Kauai has one of the Pentagon’s most valued testing sites. It’s an economic driver, but some residents say the military shouldn’t be on the islands at all

Hawaii’s “garden island”, Kauai, is known for its breathtaking scenery and laid-back vibe, a place of plunging waterfalls and cliffs cloaked in green tropical forests. But beyond its beauty it is one of the Pentagon’s most valued testing and training sites in the Pacific.

In Hawaii, where the military is the second-largest economic driver, after tourism, weapons testing and training enjoy widespread support, but some residents view the islands’ highly militarized state as misguided or even illegal.

Suspect said to have taken his own life after attack at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, near Honolulu

A gunman opened fire at the historic military base in Pearl Harbor on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said, with local news media reporting several people were wounded before the suspect took his own life.

Security forces responded to reports of a shooting at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickham, the US navy and air force base near Honolulu, Hawaii, around 2.30 pm, the base said in an announcement on Twitter.