Photo By Sgt. 1st Class William Tanner | U.S. Army 1st Lt. Shane Barry, a 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC),...... read more read more
PEARL CITY, Hawaii – Throughout his time with the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Shane Barry, a 94th AAMDC Headquarters and Headquarters Battery executive officer, has made it a point to show support to the hometown that has given him so much.
Barry was born and raised in Pearl City, located on the island of Oahu, and grew up near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
“I am a native of Pearl City, Oahu,” said Barry. “Growing up near Pearl Harbor provided me with a constant reminder of the weight of service and the importance of our military history in the Pacific.”
From volunteering with local kids at the Annual Youth Impact Program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to possibly working with his hometown high school to help incorporate a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, Barry sees giving back to the community he loves as a moral imperative.
As he grew up, Barry dreamt of serving his country in the United States military. Known for his dedication, Barry fully commits to every goal he sets.
The evidence of his mindset was demonstrated in an award he won, “Charger of the Year,” when he graduated from Pearl City High School in 2019. This award was given to him by his high school in recognition of the single individual who demonstrated and lived the Charger’s values of “Excellence with Honor.”
This award is not an easy achievement for high school kids by any means. They must demonstrate real efforts in service to their communities, go through an interview process and be hand selected by a board of teachers from the school.
“Service is a fundamental part of my family’s identity,” said Barry. “My father served in the United States Navy for 20 years, and his commitment to the mission inspired me to continue his legacy.”
What community members do throughout their lives and how they represent their family name is of the utmost importance on an island where things like honor, dignity, and respect for others are embedded into the ‘Aloha’ culture.
Aloha is an Hawaiian word for greeting or parting with someone. However, most Hawaiians will tell you that one should live with aloha in their hearts. In this form, the word has a whole new meaning. People should live with love and caring in their hearts daily. It’s a general sentiment that everyone throughout the islands can appreciate and what Barry aspires to daily.
“I am a product of the educators and mentors in this community who invested in my development,” said Barry. “As the first student from my alma mater to earn an appointment to West Point, I feel a profound responsibility to demonstrate that through discipline, resilience, and teamwork, any objective is attainable regardless of where you start.”
Going from an island in the pacific to the oldest U.S. military service academy, would not be an easy transition for most people. However, Barry comes from a place that has a storied history intertwined with its modern-day culture that can be seen in how people interact with each other every day. Respect for the Hawaiian culture serves as a daily motivation for Barry and helped motivate him throughout college with him being the first Pearl City High School student to have ever gone to the United States Military Academy - West Point.
Barry has never taken that honor lightly and does his best to give back to his local community in his version of ‘Paying it Forward.’
“My motivation to engage with my community is rooted in my journey from Pearl City High School to the United States Military Academy,” said Barry. “Returning to my alma mater is an opportunity to pay that investment forward."
Barry expounded on his need to give back to the community that he feels invested so much in him.
“My goal is to educate, train, and inspire the next generation of leaders to embrace challenges and strive for excellence in their own pursuits,” said Barry.
As Barry continues to be of service to his country by serving in an Army active-duty capacity, and recently accepting the job of aide de camp to the Commanding General of the 94th AAMDC, Brig. Gen. William Parker, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, he is able to come full circle in, not only his dream of serving his country, but also in his desire to give back to the community that has supported his dreams for so long.
His chance to do this came in the form of a student at his former high school, who in her own way followed in his footsteps. Her name is Rica Marie Ragasa, and she is a distinguished junior at Pearl City High School, Barry’s alma mater.
Ragasa holds the distinct honor of being the “Class of 2027” student president, the Vice President of the National Honor Society, and she has distinguished herself as a dedicated advocate for her peers as well as a catalyst for community service.
“Her commitment to citizenship is evident in her roles as an ambassador and mentor for 'Malama Mentors,' where she supports the emotional and academic growth of elementary students,” said Barry. “Rica further showcases her versatility through competitive success in air riflery competitions, film, and media productions.”
Ragasa has a deep passion for helping others and is also a filmmaker. Those two interests made for powerful allies when she became a multi-award-winning creator who secured first-place awards from the Hawaii International Film Festival and from her local student television network. She’s also hosted segments on PBS Hawaii and led the Interact Club and Mock Trial team as vice president at her school.
To say Ragasa has become very successful in her own right at such a young age would be an understatement. After all, she is a high school junior on her way to becoming a senior carrying a 4.105 GPA.
Her many accomplishments thus far led to her school’s college and career counselor, Ms. Danalyn Murata, reaching out to the West Point Society of Hawaii on Ragasa’s behalf for consideration in the awarding of the General (R) Shinseki Award for Character and Leadership. Once Ragasa was selected for the award, Barry volunteered to present it, on behalf of the WPSH, to the student who attends his alma mater.
This award, named after U.S. Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, who also graduated from West Point and was the first Asian American to achieve the rank of four-star general, is earned by students who show outstanding quality of character and excellent leadership traits. Being able to hand this award to a deserving student, like Ragasa, was an honor for Barry.
“Presenting the ‘General Shinseki Award’ was a definitive ‘full circle’ moment,” said Barry.
On May 8, 2026, Barry was able to close that “circle” by presenting Ragasa with the award on stage and in front of her peers during her school’s Pearl City Ohana Night at the Michael D. Nakasone Performing Arts Center.
Ohana is the Hawaiian word for family. You don’t have to be a blood relative to be considered ohana. You can be a close friend or even neighbor. If people are bonded to each other by love, care, and mutual support, just about anyone can be considered ohana.
For Barry, it’s the community he grew up in.
“Standing on the same stage where I once sat as a student, now as a West Point graduate and representative of the West Point Society of Hawaii, is a distinct privilege,” said Barry. “It serves as a powerful reminder of the bridge between our local communities and the profession of arms.”
As Barry moves forward in his Army career, he can move with a sort of confidence that he’s been chasing all these many years. That being the confidence of a local kid who came up through the same school system and circumstances as most of the kids in his area and throughout Oahu, made something of himself, and returned to give back to the island ohana, who has supported him every step of the way.
Barry credits his ohana with pushing and supporting him to get to where he is today. He plans to pay that investment back in the only way he knows how, which is by mentoring and guiding local kids the way he was.
| Date Taken: | 12.31.1969 |
| Date Posted: | 06.04.2026 17:07 |
| Story ID: | 566914 |
| Location: | PEARL CITY, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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