Hawaiʻi Air National Guard Leader Promoted to Brigadier General

U.S. Air Force Col. Jamielyn G. Thompson was promoted to brigadier general during a ceremony at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaiʻi, Sept. 16, 2026, recognizing her decades of military service and marking her transition to a senior leadership role supporting operations across the Pacific.

Acting Lt. Gov. Keith Regan presided over the ceremony on behalf of Gov. Josh Green and Maj. Gen. Stephen F. Logan, adjutant general of the State of Hawaiʻi, administered the oath of office.

“Today we celebrate an extraordinary milestone in your career and recognize the years of service, sacrifice and leadership that have brought you to this very moment,” Regan said.

Regan highlighted the Hawaiʻi National Guard’s commitment to serving communities at home and supporting the nation, noting that this work requires leaders who understand the responsibility entrusted to them.

“The star that will soon be placed upon your shoulders represents tremendous achievement,” Regan said. “But it also represents something even greater. Trust.”

Thompson’s promotion follows a career spanning active-duty Air Force service and leadership positions in the Hawaiʻi National Guard. Originally from Morgan, Minn., she earned her commission in 1998 through the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Minnesota. After completing pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, she flew the C-21, C-130 and C-17 aircraft.

She served 10 years as an active-duty Air Force officer, finishing as Senior Director of Operations for the 613th Air and Space Operations Center before transitioning to the Hawaiʻi Air National Guard in 2008. During her subsequent service in the Hawaiʻi National Guard, she held a variety of leadership positions, including Chief of the Joint Staff.

Thompson will serve as the Air National Guard Assistant to the Director of Operations, A-3, at Pacific Air Forces, where she will advise on combat readiness and lead total force integration efforts for more than 46,000 airmen across U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s area of responsibility.

The position places Thompson in a key role supporting operational readiness and coordination across the Pacific, drawing on her experience as a pilot, operations leader and joint staff officer.

Thompson emphasized that leadership is built on relationships and the trust service members place in those who lead them.

“You trust me with your missions, your organizations, your careers and sometimes even what’s going on in your life outside of uniform,” Thompson said. “That trust has always meant more to me than this title or any position. And it still does.”

Thompson recognized the family members, colleagues and mentors who supported her throughout her career. Speaking about the demands of military life, including changing schedules, assignments and the sacrifices required of military families.

“Of course, none of this happens without the people who live this life with you,” Thompson said. “And the village that has supported our family along the way.” She credited her family and support network with helping make her continued service possible, while encouraging others to remain open to opportunities and focus on doing meaningful work.

“If there’s anything I hope you take away from today, it isn’t the rank and all the fanfare,” Thompson said. “I hope you see that life doesn’t have to follow a rigid, perfectly planned script to take you someplace meaningful.”

Thompson’s promotion reflects both her individual achievements and the continued service of the Hawaiʻi National Guard’s airmen and soldiers, whose state and federal missions support communities in Hawaiʻi and operations throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

Watch the ceremony: https://youtu.be/XecTEaBBXz0

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