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In 2019, when Col. Hyo “Jeana” Cho learned she had been selected for battalion command through the Title 10 federal officer board process, her next step seemed simple: remain in the District of Columbia, where she had spent her entire military career. But D.C. had no available command positions, forcing her to look beyond the only organization she had ever known.
That unexpected obstacle opened the door to something new.
Through the Title 10 federal officer board process, her name was released to every state with a logistics battalion and eight expressed interest. Two quiet influences, however, nudged her toward Michigan. Members of her leadership circle — her supervisor and a trusted warrant officer — were both from Michigan and spoke highly of the organization. At the same time, Col. Scott Myers, then serving as both human resources office director and commander of the 272nd Regimental Support Group, was actively recruiting talent from outside the state.
Cho still did her due diligence. What she found surprised her. Both the adjutant general and governor had recently assumed their roles, signaling momentum and a forward-leaning vision. From her position in the National Guard Bureau G-4 Supply Branch, she worked with all 54 states and territories. Michigan consistently stood out.
“They were engaged. They were professional. And I was genuinely impressed,” she said.
What impressed her most was Michigan’s approach to developing senior leaders. While many states hold tightly to their strongest officers, Michigan routinely sends its best to Title 10 assignments, developing them at the national level and bringing them back stronger.
“That told me everything I needed to know about the TAG’s long-term priorities,” Cho said. “So when the opportunity came, it wasn’t a hard decision. I knew I wanted to come here.”
After returning to NGB, she did not expect another opportunity, as O-6 command is highly competitive, particularly for Title 10 officers. When Michigan reached out again in 2025, her answer was immediate.
“Absolutely,” she said.
Transitioning to Michigan gave Cho her first true look at how a state National Guard operates. Coming from the D.C. Guard, which lacks a traditional state structure, she had long wondered how the full enterprise fit together. As chief of joint staff, she now sees that system firsthand, from the Army Guard and Air Guard to State Operations, the Military and Veterans Affairs Agency and the Veterans Homes.
That visibility also gives her influence.
She can identify friction points before they grow, ensure information flows smoothly across organizations and help replicate successful processes. If the Air Guard pioneers a new approach, she can help share it with the Army Guard. If a gap exists between Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency resources and Soldiers preparing to transition out of the military, she can work to close it.
At its core, her job is simple: bring people together.
“The fact that when we come together as a group, share information with each other, help each other out, then find solutions together…that is the exciting part for me,” she said.
Her leadership style is deeply rooted in her education, much of which she pursued under demanding conditions. She earned her doctorate while serving through two combat deployments, balancing missions, academic research and deadlines. The experience sharpened her critical thinking and taught her to challenge her own assumptions.
“I debate myself constantly,” she said with a laugh. “I’m the prosecutor and the defendant.”
She also deliberately sought environments that pushed her outside her comfort zone. For Command and Staff, she bypassed the Army program and applied to the Marine Corps, where only three National Guard officers are selected each year. Later, she chose a Harvard fellowship over the Army or Air War College, immersing herself in a community of civilians, international students and professionals with vastly different perspectives.
“It reminded me that the world doesn’t revolve around the military,” she said. “And that perspective matters.”
That outlook shapes how she leads today: with curiosity, humility and a genuine desire to understand others.
What energizes her most in her current roles is not the ceremonies or milestones, but the moments when connections finally happen — when the Army, Air and state partners align and information begins to move smoothly.
“That’s why many of us stay in the military,” she said. “The teamwork. The problem-solving. Laughing together. Getting through the tough days together.”
Exercises like Northern Strike give her more of those moments: new challenges, new solutions and new opportunities to grow.
What keeps her grounded, however, is quieter.
Two foundations shape her life: her husband and her faith.
Her husband, a retired colonel, offers her honesty without sugarcoating the truth and keeps her aligned with her values.
“He keeps me grounded, and I do the same for him,” she said.
She also welcomes candid feedback from teammates, including the friends, peers, former coworkers and Soldiers she leads. She avoids the term “subordinates,” believing it implies separation rather than shared purpose. At the deepest level, her quiet, private faith provides her peace, humility and perspective.
“When I feel myself drifting from my values, I always come back,” she said. “My faith does that for me.”
That grounding shapes her leadership philosophy. She has never viewed Soldiers as numbers or tasks, but as people with purpose and potential.
Her goal is to help them become the best versions of themselves.
“I think about the end of life,” she said. “When I die one day, I want to be proud of the person I was — not the rank, not the money, but the person.”
She believes deeply in character, integrity and the energy people put into the world. She gives freely of her time, mentorship and support, believing she has been blessed in return.
Most of all, she wants service members to understand the weight of their influence.
“You have the power to change lives in this profession,” she said. “No one joins the military to fail. We owe it to them to help them grow into who they are meant to be.”
| Date Taken: | 12.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.15.2025 10:39 |
| Story ID: | 553891 |
| Location: | LANSING, MICHIGAN, US |
| Hometown: | LANSING, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From DC to Michigan: Chief of Joint Staff Brings Vision, Humility, and Humanity to the Mission, by SGT Catherine Brooks, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
