![]() He described Aumua as an “outstanding employee” that the Army needs to hold on to. Loyd Black II, chief of the Kastner air control tower, has known Aumua since 2005 when both started their careers at Wheeler. “But it also made a more capable fighting force that is more proficient, tactically and technically.” “Giving them the opportunity to do that, and if they choose to get out and get a job to take care of their families, is pretty cool to me,” he said. ![]() While at Wheeler, he helped over 50 Soldiers receive a civilian certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. It keeps you on your game.”Īs an Army civilian, he said he has assisted with visits from high-profile dignitaries, such as then-President Barack Obama in Hawaii and then-Vice President Mike Pence in Japan.īut his greatest career accomplishment, he said, was being able to train and influence uniformed air traffic controllers. “There are so many rules and regulations you have to know, and it changes all the time. “I like the professional aspect of it,” Aumua said about his role. He also works with local governments to ensure buildings being constructed do not affect their airspace. ![]() While UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters normally buzz around the airfield, Aumua sometimes coordinates to have Japanese military rotary aircraft land there. Once his enlistment was done, Aumua was able to transfer his skills into a civilian role at Wheeler, where he stayed until he relocated to Camp Zama in 2018.įrom their windowed perch inside the Kastner air control tower, which offers a 360-degree vista of mountains to the west and Tokyo skyscrapers to the east, Aumua and his team have perhaps the best view in the area. ![]() He supported numerous Special Forces operations and traveled to Afghanistan, Bosnia, the Philippines and Thailand as part of his job. Bill, said he appreciated how the Army gave him a stronger purpose and allowed him to conduct unique missions all over the world. His first and only duty station was Wheeler Army Airfield, located along Kamehameha Highway about an hour from his old stomping grounds.Īumua, who later earned his bachelor’s degree using the G.I. He became part of another community – the Army – as an air traffic control operator and served for six years. “I never really thought about it until he joined,” Aumua said.Īs he had done to get past defenders on the football field, Aumua sidestepped and turned his life in another direction. While he pondered his next move, his brother chose to serve in the Army. was not for him and he returned to Hawaii. The violence put things into perspective for Aumua and following his first year in college, he decided that living in L.A. “Luckily, I was never caught up in any of it, but seeing it happen to other people that I knew, it was definitely an eye-opener that scared you straight.” It happened a lot,” Aumua said of the shootings. As the unprovoked shooting unfolded, one of Aumua’s friends was shot on the court, and another was shot as he tried to flee. One day while playing basketball with friends who were also of Polynesian descent, some men unknown to him began to fire bullets toward them. ![]() During that time, racial violence plagued the city and Aumua was not immune as it crept into his life. “Whatever community you are a part of, you should try to make it better.”Īfter he graduated from high school in 1997, Aumua left the beach countryside to play football and baseball for Los Angeles Harbor College. “It’s not necessarily about sports it’s about the community,” Aumua, 43, said of why he volunteers. The successes and failures found in competition and how a person handles them is good for youth to experience, he said. He eventually brought that spirit to Camp Zama, where he often volunteers to coach youth sports.Ĭhildren can learn many lessons from playing a sport, said Aumua, a supervisory air traffic control specialist at Kastner Airfield here. He played various sports and attended Kahuku High School, where he was a running back for its powerhouse football team known for producing several NFL players.Īumua recalled how sports helped bond the small Hawaiian community together. CAMP ZAMA, Japan – Athletic activities dominated much of Kekua Aumua’s childhood growing up on the North Shore of Oahu. ![]()
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