ARLINGTON, Virginia — Chief Warrant Officer 5 Bernard L. Aguon is the new command chief warrant officer for the Army National Guard — meaning a CHamoru from Guam now holds one of the highest posts in the nation’s military.
“It’s an absolute honor,” Aguon said. “I’ve always attributed a lot of my success to our rooted cultural values from Guam — working hard and the things I learned from my parents. The CHamoru culture, we’re a proud people.”
Aguon, 53, who grew up in Dededo and graduated from Simon Sanchez High School in 1990, was sworn in during a midday ceremony Oct. 24 in the atrium of the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington, Virginia.
He previously held a similar post with the District of Columbia National Guard, which he handed over during a separate ceremony Oct. 22 at the D.C. Armory.
Guam residents might remember Aguon from his years playing baseball on the island, with several village and all-star teams and in the Guam Major League. He also played baseball for Sanchez High, starting in 1989 on the school’s first team, and was a two-way football player, playing offense and defense for the Sharks.
Friends joke that Aguon still tells the same story about scoring as a tight end in a game against George Washington High School after catching a pass on a buttonhook route. He remains an avid Las Vegas Raiders fan.
Warrant officers, who hold officer status, are experts who advise commanders on technical matters. As command chief warrant officer, Aguon — whose specialty is human resources — will serve as the senior advisor to the Army National Guard’s command and oversee the development of other chief warrant officers.
His parents are the late Lorenzo “Larry” Aguon (familian Tiso) and Annie Quitugua Aguon (familian Carabao). His mother and family attended the ceremony along with hundreds of friends, relatives, and soldiers — an unusually large crowd for such an event. Annie Aguon sat in the front row.
“Thank you, mom… you’ve done so much to make me who I am today,” Aguon said.
He also dedicated the moment to his late father. “This is for you,” he said. “Besides, if it wasn’t for him, half of these people wouldn’t have traveled all the way to come see me. But dad, thanks. I love you.”
Aguon thanked his wife, Jennifer, whom he called the “glue” of the Aguon household. “Honey, your sacrifice allows me to keep going. Your contribution and the way you keep things together — you’re way more talented than I am — and everybody knows that.”
He also gave thanks to God, calling his career journey “incredible and significant.”
“It’s a moment that’s very historical,” Aguon said. “I’ve always believed that only through Him and His grace, that I — the ordinary — can do the extraordinary.”
Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, director of the Army National Guard, said many highly qualified chief warrant officers were considered for the job, but Aguon’s vision and passion stood out.
“I was just struck by this incredible sense of not just duty and commitment to the soldiers and the profession, but this incredible sense of enthusiasm,” Stubbs said.
After the ceremony, Aguon reflected on the significance of his achievement.
“Making it this far, it’s humbling and it’s also an honor,” he said. “You don’t see people make it this far in general, and then to have somebody from Guam make it to this level — I’m super proud. It’s a proud feeling knowing that, if I can do this, anybody can from the island.”
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