Brigadier General John E. Aiona Jr.

Aiona: New HARNG Commander Sees Teamwork as Essential to Training

By Capt. Gail K. Warok

Editor

You can find him out in Kahuku on a rainy weekend, his fatigues drenched and splattered with mud, going from foxhole to foxhole … taking the time to talk to his soldiers.

Col. John E. Aiona, Jr., the new commander for the Hawaii Army National Guard (HARNG), is concerned that members of the Guard understand that their training is very important to Hawaii and to the Nation’s defense policy.

“The basic objective of our training,” said Aiona, “is to provide our share of a strong military deterrent force so that war will never be a reality. We must also keep in mind that we have another very important mission to assist our civilian community in times of disaster.”

Aiona sees the development of teamwork as an essential ingredient of training for those missions. “It’s something like a football team,” he commented. “Games are won by a team effort. The individual skills of soldiers are important, but unless they train and work together as a military team, they will have difficulty succeeding in battle.” Development of individual skills—especially leadership skills at the squad and platoon levels—must be integrated with team training.

His immediate goal is to focus on this type of teamwork in the training of company-sized units in battalion-level exercises. The proficiency of our military force must be measured by the effectiveness of the battalion teams—the command and control, fire and maneuver, fire support, communications, service support—the effective integration of all elements of the battalion.

Aiona intends to continue the close working relationship that the HARNG has with the 25th Infantry Division. “Our active Army counterparts are looking to us with increasing interest—and are especially anxious about our ability to get the job done,” he remarked.

Guardsmen in Hawaii have every reason for pride, in Aiona’s estimation. Our soldiers have dispelled any notion that we are a “pineapple army.” They have displayed a level of enthusiasm and professionalism that has earned the respect and regard of our active Army counterparts.

In Aiona’s opinion, how others view the Hawaii Army National Guard and its accomplishments is very important. He hopes to increase public awareness of the Army Guard in the military and civilian communities, and he sees the individual guardsman’s role in this as vital.

How does he feel about his new job? “I have always enjoyed the challenge of each new assignment, and this is no exception,” he said. “There are lonely moments, though, especially when it is necessary to make certain difficult decisions. But that’s something that has to be done.”

While expecting a lot from his people, Aiona looks to the future with positiveness … “Our people being proud of who they are and what they are doing … and I am confident that they share my hopes and expectations for the future.”

And as he speaks with a quiet firmness, you want to believe that it can and will happen.

– 1977 December Pūpūkahi pp. 3