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Pago Pago, American Samoa— A daughter of American Samoa has reached a major milestone in her military career, entering the upper echelons of the U.S. Navy with her recent promotion to commanding officer O-5, the first senior officer rank equivalent to the rank of lieutenant colonel in other armed services.
Born in 1985 at the LBJ Tropical Medical Center in Fagalu, American Samoa, Helen Grace Niedo Uele-Honan’s journey began when she grew up in the idyllic tropical surroundings of the village of Fagaitua Utusia in the eastern part of the island.
A 20-minute drive from downtown Fagatogo, you’ll find postcard-perfect scenery: white sand beaches, crystal-clear lagoons and white waves breaking on coral reefs not far away.
These are the sights Helen saw growing up in her Pacific Road home, a far cry from the steel decks of the U.S. Navy frigates and destroyers she now calls her workplace.
Helen is of Samoan and Filipino descent. Her father is Fale Uele, a Samoan, and her mother is Heidi Niedo-Uele, a Filipino. She is the eldest of three daughters. Helen and her sisters, Lillian and Siuila, grew up in Utusia.
“The best of both worlds,” she said on social media when asked about her mixed heritage. “As an Afakasi (half Samoan, half Filipino), I am able to appreciate and respect different perspectives and understand the importance of diversity. I am proud to be a part of two cultures that have shaped me and made me who I am today.
“It’s great to have a Filipino mom and a Samoan dad. They both speak English at home so they can understand each other. In the village we speak English and Samoan, and when I’m with my Filipino family we speak mainly English but can understand conversations in Tagalog.”
However, she revealed that she had only been to the Philippines once, when she was 10 years old, to visit her mother’s family.
Having spent most of her life in Samoan culture, she decided to get a traditional female tattoo (Malu), starting on her upper thigh and ending just below her knee.
“For me, the Maru is a symbol of commitment, service and strength, and a physical, spiritual and emotional embodiment of cultural identity,” she said. “I know that I will be far from home due to my service in the Navy, so I want to remain committed to serving my family and community, maintaining cultural connections through the Maru, and sharing our Samoan culture with anyone I meet.
“I will feel protected and sheltered just like my ancestors did. Receiving Malu was an absolute out-of-body experience, the most painful yet most rewarding experience I have ever had in my life.”
According to her proud mom, she has always been an active, well-rounded child. Growing up, she was involved in sports such as soccer, tennis and volleyball. She played soccer for Fagaitua High School throughout high school.
In school, she always had good grades and was at the top of her class from kindergarten to high school.
She began her primary education at Samoa Baptist College in Tafuna, graduating as valedictorian of the 8th grade class in 1999. She then continued her secondary education at Fagaitua High School, the home of the Vikings, from 9th to 12th grade, graduating as valedictorian of the class of 2003.
Helen is also active in extracurricular activities, often representing FHS in math competitions, science fairs, essay contests, and local and off-island competitions.
She enjoys challenges that test her curiosity and insight, and is a member and leader of the National Honor Society at Fagaitua High School.
Yet, despite her academic prowess, Helen also loved the arts – singing, playing the piano, dancing shiva.
Spiritually, she was a devoted member of the Baptist Church (now known as Vai o le Ola Baptist Church) and was an active youth member during her elementary and high school years.
Her academic excellence has earned her numerous local scholarships, including a full scholarship to ASG.
However, a “spur of the moment” decision led her down an unexpected path: to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), a multiple-choice exam administered by the United States Military Admissions Processing Command to determine eligibility to join the United States Armed Forces.
Helen recalled that she took the ASVAB exam “because they were offering it in the cafeteria that day and I said ‘why not.’ I think I did well enough on the ASVAB that a Marine Corps recruiter went to American Samoa and asked if I would be interested in applying for a Navy and Marine Corps NROTC scholarship.
“Because I knew college was expensive and I wanted to help my parents, I thought I’d give it a try, and after considering other applicants from across the country, I was selected as a scholarship recipient. A representative from the Marine Corps flew in from Hawaii and handed me a scholarship check for $120,000 when I graduated.”
This was the largest full-tuition scholarship ever received on the island at the time. The prestigious Navy and Marine Corps Full Scholarship is a 4-year military scholarship that pays all fees, providing her with the opportunity to attend any college.
Ironically, she said, she never planned to join the military in high school, and she never participated in the JROTC program.
But it was the best scholarship she had ever received, so she decided to accept it.
The decision changed the trajectory of her career.
Interestingly, she initially chose to join the Marine Corps, but after a year in Naval ROTC, she decided to switch to the Navy.
From then on, she began her journey in the US Navy.
Helen enlisted in the Navy in 2008 from the Navy ROTC programs at Washington State University and the University of Idaho, and received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Studies.
Her first tour was aboard USS BONHOMME RICHARD (LHD 6) as an Electronic Warfare Officer. It was there that she earned her Surface Warfare Badge and was commissioned as a Surface Warfare Officer. In September 2012, she reported to USS MOBILE BAY (CG 53) to begin her second tour of duty as a Department Officer as a Damage Control Assistant.
After successfully completing the Department Head School, she was assigned as Weapons Officer to USS CHUNG HOON (DDG 93) from June 2016 to October 2017.
She then served as the Operations Officer aboard USS PORT ROYAL (CG 73) at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, from October 2017 to July 2019. She then reported to Destroyer Squadron THREE ONE in July 2019, serving as the J3 for Pacific Partnership 2020.
CDR Uele-Honan’s shore experience includes serving as the Assistant Diversity Officer at Naval Surface Forces Command, Coronado, California, from December 2009 to August 2012.
In 2014, she attended the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, completed Phase I of JPME, and received a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management with honors from Webster University.
From February 2021 to July 2023, CDR Uele-Honan served as the Integration Officer for the OPNAV N53 Division Cross-Section, the Executive Assistant to OPNAV N5, and as the Deputy Executive Assistant to OPNAV N3N5 at the Pentagon.
Her awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Marine Corps Achievement Medal and various unit and service awards.
She is married to LTC Shane Honan (US Army, Ret.) and has two children, Korrina and Benjamin, and two stepchildren, Lucas and Sarah.
Commander Velle-Honen is the executive officer aboard USS CHOSIN (CG 65) in San Diego, Calif. She is committed to continuing her service in the U.S. Navy.
In an earlier interview with her mother, she recalled that Helen had always been interested in science while growing up and aspired to go into medicine and become a doctor.
That was not the way it turned out, the medical profession’s loss was the U.S. Navy’s gain, and American Samoa, as a native, born and raised in the Territory, received the rank of O-5 Commander.
Furthermore, at 39, she has the potential and time to climb higher in the USN rankings.
Looking back on her journey, Helen thanks her parents for their love and support, especially the valuable advice they gave her, which helped her overcome the many challenges she encountered.
“My dad told my sisters and me growing up, and continues to tell us today: ‘Keep your head down. Stay humble. Remember, always put God first.’ It kept us grounded, and to this day, it’s still something we live by in our daily lives.
“The glory, honor and praise go to God,” acknowledged Commander Ulay-Honan. “I was able to reach this milestone in my career only because of the prayers and support of my family, friends, community and mentors. Fa’afetai, fa’afetai, fa’afetai tele lava. Maraming, maraming salamat po. Thank you so much!”
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