Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 12, 1 December 2008 — Another military first for Kenui [ARTICLE]

Another military first for Kenui

In 2005, Elizabeth Kapua Kenui of Nānākuh became only the second woman to achieve the rank of sergeant major in the Hawai'i Army Nahonal Guard. And this November, Kenui made another mark in the history books with her promotion to command sergeant major. The frrst

female in Hawai'i to ever achieve the rank, Kenui is now the senior enhsted leader and second in command of the Hawai'i Army Nahonal Guard. The Kahua High School graduate has seived in the guard for 27 years. "I am honored that the Commander (of the Hawai'i Army Nahonal Guard) has the confidence in me to do the job. I am ready to rehnquish my old duties and start taking better care of our soldiers," Kenui said. Her primary responsibility is to take care of the Hawai'i Army Nahonal Guard's over 2,700 soldiers and famihes, a kuleana that comes in many foims. "You take care of whatever issues your soldiers have, and you try to take care of the problems before they arise. You never know," she said. Hawai'i Army Nahonal Guard Brigadier General Joseph Chaves, Kenui's commanding officer, offered lots of praise. "[Kenui] is a role model soldier. She is definitely an inspiration for many of our young female soldiers, and throughout her career she has always exceeded expectations and the Army standards for peiformance," Chaves said.