{"id":188552,"date":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=188552"},"modified":"2024-05-29T08:01:04","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T08:01:04","slug":"hawaii-guardsman-finds-success-in-winding-40-year-aviation-infantry-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=188552","title":{"rendered":"Hawaii Guardsman finds success in winding 40-year aviation, infantry journey"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n The Adjutant General of Hawaii, Maj. Gen. Arthur “Joe” Logan, relinquishes responsibility to former Deputy Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara during a transfer of authority ceremony as Soldiers, Airmen, distinguished guest, family and friends gather at Washington Place, Hawaii, Dec. 6, 2019. After five years of leadership as the Adjutant General, Logan will be retiring from the Hawaii Army National Guard next month with over forty years of dedicated service. Please join the State of Hawaii in bidding a fond farewell to Maj. Gen. Logan and his ohana, for his service and dedication.
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\n Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, Adjutant General of the State of Hawaii and Director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency provides remarks after being assigned the role as the incident commander for Hawaii\u2019s COVID-19 response. March 16, 2020, Honolulu Hawaii. \u201cThis move aligns the state\u2019s emergency response to the federal structure, and it brings added capacity and federal resources to help the state,\u201d said Director Hara.
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\n Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara, The Adjutant General of the State of Hawaii, speaks to a 103rd Troop Command Soldier during Individual Weapon Qualification, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, June 5, 2021.
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WASHINGTON \u2014 Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara was just settling into his new role as the adjutant general of the state of Hawaii, having taken over the position a few months prior, when he got a call from the governor\u2019s office in March 2020.<\/p>\n

The COVID-19 pandemic was starting, and the governor wanted Hara to be the incident commander for the state\u2019s response.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew nothing about pandemics,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd in my mind, I was thinking \u2018no way, not me\u2019 and then out of my mouth comes \u201cYes, sir! When do I start?\u201d<\/p>\n

The governor told him he started that day and to get ready for a press conference. Hara embraced the challenge, just as he\u2019d done his entire career and met it head-on.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe things I learned [during this assignment], oh my gosh,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I was a lieutenant, did I ever think I would be doing things like this? There\u2019s no way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hara grew up in Hilo, Hawaii with his parents and three older brothers. He spent most of his time surfing, fishing\u00a0and\u00a0enjoying the island\u2019s scenery. His father worked\u00a0full time\u00a0with the Hawaii Army National Guard as a battalion commander.<\/p>\n

As a kid, he had the dream of becoming a helicopter pilot. He saw an aircraft in the sky one day and was captivated by its ability to hover.<\/p>\n

One by one, his brothers joined the National Guard, and one even became a pilot, which fueled his dream even more. Hara\u2019s mother was not so keen on the idea; however, after seeing her first three sons join.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe kept telling everyone, \u2018You aren\u2019t taking my baby, he\u2019s not joining the guard,\u2019\u201d he recalled. \u201cSo, Dad never brought it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

One evening when he was a senior in high school, he went up to his father while he was watching TV and told him he wanted to join the National Guard. A huge smile came across his father\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen him smile like that,\u201d Hara said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

The very next day, he was talking to a recruiter about the different possibilities available to him. Because he wanted to be a helicopter pilot, Hara\u2019s father persuaded him to sign up as a mechanic to help him understand the aircraft.<\/p>\n

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\n Kenneth S. Hara swears into the Hawaii National Guard May 4, 1984. Hara has served for more than 40 years as a mechanic, pilot, infantry office and adjutant general.
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\n Hara and his brothers pose for a photo with their father following Hara’s graduation from officer candidate school July 26, 1987.
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He shipped off to basic training in the summer of 1984 as a private before heading to Fort Novosel, formerly Fort Rucker, Alabama for utility helicopter repairman training.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned a lot and I loved it,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u00a0definitely\u00a0kept fueling my desire to be a pilot.\u201d<\/p>\n

He came back to Hawaii as a part-time guardsman, drilling with his unit, doing his job and living what he described as a pretty simple yet exciting life.<\/p>\n

A few years into his career, his father took him and his brothers out to dinner. They talked about their lives and what their units were doing, and their father proceeded to scold them for their unit\u2019s wrongdoings.<\/p>\n

Hara told his father he was only a private first class and that wasn\u2019t his responsibility. His father didn\u2019t care because it was still his unit. That\u2019s when Hara decided he was ready to take charge and a month later he started working on his commission.<\/p>\n

He was selected and went through officer candidate school in 1987. The training pushed him to his limits.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very, very challenging,\u201d he said. \u201cI was constantly thinking I wasn\u2019t going to make it, but I didn\u2019t want to shame my family name.\u201d<\/p>\n

