Always Ready, Always There: Brigadier General Lisa J. Hou & the New Jersey National Guard

By: Community Magazine | April 28, 2023 |  |  Colts Neck , Fair Haven , Holmdel , Lincroft , Little Silver , Locust , Red Bank , Rumson , Sea Bright

FEATURED PHOTO COURTESY OF: Brigadier General Lisa J. Hou

Brigadier General Lisa Hou’s affinity for Monmouth County began as a child, not long after her parents moved their family here from Washington, DC.

Raised in Middletown and Rumson, and currently a resident of Belmar, Hou proudly describes her home county, saying, “you have everything you could want here – great communities, great people, and a great location… what else could you want?”

The general shares that her parents raised her and her siblings with a strong desire to serve their community. Her father was an anesthesiologist at Riverview Medical Center for over forty years while her mother was an active volunteer, doing a tremendous amount of work to plan and host local community events. Hou recalls many fond memories of growing up in Monmouth County, from spending time roaming the fairgrounds with her younger sisters at the Monmouth County Fair, to enjoying summer days on the greatest beaches in New Jersey, to assisting at the fundraising events that her mother organized.

General Hou did not initially plan on joining the military. As a child, she remembers her grandfather regularly taking her to New York City for brunches in Chinatown. A retired two-star General in the Chinese Nationalist Army, he would regale her with stories from his time in service. As Hou tells it, it was the influence of her grandfather and parents that left an indelible mark on her and stoked a fire of selfless service that helped guide her future career path.

After graduating from college, Hou went on to medical school. It was there that one of her fellow students introduced her to the idea of serving in the National Guard. Her classmate invited her to be part of a research project about medical pilots serving in the Guard. After spending a few months flying around in Huey helicopters as part of the study, Hou knew she had found her calling. “I loved it,” the General relates, “I was hooked. Not long after that, I went to see a recruiter and I signed up for the National Guard.”

Initially, her parents did not understand her decision and, like many parents, didn’t comprehend the differences between active-duty military and the National Guard. “I was their eldest daughter and they were worried that I would be going off to war,” Hou says, “but over the years, they came to understand how much serving in the Guard meant to me and I can now say that they are proud of me and my career.” Twenty-eight years later, that career has included tours in Afghanistan and Iraq as a field surgeon, a medical practice in Hazlet Township, and eventually being appointed as the 33rd Adjutant General of the New Jersey National Guard.
 

PHOTO: Brigadier General Lisa J. Hou, Governor Philip D. Murphy, and Brigadier General Robert W. Hughes Jr. review the Soldiers and Airmen of the New Jersey National Guard in 2022 | COURTESY OF: Brigadier General Lisa J. Hou
 

Serve With Honor, Live With Purpose

The National Guard is unique in that it is a dual role operational force: partially federal and partially state. While many people associate the service with active deployment, that is only a limited part of the state militia’s mission.

The New Jersey National Guard responds to federal missions as ordered by the President of the United States. A large portion of the Guard’s federal role involves international military-to-military engagements. General Hou stresses that the Guard only works on defensive operations and is not involved in other countries’ offensive operations. An example of this engagement is the State Partnership Program. Under this program, the New Jersey National Guard has been the official partner of the Republic of Albania’s military for the past 22 years. New Jersey’s soldiers and airmen train Albania’s military and deploy alongside them. The purpose of this program is to enhance security cooperation between the United States and the partner nation and to build long-lasting, fruitful relationships. Not long ago, the Guard was on hand to assist the Albanian military with shoring up their cyber security network in order to repel a major hacking attempt by the government of Iran. General Hou was proud that her airmen were able to guide their Albanian partners through this challenge. More recently, the New Jersey National Guard signed a similar state partnership agreement with the Republic of Cyprus – a relationship that the General is very excited about.

On the state side, the Guard’s local mission is what differentiates them from active-duty forces. “One of our biggest assets is that we serve in our own communities,” the General states. The Guard was actively involved in the state’s response to Superstorm Sandy in 2012, especially in Monmouth County. The General relates that her guardsmen served throughout the county and the state, doing whatever needed to be done to help New Jerseyans recover. Those tasks included traffic control, delivering necessary supplies, evacuating residents, and assisting with transportation. In 2020, the Guard was also deployed to assist with coordinating New Jersey’s COVID-19 response, in what Hou describes as the largest domestic operation the National Guard has had in years, if not decades. Guardsmen staffed vaccine mega-sites, oversaw mortuary affairs, and even administered vaccine doses to New Jersey residents.

“Our motto is ‘Always Ready, Always There’” Hou says, “and I really do believe we provide that to our neighbors.”

As Adjutant General, Hou commands a force of nearly 8,400 soldiers and airmen who make up the New Jersey National Guard. The majority of those service members are part-time, with the traditional commitment being one weekend per month and 15 days of training per year. While, across the nation, many states are struggling with recruitment to their state militias, General Hou is proud to share that the New Jersey National Guard is in very good shape, at about 99-100% of their required strength. But that doesn’t mean that she’s not actively recruiting new service members. “We have some of the best benefits in the nation,” states the General, “including free college and graduate school tuition, leadership and career training, and the opportunity to be part of a dedicated team.” Hou points out that she has utilized the benefits herself, graduating with an MBA from Rutgers University School of Business-Camden in 2020. Commenting on the camaraderie that develops among guardsmen who serve together, the General adds, “the people who we work with and the teams that we create… they’re like having another family.”
 

