Updating the Kwajalein Atoll Disaster Plan: A Call for Collaboration
The Kwajalein Atoll community is taking critical steps toward strengthening its disaster preparedness through a collaborative update of its disaster response plan. As the Asia-Pacific region continues to experience 40% of the world’s natural disasters—and accounts for 60% of global disaster-related deaths—the urgency of coordinated civil-military readiness cannot be overstated.
With USAID no longer operating in the region and the U.S. having exited the World Health Organization (WHO), any future American support in the event of crises—including pandemics or natural disasters—is expected to come from the U.S. military. In response, stakeholders are revisiting the original 1988 English-language disaster plan for Kwajalein Atoll with the support of Lt. Col. (ret.) James Faumuina, former Commanding Officer of Hawaii’s National Guard CBRNE Technical Response Team.
One key innovation being explored is the integration of telehealth solutions powered by Starlink. VSee, a telehealth company, is helping to develop an amphibious medical drone network that could provide remote care across the Marshall Islands. If successful, this pilot—tentatively scheduled for demonstration in summer 2025—will pave the way for a follow-up CSAR (combat search and rescue) simulation called Kennedy’s Coconut, potentially running alongside RIMPAC 2026.
This community-led effort is anchored in a “crawl-walk-run” approach, aiming first to assess the current state of preparedness as of July 2025 and build a culture of continuous improvement. Participants are encouraged to review the original disaster plan and related materials, available here, and join the review process.
As Gregg writes: “Our goal is simply to assess where we are today... and begin making a habit of improving a little bit more each year.”
Those interested in supporting or participating in this review are welcome to join the initiative.