(BIVN) – A Hawaiian practitioner who served as a cultural monitor at the Pohakuloa Training Area shared an emotional account of her efforts during a community meeting held in Kea’au Monday evening.

Kealoha Pisciotta of Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, who is well known for her stands for Mauna Kea and Kanaloa, was a featured speaker at the public forum held to discuss RIMPAC 2018, the multi-national, biennial Rim of the Pacific military exercise.

This year, RIMPAC involves twenty-six nations, 47 surface ships, five submarines, 18 national land forces, and more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel. The exercise is scheduled to be held from June 27 to Aug. 2, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California.

The war exercises include bombing and shelling the 133,000-acre Pohakuloa Training Area, or PTA, located in the center of Hawaii Island. Pisciotta served as cultural monitor during PTA operations, work she described as difficult but necessary.

The forum was organized by the Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action, which is also demonstrating against the RIMPAC at various locations around Hilo this month.