PHOTO COURTESY OF: Brigadier General Lisa J. Hou
 

We Value Our Veterans

In addition to her role as Adjutant General of the National Guard, Hou also serves on the governor’s cabinet as Commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMAVA). In this part of her job, Hou oversees a team that provides benefits and services to an estimated 320,000 veterans across the state.

Along with managing the state’s three veterans nursing homes, Hou is very proud of the department’s two transitional facilities, Veterans Haven North (Glen Gardner) and Veterans Haven South (Winslow Township). These centers serve displaced veterans (DMAVA’s term for veterans experiencing homelessness) by providing immediate food and shelter and, in the long-term, getting veterans back on their feet and into stable jobs and permanent housing. During their stays at the transition center, displaced veterans have access to counseling services, transportation to VA medical appointments, and job assistance. Hou says that the two facilities have a strong track record of getting displaced veterans into permanent living situations.

The DMAVA also offers the NJ Service Medal Program, awarding seven different medals to New Jersey’s veterans in recognition of their military service. General Hou emphasizes her desire for this program to grow and expand and points out that any veteran, family member, or friend can nominate an eligible veteran to receive a service medal. Medals are awarded at ceremonies arranged by the DMAVA at locations that are convenient to the veteran.

Hou also encourages local institutions and organizations to get involved in supporting New Jersey’s veterans. The We Value Our Veterans initiative was established as a way for municipalities, educational institutions, and businesses to take part in honoring and providing benefits to local veterans. By reaching a specified number of veterans-related goals, a participating organization is designated as a “We Value Our Veterans” institution, signaling to the greater community their commitment to honoring the patriotism of New Jersey’s veterans.

Perhaps most critically, the DMAVA provides Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) to serve as liaisons between the veteran population and the state government. New Jersey currently has fourteen VSOs, and General Hou has a goal of expanding the program to have a dedicated VSO for each of New Jersey’s 21 counties. “Veterans have earned the rights to these benefits, and I want every one of them to receive all of the benefits that they deserve,” she states. VSOs can assist veterans with their New Jersey state tax exemption (a $6,000 annual benefit), property tax benefits, and counseling resources, among others. However, according to Hou, the service that veterans seem to need the most assistance with is filing for their VA disability claims. She notes, “last year our VSOs helped veterans bring in over $70 million in claims awards – that’s a lot of money that many veterans are missing out on.”
 

PHOTO COURTESY OF: Brigadier General Lisa J. Hou
 

Memorial Day: A Time to Pay Homage

At the end of this month, communities across the nation will gather to commemorate Memorial Day. For General Hou, and many veterans like her, this day of remembrance is a time to ensure that we pay appropriate homage to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. There are three war memorials managed by the DMAVA: the World War II Memorial in Trenton, the Korean War Memorial in Atlantic City, and the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Vietnam Era Museum in Holmdel. According to the New Jersey Veterans’ Memorial Foundation, which operates the memorial, Monmouth County was chosen as the location for the memorial because the “rolling hills in this area provided serenity and tranquility appropriate to a memorial to those who gave their life for this country.” General Hou recommends that residents take the opportunity to visit all three of New Jersey’s memorials, but points out that the Holmdel location has easy access right off the Garden State Parkway, affording the opportunity to stop in for a moment of reflection and to pay respect.

The DMAVA also oversees the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown, NJ, one of the busiest state-run veterans cemeteries in the nation. It is here that the department will host its annual Memorial Day commemoration, with Governor Murphy and General Hou in attendance. For Hou, one of the most meaningful parts of the weekend is getting to see the hundreds of scouts arrive at the cemetery on the day before the ceremony to place American flags on every single gravesite. In spending time with these young volunteers, General Hou says that most of the scouts have genuine appreciation for the sacrifices of these service members. “These are peoples’ parents, their children, their brothers and sisters, and they should never be forgotten,” says Hou, adding that, “seeing that these young kids understand what Memorial Day means… that is really heartwarming.”

Hou encourages all New Jersey residents to take part in a Memorial Day ceremony hosted by the state or their local municipality. She also invites New Jerseyans to pause on that day to remember and prioritize what the day is truly about.

“For me,” says the General, “every day should be Memorial Day.”

We Are Here to Serve Our Own Communities

General Hou concluded her thoughts with a message to her fellow Monmouth County residents, saying, “I love living in Monmouth County. I want to thank my neighbors for making this a great community and for their support of our military. Monmouth County is a very patriotic community, and we appreciate your support!” She also encouraged her neighbors to answer the call to serve, noting “we do have a lot of guardsmen from Monmouth, and I would love to see even more.”

Hou’s final words reflected her appreciation for the opportunity to serve her state and her country these past 28 years. “I never imagined that investing this much into the military would ever be in my career path, but it’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
 

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