The Hawaiian Islands and their dependencies were annexed to the United States by a joint resolution of Congress approved July 7, 1898. War Department General Order 95 of July 13, 1898, placed the newly annexed territory in the Department of California. By War Department General Order 183 of September 30, 1910, the Hawaiian Islands and their dependencies were constituted as the District of Hawaii within the Department of California. On September 21, 1911, by War Department General Order 129, the District of Hawaii was constituted a geographical department in the Western Division and designated as the Department of Hawaii, under the command of Brigadier General Montgomery M. Macomb, with headquarters at Honolulu. In 1913 this department was renamed the Hawaiian Department, a designation it retained even after other continental command departments became Corps Areas in 1920.
From 1939 it served as the Army's major command in the Central Pacific until, in August 1943, U.S. Army Forces in the Central Pacific Area (USAFICPA) was established. Most of the Hawaiian Department's responsibilities were transferred to USAFICPA but the Department was not officially discontinued until after the war. Wartime commanders of the Department were Lieutenant General Walter C. Short, February 8, 1941 - December 17, 1941; Lieutenant General Delos C. Emmons, December 17, 1941 - June 1, 1943; and Lieutenant General Robert C. Richardson, Jr., June 1, 1943 - March 17, 1946. General Richardson remained in command of the Hawaiian Department along with his successive assignments in command of U.S. Army Forces in the Central Pacific Area (USAFICPA) and U.S. Army Forces, Middle Pacific (AFMIDPAC).