While he was there, his drill instructors knew he wanted to be a pilot and would constantly test his resolve. During every meal, they would yell his name and ask if still wanted to be an aviator. To which he replied, \u201cSir, yes, sir!\u201d and sat down.<\/p>\n

Just before graduation, he picked his top three career choices: aviation, intelligence\u00a0and\u00a0infantry. He got infantry.<\/p>\n

He called his dad wanting to know if he had anything to do with the selection and sure enough, he did.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a bait-and-switch,\u201d he said laughing. \u201c[He knew] I wanted to go to flight school.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father explained to him that the infantry was the backbone of the Army and that he should first become an infantry officer so he could understand what the Soldiers on the ground needed. This would make him a better aviator in the future, his father said. He reluctantly agreed.<\/p>\n

He became a platoon leader and learned what he could about the needs of the infantry Soldiers before submitting his aviation package. He was selected and went through Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training, where he earned his wings.<\/p>\n

He flew UH-1N Hueys as a section leader for the 451st and 452nd Aviation Detachments in Hilo, Hawaii.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting accepted into the Army\u2019s aviation program and attending the school was a dream come true,\u201d he said. \u201cAlthough my aviation career [lasted] only a few years, I still dream about flying helicopters.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In September of 1991, he was driving back from his brother\u2019s house and instead of going straight like he normally would, he made a wrong turn and went right. He noticed his former infantry commander running down the side of the road and decided to pull over for a chat.<\/p>\n

The commander asked if he applied for the active-guard position that was available with the S3 Air, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry Regiment. He said he didn\u2019t know about the opening. The commander urged him to apply and told him that applications closed that day.<\/p>\n

Hara made a U-turn and went to speak with his father. The position was for human resources and meant Hara would be moving away from aviation and back into the infantry world. A simple wrong turn now led to a defining moment in his career.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I never made that right turn, I never would\u2019ve known that opportunity existed,\u201d he said. \u201cMy whole career would\u2019ve probably been different.\u201d<\/p>\n

He applied and was selected the following month. He stayed on the infantry side of the National Guard for the rest of his career as he made his way up the ranks. After accomplishing his goal of becoming a pilot, he had new aspirations of becoming a battalion commander like his father and going to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana.<\/p>\n

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\n Kenneth S. Hara on patrol with an improvised explosive device robot during a deployment to Baghdad, Iraq Oct. 16, 2005.
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\n Kenneth S. Hara at a police check point in Shah Joy, Afghanistan Afghan Jan. 13, 2013.
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In 2004, the 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry Regiment received word they were going on a deployment. Hara reached out to the brigade commander and told him he was interested in leading the unit. He got the job and found out the unit was going to the readiness center for three weeks of training leading up to the deployment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the most realistic training short of combat,\u201d he said. \u201cThe stress and the things you do, it\u2019s like you\u2019re at war. It\u2019s amazing how they replicate it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The unit spent a year in Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The entire time, Hara worried he was going to lose one of his Soldiers.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy stress level went through the roof,\u201d he said. \u201cI would be in my cot at night staring at the ceiling thinking I was going to lose someone. Thankfully nothing happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

His stress level went back down when he finally got home, but he had a hard time decompressing. He tried exercising to help him relax.<\/p>\n

While he was running with his wife one afternoon, he heard hammering from a house, which sounded to him like small arms fire. He jumped into a nearby bush yelling for her to get down. When his wife asked what he was doing, he snapped out of it.<\/p>\n

It took him a while to adjust but he finally did. His wife also had a hard time with his first deployment as she raised their young kids.<\/p>\n

So, he went to the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania for a year of school and brought the family with him. The time did wonders for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was probably the best year of our lives being married because [the school] built in time for you to reconnect with your family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Near the end of the school year, a job opened that would have him deploy again. He asked his wife if he should apply, and she said he should because it would help his career. He thought to himself, \u201cIs this the same wife?\u201d<\/p>\n

He got the job and deployed to Kuwait in 2008 as the deputy commander of the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. His team spent nine months providing security for sustainment convoys heading to Iraq.<\/p>\n

That led him to become the commander of the unit and then go on a third deployment in 2012, this time to Kandahar, Afghanistan, where they advised and assisted the Afghan army and national police.<\/p>\n

