Department of Defense

Major General Kenneth S. Hara assumed his duties as the Adjutant General for the State of Hawaii, Department of Defense, on December 6, 2019. On 20 February 2018, MG Hara was dual-hatted as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Army National Guard, Operations G3, Eighth United States Army Korea, Camp Humphreys, South Korea.

In 1987, General Hara received his commission as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry through the Hawaii Military Academy, Officer Candidate School, Hawaii Army National Guard. He has served in numerous positions of increased authority and responsibility from platoon leader and most recently as the commanding general of the Hawaii Army National Guard.

In 2005, MG Hara deployed as the commander of the 2nd Battalion 299th Infantry to Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2008, he deployed to Kuwait as the deputy commander of the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. In 2012, General Hara deployed a third time as the commander of the Operations Coordination Center – Regional Command South, Security Forces Assistance Advisory Team, Kandahar, Afghanistan.

In addition to his Federal mobilizations, General Hara served on several state missions in support of local authorities. Most notable were his duties as the Assistant Operations

Officer with the 2d Battalion, 299th Infantry following Hurricane Iniki which on September 11, 1992 devastated the island of Kauai; as Task Force KOA commander, comprised of Hawaii Army Soldiers and Air National Guard Airman, that conducted National Guard Civil Support operations following an earthquake that struck the island of Hawaii on October 15, 2006; and as the Dual Status Commander of Joint Task Force – 50 in support of the Kilauea volcanic eruption and Hurricane Lane responses in 2018. MG Hara served as the Deputy Adjutant General, State of Hawaii, Department of Defense from October 2015 until December 2019.

General Hara’s military education includes the United States Army War College at Car-lisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, Command and General Staff Officer Course from the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Combined Arms Service Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course at Fort Lee, Virginia, Initial Entry Rotary Wing Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama and the Infantry Officer Basic Course at Fort Benning, Georgia.

He holds a Masters of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College and a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Human Services from Hawaii Pacific University.

General Hara’s awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge, Army Aviator Badge, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters.

He is married to the former Myoung Park and has five children, Kristin, Julia, Nichole, Justin, and Alicia.