Hawaii Warriors invade Hickam Field

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Mike Meares
  • Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  Loud music boomed across the practice field. High pitched whistles periodically pierced ear drums. The distinctive smack of helmet-on-helmet collisions popped between the whistle blasts, which were followed by screams of frustration or maybe elation. The sound of jet engines momentarily drowned all of it out.

Due to the University of Hawaii dormitories being cleaned and prepared for the start of the fall season, the Warriors had to seek accommodations elsewhere to continue their training camp Aug. 13-17. They found a new home for a week at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

"This is a humbling experience," said Mike Edwards, junior defensive back. "We are very lucky and very blessed to be here around this live base and be around guys (who live) this life."

Earhart Field, the same piece of grass the NFL's Pro Bowl practiced on in January, overlooks the Hickam Field flight line where active military jets and commercial aircraft constantly move around.

Edwards said he couldn't stop looking back at the military aircraft sitting only a few yards away from the practice field. He believes there are a lot of correlations between football life and military life, just different playing fields.

"We do have a lot of similarities," Edwards said. "We take our hats off to you guys. This is y'alls life and y'all lay it down for us. Though there are some similarities, we're just playing football and having fun. The discipline, leadership and integrity is all the same."
Coaches pointed out the military dormitories during the end-of-practice huddle, explaining that Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines all over the country live in buildings similar to the ones next to the field. They leave their friends and families behind to go to war, serving their country.

"It's humbling to say the least," said Sean Schroeder, junior starting quarterback. "We have so much respect for all of our armed forces, here and across the world. You guys allow us to have fun out here and play this great game."

The team's players are from as far as Florida and Australia, a mixed company similar to that of the military way of life. The coach's goal was to bring them together as a team.

"(The Joint Base) is treating us so well. I wanted a tough Spartan-like camp, but this is like the Ritz-Carlton," joked Norm Chow, Warriors head coach. "We want to come together as a team. We are a diverse group. We've had a couple of exercises to help bond as a football team and we are going continue to do that as we go along."

The UH football team is scheduled to be on the road for their opener Sept. 1, in Los Angeles, against the University of Southern California Trojans.