FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii- After three years of 12-hour flights to the most remote island chain on the planet for Army Reserve duty, Brig. Gen. Janice Haigler embraces a nine-hour drive, and Washington, D.C. traffic.
Haigler, former Deputy Commanding General, 311th Signal Command (Theater), reported for her new assignment as Director of Cyber Security, for the Office of the Army Chief Information Officer, Sep. 8.
For her exceptional support since 2011, the 311th SC(T) command team, Maj. Gen. Lawrence W. Brock III and Command Sgt. Maj. Darris Curry, presented Haigler with the Legion of Merit Award during a Joint Communicators Forum in the Mission Training Complex, Schofield Barracks, as part of Signal Week, Sep. 2-5.
"One of the accomplishments for which I'm most proud of the 311th is that we have consistently rated at or near the top of every measurable U.S. Army Reserve readiness metric," Haigler said in reflection on the highlights of her three year tenure with the 311th.
She received a warm round of applause from the several hundred Signaleers, Information Managers, Civilian Communicators, Senior enlisted leaders and commissioned officers converged from around the world on Oahu to share best practices and receive updates on the integral role the Army Signal mission plays in Cyber Defense.
The 311th team hosted an evening social for Haigler at the Officers Club on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Sep. 13.
"We are here to honor an invaluable "battle buddy," my Deputy Commander, Brigadier General Haigler, and wish her well on her next chapter," Brock said. "You serve as an impeccable example for us all, in balancing one's Army Reserve duties with a demanding and successful civilian position, which is not one but two huge responsibilities."
Haigler's daughter Kristelle and son-in-law Tom also attended the social, and with them in spirit was Haigler's late husband Lewis "Buck" Buchanan, with whom Haigler spent what she considers the best years of her life.
"Buck and I both appreciated the opportunity to bring him back to the islands he loved, to heal his spirit even though we couldn't heal his body," Haigler said of her husband's last trip to Hawaii while she was assigned to the 311th. A fellow Army officer, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Buchanen last served as Chief of Staff, 24th Infantry Division (Forward), then as a Civilian served as Deputy G3 for First Army Division East until he passed. "I will always be grateful for the command circling the wagons as his illness progressed and for all the support when we lost him."
One by one, unit teams came forward and presented Haigler with leis, gifts and words of thanks for her proactive, hands-on approach to leadership.
"Brigadier General Haigler's career thusfar is hallmarked by her service not only to the Army's Signal community, but also as a leader at the joint and multi-national level," Brock said. "She has given unfailing support to the exercises and operations we support throughout the Pacific and the world, she provided the oversight and command emphasis to ensure improvement of our readiness posture, and when called upon, embodied that physical presence, the "boots on the ground" needed to help cement and strengthen relationships between the U.S. and our regional partners."
Attendees played games, enjoyed a slideshow of images commemorating Haigler's military service and heard remarks from Brock who thanked her for her numerous contributions to the command.
"Jan, on behalf of all of us in the 311th family, I wish you a fond and heartfelt farewell. Thank you for all you have done as our Deputy Commanding General, a position reserved for those of the highest caliber," Brock said in closing, "You applied your knowledge gained from nearly 30 years in the Signal Corps to build on the strengths of our dynamic team of Soldiers and Civilians, and made a positive impact on our communities throughout the Pacific, the Signal Regiment, and the Army."
Haigler was also recognized during the Signal Week's culminating event, the annual Signal Corps Regimental Ball, for which nearly 800 Soldiers from various Army units across Oahu and their spouses gathered to celebrate the 154th birthday of the U.S. Army's Signal Corps at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Sep. 5.
"The 311th is an amazing organization, and I remain in awe of all you do for the Army and the nation," Haigler said at her farewell social. "Many thanks for allowing me a small part in this great unit. I am humbled and honored to have had the opportunity to serve with you."
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