After coming home in 2013, he reassessed his goals and was later assigned as the chief of the joint staff for the Joint Force Headquarters \u2013 Hawaii, under Maj. Gen. Darryll D.M. Wong.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe gave me so many opportunities,\u201d he said. \u201cI got to work in so many different fields and that made me a better officer.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Brig. Gen. Kenneth Hara, Hawaii National Guard deputy adjutant general and Joint Task Force 5-0 commander, observes the ongoing volcanic activity aboard a UH-60 Blackhawk May 7, 2018, while in route to Leilani Estates, Pahoa, Hawaii. Hara is currently serving as a dual status commander, bearing the authority to call upon national guard and active duty resources to aid in the relief efforts.
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\n The Deputy Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara shares some of his experiences while visiting Hawaii Army National Guard Soldiers of the 299th Cavalry Regiment during the Exportable Combat Training Capacity program June 18 at Fort Hunter Liggett, California. XCTC focuses on fully instrumental and realistic collective training to certify platoon & company level training proficiency in coordination with First Army. Commanders and leaders assess their Soldiers strengths and weaknesses during a video review session after training which aids in their proficiency as an individual, team, platoon, unit and brigade.
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He was promoted to brigadier general in 2015 and took on the role of assistant adjutant general. He stayed in that role for several years and became dual-hatted as the commander of Joint Task Force \u2013 50 in support of the Kilauea volcanic eruption in the spring of 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was the most dynamic disaster response [of my career,]\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The lava was initially crusty and slow moving, and there was poisonous gas shooting into the air. The task force planned for major air evacuations as fissures opened in a residential area, threatening to trap the people as the lava moved faster.<\/p>\n

The task force readied buses and medical staff to provide care for any potential wounded citizens. They used helicopters and drones to help guide people to safety, and no one lost their lives. However, more than 700 structures were destroyed in the disaster.<\/p>\n

This was followed by Hurricanes Lane and Olivia, which brought torrential rainfall and devastating winds to Hawaii in 2018. The task force was called on again to provide support.<\/p>\n

In December of 2019, Hara was promoted to major general and took over as adjutant general.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought it was a huge responsibility but there was no way anything could be as bad as 2018, and low and behold, COVID hit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

After speaking with the governor, he was named the director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. Hara and his team went to work as they learned to navigate a pandemic. The initial island shutdown impacted the economy, and his team created a website to help notify visitors of the requirements to enter the state when it finally reopened.<\/p>\n

Just when things started to settle down, the wildfires hit Maui killing 101 people and destroying more than 2,000 structures. The National Guard was once again called to provide support.<\/p>\n

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\n Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, Hawaii National Guard (HING) Adjutant General (TAG) and Dr. Lorrin W. Pang, Maui District Health Officer discuss platforms the 230th Engineer Company built for those affected by the Coronavirus during an operational circulation visit, Kahului, Hawaii, June 9, 2020. Hara and Command Sgt. Maj. Dana Wingad, HING Senior Enlisted Leader (SEL) also spoke with Mayor Michael Victorino and Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu while visiting troops during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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\n Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara, The Adjutant General for the State of Hawaii, left, and Brig. Gen. Lonnie J. Branum, land component commander of the Arizona Army National Guard, observe a live-fire training exercise during the Exportable Combat Training Capability program on Camp Roberts, California, July 19, 2022. The TAG and staff visited with each TOC to assess multi-echelon performance and to ensure training is conducted safely and to standard.
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\n Hara, his son Justin and his three brothers pose for a photo after Justin’s enlistment ceremony July 17, 2014. Justin followed in his father’s footsteps of enlisting and then commissioning as an infantry officer.
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Throughout his 40 years of service, Hara learned a lot from the numerous challenges thrown his way. He even learned to embrace the bait-and-switch.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father was\u00a0absolutely\u00a0right for \u2018forcing\u2019 me to start my officer career in the infantry,\u201d he said. \u201cThat foundational grounding helped me in every assignment throughout my career, beyond just in aviation.\u201d<\/p>\n

He used that same advice with his son, who is now a Hawaii Army National Guard infantry officer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think [service] is just in our blood,\u201d he said. \u201cService to the community, service to the state, and service to the nation. For me, I didn\u2019t see [doing] anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hara plans to retire later this year.<\/p>\n

RELATED LINKS:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Army News Service<\/a><\/p>\n

ARNEWS archives<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 The Adjutant General of Hawaii, Maj. Gen. Arthur “Joe” Logan, relinquishes responsibility to former Deputy Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara during a transfer of authority ceremony as Soldiers, Airmen, distinguished guest, family and friends gather at Washington Place, Hawaii, Dec. 6, 2019. After five […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":188554,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-188552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=188552"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188552\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":188566,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188552\/revisions\/188566"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/188554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=188552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=188552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=188552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}