The region was used for live fire exercises in 1943 during World War II when Camp Tarawa temporarily held troops on Parker Ranch.

At that time it was called the Waikoloa Maneuver Area, and located northwest of current base, south of Waimea.

In September 1946 the land used for the old maneuver area and camp was returned to the ranch, and a smaller Lalamilo Firing Range used until 1953.

The training area is about midway between Hilo, on the east coast and the Army landing site at Kawaihae Harbor.

Heavy equipment is either flown into Hilo, or else shipped via barge to Kawaihae Harbor, about 40 miles (64 km) away on the Saddle Road.

[10] PTA has a 51,000-acre (21,000 ha) impact area used for bombing and gunnery practice, refurbished in March 2009 to allow helicopter training.

Several archaeological sites have been found in the training area, including the Bobcat Trail Habitation Cave, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

[citation needed] In 1989, local botanist Lani Stemmermann sued the U.S. Army with the assistance of the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund after she observed the bulldozing of endangered species for construction.