The Army recently promoted Lance Okamura, making him one of the few Native Hawaiians to achieve the rank of two-star general.
In an exclusive interview, General Okamura shared his thoughts on his new role and what it means to represent Hawaii at this high level in the United States Army.
Although seen as a trailblazer, Okamura humbly shared, I have honestly never viewed myself as a role model because I still have an immense amount of learning and growing to do no matter how old I may be. I’ve always just viewed myself as a simple servant and supporter to our nation and to the people of Hawaii.
As a Kamehameha Schools alumnus, he feels a deep commitment to inspiring young Hawaiians to dream big and achieve the impossible.
In his role as one of three Deputy Commanding Generals for the US Army Pacific, Okamura oversees peace and stability efforts across the Indo-Pacific theater, which stretches from the California coast to India and from the North Pole to Antarctica.
He describes this vast responsibility as “providing security from Hollywood to Bollywood, from the polar bears to the penguins.”
His mission is multifaceted, focusing on homeland defense, supporting civil authorities, and building relationships with Pacific allies. Okamura emphasized the Army’s role in the community, beyond traditional military duties.
When anyone runs out of gas, has car trouble, or an accident on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway, or Saddle Road on the Big Island, normally the first people to stop and render aid are from the US Army,” he explained, highlighting the daily contributions of military personnel in Hawaii.