Marine Corps Base Hawaii

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Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii
MCB Hawaii Insignia
Type	Military base
Built	1919
In use	1918 - present
Controlled by	USMC
Garrison	3rd Marine Division Marine Aircraft Group 24 3rd Radio Battalion

Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), formerly Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station (KMCAS), is a U.S. Marine Corps base facility and air station located on the Mokapu Peninsula of windward O'ahu in the City & County of Honolulu. As of the 2000 Census, the base had a total population of 11,827. Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay is home to Marines, Sailors, family members and civilian employees. The United States Marine Corps operates a 7,800 foot runway at the base.

MCBH is home for the 3rd Marine Regiment and Marine Aircraft Group 24 and 3rd Radio Battalion.

The base lies between the two largest windward O'ahu communities of Kailua and Kāne'ohe and the main gate is reached at the eastern end of Interstate H-3. The main access to the base is by either highway 3 (H-3) or by Mokapu Road. MCB Hawaii is located on the windward side of Oahu, approximately 12 miles northeast of Honolulu. Marine Corps Base Hawaii, occupies the entire Mokapu Peninsula, of 2,951 acres. Two areas of the base are classified conservation land which includes the Ulupau Crater area (north east peninsula) and the Nuupia Pond area (at the Mokapu Road).

1 Brief History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 External links

[edit] Brief History

Canadian and Korean Navy P-3s on the flightline

In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson designated 322 acres of land on Mokapu Peninsula for the military. The Kuwaahoe Military Reservation, became known later, in 1942 as “Fort Hase”. In 1941, Army artillery units moved into the area. In 1939, the Navy constructed a small seaplane base and upon its completion, Naval Air Station Kaneohe's role was expanded to include the administration of the Kaneohe Bay Naval Defense Sea Area. On December 7, 1941, Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay was actually attacked approximately 9 minutes prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1951, the Marines assumed control of the air station activities when naval aviation moved to Barbers Point Naval Air Station. On January 15, 1952 Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay was commissioned.

On April 15, 1994, the Marine Corps consolidated all of its installations in Hawaii. MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Camp H.M. Smith, Molokai Training Support Facility, Manana Family Housing Area, Puuloa Range and the Pearl City Warehouse Annex combined to form a new command, the Marine Corps Base Hawaii, headquartered at MCBH Kaneohe Bay.

Old MCAS Kaneohe Bay insignia

All U.S. military units located in Hawaii fall under the command of the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) which is headquartered at Camp H. M. Smith on Oahu. The Commanding General of Marine Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC) also commands 12 Marine Corps bases and stations in Arizona, California, Hawaii and Japan, as well as operational forces in Hawaii, and Okinawa, as well as units deployed to Southeast/west Asia.

[edit] Geography

MCBH is located at 21°26'37" North, 157°44'56" West (21.443580, -157.748883)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the base has a total area of 15.1 km² (5.8 mi²). 11.4 km² (4.4 mi²) of it is land and 3.7 km² (1.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 24.74% water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the 2000 Census, there were 11,827 people, 2,332 households, and 2,283 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,040.2/km² (2,696.2/mi²). There were 2,388 housing units at an average density of 210.0/km² (544.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the base was 66.60% White, 12.07% African American, 1.09% Native American, 5.34% Asian, 1.19% Pacific Islander, 7.58% from other races, and 6.12% from two or more races. 14.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,332 households out of which 66.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 93.0% were married couples living together, 3.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 2.1% were non-families. 1.5% of all households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.21 and the average family size was 3.23.

On base the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 43.5% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 1.4% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 202.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 258.8 males.

The median income for a household on the base was $34,757, and the median income for a family was $34,918. Males had a median income of $16,436 versus $21,108 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,983. 7.2% of the population and 6.2% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.8% of those under the age of 18 and none of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.