in multiple joint, combined, and trilateral exercises such as Balikatan, Keen Edge, Keen Sword, Key Resolve, Ulchi Freedom Guardian, and Pacific Sentry with other branches of the U.S. armed forces as well as with allied and partner countries. Sea Dragon Soldiers participated in Balikatan for the first time, March 31 – April 15, where they taught the fundamentals of air defense to the Philippine army.

The year started with the 94th AAMDC holding the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Observance, where the theme was "A Day On, Not a Day Off!” The Soldiers also expanded their commitment to the community by pairing with Pearl Harbor Elementary School during the American Heart Association’s national event, Jump Rope for Heart.

The ready and resilient team (RT2) for the 94th AAMDC provided an applied suicide intervention skills training for trainers (ASIST T4T) five-day workshop, which certified personnel from units across the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. The RT2 also held quarterly prayer breakfasts and sponsored a public proclamation reading and scavenger hunt to emphasize the importance of sexual assault awareness and prevention month (SAAPM) to show that sexual assault and sexual harassment will not be tolerated in the Sea Dragon Ohana.

The Sea Dragons were host to the Honorable Eric K. Fanning, Secretary of the Army and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey. Both were able to speak with Soldiers and see firsthand the reason the 94th AAMDC is the lead in integrated air and missile defense.

The 94th AAMDC also bid aloha to a new command team. The new command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. John W. Foley, assumed responsibility for the 94th AAMDC on May 16 and Brig. Gen Sean A. Gainey was welcomed as the new commander during a change of command ceremony, Aug. 5. Both grew up in military families and have extensive experience in the Army air defense community.

The Association of the U.S. Army sponsored the fourth annual Land Power in the Pacific Symposium and Exposition, May 24 - 26, in Waikiki. This year the Sea Dragons presented a panel of experts that highlighted the joint and combined area air defense commander’s roles and responsibilities, the global and theater aspects of air and missile defense and some of the academic and material solutions to the missile threats.

The 94th AAMDC hosted the 2016 Worldwide AAMDC Intelligence Symposium, which brought all the intelligence agencies together that work within the air defense community. There was also an officer exchange between the 94th AAMDC and the 16th Air Land Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery. The 94th AAMDC is working with Australia to build a recognized officer exchange program which is meant to foster and enhance collaborative efforts between the two nations.

The Soldiers of the 94th participated in the Sixth Annual Linapuni Elementary School Field Day as part of the U.S. Army Hawaii School Partnership Program while also maintaining strong bonds with partner schools forward in Guam and Japan. Intelligence professionals from the U.S. Army and Air Force were recognized for excellence during the 94th AAMDC’s first joint service component Knowlton Award recognition ceremony on Nov. 22.

The Sea Dragons ended the year by holding their Winter Leader’s Summit and hosting the annual St. Barbara’s Day Ball, which featured Vice Adm. James D. Syring, the current director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), as the guest speaker. This year’s ball also marked the first time that members from joint services were inducted into the Order of St. Barbara, an honorary society of Army and Marine Corps artillerymen/women.

The Soldiers of the 94th AAMDC remain the ‘First Line of Defense’ against an ever-increasing ballistic missile threat. The Sea Dragons are proud to be part of the premier Army Air and Missile Defense Command capable of quickly transitioning to war while remaining ‘Focused Forward’ to execute our combat mission at any time.