The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded Hawai'i a three-year, $950,000 grant to reduce underage drinking by Air Force personnel stationed at Hickam Air Force Base.

The grant will be divided between the state of Hawai'i and the Air Force base over three years, and the base receives about a third of that, Air Force officials said.

Funding for the initiative is provided by the department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The grant will implement research-based practices and approaches for enforcing underage drinking laws and preventing alcohol consumption by Air Force personnel younger than 21.

According to the Department of Defense, in 2005, underage active-duty members stationed at Hickam Air Force Base were responsible for nearly 25 percent of the alcohol-related incidents on base, even though they were only 4.2 percent of the base population.

The initiative will be conducted in conjunction with Hickam's Culture of Responsible Choices program, which targets drug and alcohol abuse.

"This new and innovative program will strengthen collaborations between Hickam Air Force Base and the local community to reduce underage drinking of military personnel, both on and off post," Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona said.