March 24, 2006

The right man for the job

Evergreen’s Eldon Regua named United States Army Reserve Brigadier General

By Michelle Hecht
Staff Writer

Only three percent of United States Army Reserve colonels ever get promoted to brigadier general. Evergreen resident Eldon Regua is one of them.

Evergreen resident Eldon Regua received the prestigious honor of United States Army Reserve Brigadier General on January 5, 2006.

Nominated by President George Bush on April 4, 2005, he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 27 receiving the prestigious honor on January 5, 2006.

“I didn’t expect to ever reach the rank of brigadier general,” said Regua. “Lieutenant colonel would have been nice probably when I was a young captain. Colonel would have been probably a super, super bonus. It’s just an honor.”

His success comes from years of hard work, dedication and a strong family upbringing.

Born and raised in San Jose with his four brothers and two sisters, Regua and his family worked picking prunes, walnuts, green beans and apricots. Right up the street from where he now lives, he used to work in an apricot dry yard.

“I was probably 8 or 9 years old when my mom took all seven of us out to work,” said Regua.

Born in El Paso, Texas, Regua’s mom Evangeline met his dad Philip in 1950 while picking green beans in Milpitas. Philip had come to the U.S. from the Philippines in 1929 and was 23 years older than Evangeline. In 1968, they bought a house in Evergreen.

“My dad had to drop out of school in the fifth -grade in the Philippines, but he taught me, whatever you do, do it the very best and work the hardest,” said Regua.

“I’ve tried to apply those same principles to my life, and to make general officer is just a very high achievement for anybody. I think there are only two Filipino or Mexican Reserve general officers. That’s a pretty small population of minority generals in the entire army. I’m proud of that fact,” added Regua, who is of both Filipino and Mexican decent.

While helping his family, Regua also concentrated on school. After graduating from Silver Creek High School in 1973 with numerous academic awards and scholarships, he attended Santa Clara University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Commerce degree in accounting.

Brigadier General Eldon Regua has the support of his family. (Top Row): stepson Ronnie, wife Cirella, Eldon Regua, son Daniel. (Bottom Row): daughter Sarah, son Jason, grandson Jayson.

Regua would later get a Master of business administration degree from Chapman University and a Master of strategic studies degree from the United States Army War College.

“My four bothers all have college degrees. I’m real proud of the fact that we all had the wherewithal to advance ourselves by getting a college education and taking on higher responsibility positions in our lives,” said Regua.

Regua, who is now 50 years old, started his military career at the age of 21 after deciding he wanted to move out of San Jose and see the world. Santa Clara University’s ROTC program afforded him that opportunity through an army commission as a second lieutenant.

On active duty, he completed his air defense artillery officer basic course at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. He was then shipped off to Giessen, Germany for three years, working as an assault fire platoon leader, tactical control officer and executive officer. While there, Regua was a qualified Allied Air Forces Central Europe Battery Control Evaluator, where he evaluated the readiness of Dutch, German and other U.S. Army Hawk units.

And he finally had the chance to see the world.

“I got to travel around quite a bit in Germany,” said Regua, who also visited Greece, Belgium, England, the Netherlands and France. “You could do Paris on a three-day weekend from Frankfurt, Germany.”

After serving four-and-a-half years on active duty, his last year in Alabama, he returned to San Jose in 1981 to start a civilian career. In 1983, he joined the Army Reserve, where he held positions of increased responsibility throughout the years.

During his position in 2003 as assistant chief of staff for operations while with the 91st Division headquartered in Dublin, he was mobilized prior to the Iraq war breaking out. The division was responsible for training and certifying soldiers going to the war fight.

“That short five months that I was mobilized as a Division G3, we touched over 455 units totaling 20,000 soldiers just in those three locations [Fort Lewis, Washington, Fort Bliss, Texas and Fort Carson, Colorado] at the time I was overlooking that entire operation,” said Regua.

In July 2003, he demobilized after being selected as chief of staff for the 104th Division in Vancouver, Washington. He served in that role until August 31, 2005 when he was placed in his current position as assistant division commander for operations, overseeing 33 units in 12 western states. The division trains soldiers in over 150 military occupational specialties.

According to Regua, his goal is to make sure the brigade commanders have what they need to help their battalion commanders in turn help their instructors have the very best equipment, the latest doctrine to teach soldiers and full classes.

Regua works with seven brigade commanders to ensure they are executing the commanding general’s training intent in regards to soldier readiness, soldier care, family care and making sure their unit is at full strength.

While living in San Jose and maintaining a full-time civilian job, he meets with units on the weekends.

“When you go down to units and talk to soldiers specifically, then they tell you what’s wrong or what’s going well,” said Regua. “As a general, you’re more like a servant leader. You’re a leader, but you’re a servant. The reason I have stars on my shoulders is to serve soldiers and help them be successful in their jobs. As a brigadier general, you serve soldiers and ensure their family’s needs are met.”

He also aims to relate to the soldiers on a more personal level. On a recent trip to a unit in Lathrop, California, he decided to speak to them about his upbringing, recognizing that many would have similar backgrounds.

Brigadier General Eldon Regua with his wife, Cirella, credits her for helping him balance both a military and civilian career.

“It was just nice to talk to the soldiers at their level,” said Regua. “I could see that they appreciated a general coming down and talking to them.”

He also joins them on the required army physical fitness test – a two-mile run, two minutes of push-ups and two minutes of sit-ups.

“I like to go out and take it with soldiers, so they see the old man out there,” said Regua. “I’m not behind a desk; I’m out there actually doing the training with them.”

Balancing two careers has been challenging for Regua, but he credits his wife of 10 years, Cirella, who is active herself in the Army Reserve family readiness groups, for helping him do it. He also has the support of his four grown children.

With two-and-a-half years remaining in his position as an assistant division commander, Regua said he is enjoying his new position and doing his very best. He is also thinking of what comes next for him.

“You should always be looking strategically at the next job or at least the next promotion. If the good Lord wills it, it’s great, if not, then Eldon’s okay with Eldon being a brigadier general,” said Regua, explaining he would most likely have to compete for a two-star position or retire.

“I am fully happy with what I have achieved up to this point ... It’s humbling, I almost want to cry. I’m so humbled to have the position that I do,” said Regua, who added that he only wishes his father was still alive to see it.