Responsible for securing 6,400 acres of vital waterways in and around Pearl Harbor, the unit proved its elite capabilities by executing emergency drills, casualty control scenarios and real-world threats such as a small boat attack, improvised explosive devices, and weapons malfunctions. This exceptional track record underscores the HPU’s daily vigilance and its ability to rapidly neutralize threats in any scenario.
“We're proud of is the op [operation] tempo and the way the team continually outperforms on our assessments,” said Ensign Kory Pelletti, the JBPHH deputy security operations officer and harbor division officer who oversees day-to-day antiterrorism, force protection, and law enforcement for the installation. He pointed out another one of the team’s impressive contributions: In the last year, JBPHH HPU conducted 75% of all High Value Unit (HVU) security escorts across Commander, Navy Installations Command's 10 global regions.
Working Around the Clock
Each boat in JBPHH HPU’s fleet is operated by atwo-person crew: a coxswain who navigates and a gunner who operates a crew-served weapon. The crews work 12-hour shifts to provide around-the-clock security seven days a week, 365 days a year.
At the start of each shift, the crew reviews posting assignments and completes a pre-operation checklist of approximately 50 items to ensure the team and vessel are "shipshape."
Once underway, the crew patrols assigned sectors or guards a static post. Added security may be required during ordnance handling or when a vessel is moored in Pearl Harbor, bordered by the Ford Island Bridge and the Port Security Barrier near the Southeast Loch.
Shifts may also involve escorting naval assets, guarding the Ford Island Bridge during transits, assisting a JBPHH Fish and Wildlife Officer with maritime regulation enforcement, or escorting unauthorized vessels and personnel out of installation waters. If needed, the JBPHH HPU is prepared to disable non-compliant, unauthorized vessels that may enter the harbor.
In the last year, JBPHH HPU rescued 13 individuals on six different occasions who needed assistance while swimming near Hickam Beach or Fort Kamehameha Beach.
Land vs. Waterborne Security Operations
The JBPHH HPU is part of the Defenders, the joint security forces (JB2), led by the JBPHH commander. JB2 is a vital multi-service organization that includes Navy Master-at-Arms Sailors, Department of the Navy civilian police officers, Department of the Navy civilian guards, and Air Force security forces personnel. The joint force safeguards a population of 108,000 personnel on JBPHH and its 12 associated annexes, but JBPHH HPU’s waterborne security operations require a much different set of skills and equipment than their landlubber JB2 counterparts.
Land based installations typically have multiple security units, a larger number of security personnel, physical barriers and controlled access points that channel traffic to slow down threats. On the water, there is much more open space for a threat to maneuver and the level of responsibility for junior enlisted personnel is higher due to the expensive equipment they operate and the lack of physical barriers to help contain threats, according to Pelletti.
He compared the estimated sticker prices of a vehicle and a boat to make his point. A security vehicle costs over $40,000 while a patrol boat costs over $500,000. Specialized training is required to operate HPU equipment and to contain threats in dynamic situations including in open water.
The Rewards of the Grind
Master-at-Arms Third Class Billal Kheir is a JBPHH HPU coxswain who said he is honored to help keep the waterways around JBPHH secure during the during Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2026, the world’s largest maritime exercise that brings 31 nations and an estimated 25,000 additional personnel – and associated security challenges – to the Hawaiian Islands from June 24 to July 31, 2026.
During RIMPAC, Kheir has noticed an increase in the number of security escorts, but he noted that JBPHH HPU’s mission to provide waterborne security for Pearl Harbor and all naval assets in its surrounding waters remains unchanged.
“At the end of the day, it's worth it,” Kheir said, “because you’re doing everything you can to protect everything that’s floating out here.”