From left, Tony Whitehead, senior enlisted advisor, SEA, to the chief of the National Guard Bureau; Sergeant. Maj. Alan Thomas, Indiana National Guard operations sergeant major; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Regina Carrell, senior strategic intelligence analyst for the National Guard Bureau, and Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, at the Stars and Stripes in Science, Technology, Engineering dinner and Mathematics with the Black Engineer of the Year Award and reception, Baltimore, Maryland, February 16, 2024. The National Guard Bureau was the featured military organization for the 2024 Stars and Stripes event. (National Guard photo US Army by Sergeant First Class Zach Sheely)
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BALTIMORE โ Science, technology, engineering and mathematics will be the foundation for solving the problems of today and tomorrow, the top National Guard officer told an audience of students, cadets, corporate executives and military leaders on March 16. February.
Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, 29th chief of the National Guard Bureau, added that the world is full of complicated problems and the military needs smart, capable people who are motivated to solve them.
"And if you want to be part of solving the toughest problems (because, let's face it, those are the only ones left), I wholeheartedly invite you to be part of our team," Hokanson said.
The National Guard was the featured military organization at the 2024 Black Engineer of the Year Award STEM Stars and Stripes Dinner. The annual BEYA conference, celebrating the achievements of African American engineers, attracts thousands of professionals, students and interested attendees in STEM during the three-day event.
โI am extremely proud to have the BEYA conference back in Baltimore so we can showcase all the talent in and out of uniform across the great state of Maryland,โ said Army Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, adjutant general of Maryland. โThis conference is also very important for young people of all backgrounds to see what STEM job opportunities exist in the military or as civilians in these amazing careers.โ
Birckhead spoke of the late Cunningham C. Bryant, the first African American to be federally recognized as a general officer of the National Guard in 1971. He led the District of Columbia Army National Guard from 1974 to 1981 as its first black commander and retired as a major . general.
Bryant was a pioneer who paved the way for future black leaders to serve in military leadership positions, Birckhead said.
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall III said the military depends on and needs the best leaders and technical experts in the world, regardless of race.
"The international environment is now shaped by great power competition, a challenge we have not faced in decades," Kendall said. "Our competition is motivated, well-resourced, strategic, and committed to using technology to advance their interests and authoritative values."
Kendall said the competition won't end anytime soon.
"We need the best leaders we can find who will harness their full potential to be successful in this competition," he said. โWe especially need technical experts and STEM professionals. The leaders we need come from diverse backgrounds and with a diversity of experiences.
โThis year's focus on the National Guard reminds us that these leaders can serve in the Guard, Reserve or active duty. The experience and relationships our Guard and Reserve members bring from the private sector spur innovation and strengthen our nation.โ
Two of those National Guard leaders were among the service members recognized with the BEYA Stars and Stripes award: Chief Warrant Officer 3 Regina Carrell, senior strategic intelligence analyst for the National Guard Bureau, and Sgt. Maj. Alan Thomas, Indiana National Guard operations sergeant major.
Hokanson introduced both and said each is a pillar of influence in their communities.
โThomas, an advocate for STEM education, helped establish the Department of Defense STARBASE at his armory and oversaw the training of more than 5,000 students during the pandemic, while achieving a record graduation rate for noncommissioned officers,โ Hokanson said .
STARBASE is a DOD educational program for students to participate in challenging STEM activities. The National Guard operates 58 of STARBASE's 81 locations worldwide. In 2022 alone, the STARBASE program educated nearly 100,000 students across grade levels.
โThis recognition is not just for me but for everyone who believes in the power of perseverance, excellence and the importance of paving the way for future generations,โ Thomas said. โIt underscores the belief that our contributions are invaluable and that our unique perspectives enrich the fabric of our professions.
โThis recognition goes beyond mere praise,โ he said. "It's about affirming the value of inclusion, equality and the strength that comes from a diverse makeup of services."
Carrell is a pioneer in her own right. She is the first noncommissioned officer selected to serve as an intelligence briefer for the director of the Army National Guard and the first noncommissioned officer hired by the National Guard Bureau's J-2 Directorate.
She has volunteered at over 50 youth programs as a keynote speaker, panelist, organizer and planner. Hokanson highlighted her tireless work as a volunteer with the Growing and Empowering Myself Successfully program for high school girls and the National Association of Black Engineers' Creative and Striving Hard to Succeed program.
She also co-authored Minority Achievements in Intelligence and National Security and serves on the alumni board of the National Intelligence University.
Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony Whitehead, the SEA to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, said he was proud of all of the honorees.
"Diversity of background and thought is critical to our ability to defend our nation, and we must ensure that we are a reflection of the American people we serve," Whitehead said.
Hokanson, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (aerospace) from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, said the service can be a conduit for everyone to succeed and contribute.
โA career in the Army gave me the most incredible opportunities I have ever had in my life: the closest friends I will ever have, the chance to meet my amazing wife, educational opportunities I only dreamed of, and experiences around the world with some of the greatest people I will ever meet,โ he said.
โWhen I joined the National Guard in 1995, those experiences only multiplied,โ he said. "Because the National Guard is about doing more, being more, and becoming everything you are."
