Mary J. Kight continues to be a trailblazer

Reporting from Sacramento — 

Mary J. Kight, already the first woman general in the California National Guard, will become the group’s first female leader Tuesday.

She will also be the first African American woman at the helm of any national guard in the country.

Kight, 59, a Republican who lives in Sacramento, recognizes that for some, these are important firsts.

“It depends on who is looking at me,” she said. “If it’s important to them, then you know, I acknowledge that it is also important. But . . . I am doing my job. I am doing what I am asked to do.”

Kight, up to now the assistant adjutant general under William H. Wade II, was appointed as his replacement Monday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Wade is taking a high-ranking position with NATO in Italy.

The governor called Kight “a proven, courageous, loyal and honorable leader.”

She takes command of a 21,000-member force, the largest in the country, composed of the California Army and Air National Guards. The force trains service members for active duty and responds to disasters such as floods and fires in California and incidents elsewhere, such as hurricanes.

Kight, who has served in the state’s National Guard for 25 years, will be sworn in by Schwarzenegger in a ceremony at Mather Air Force Base. The position, which pays $180,201 a year, is subject to confirmation by the state Senate.

Reaching the pinnacle of her organization “is an opportunity for me,” Kight said. “What it really means is I can continue my service in the military.”

Kight said she values the work she and other guard members perform in providing behind-the-scenes support for men and women in uniform and working with local communities.

Near the end of her career, she enjoys sharing her experiences with younger generations. Dealing with change is one lesson she passes on: “We align ourselves with what’s happening in the world now, and we remain flexible.”

Originally from Monterey, Kight said she joined the Air Force in 1974 with her then-husband, who was a pilot. After a stint in the Nebraska Air National Guard, she returned to California in 1984, supervising aircraft maintenance and operations in the Fresno area and moving up the ranks for two decades. She became a general in 2004.

Maj. Tom Keegan, who deals with state legislation for the National Guard between recent annual tours as a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, said Kight “makes sure she looks out for her people and the department, the soldiers and the families.”

She has focused on retaining soldiers by providing educational benefits and ensuring that their relatives are taken care of should they suffer financial hardship or have other needs.

“That is a true testament that she really cares about everyone in the department,” Keegan said. “She’s a mentor to all of us. . . . It’s not just all business.”

michael.rothfeld @latimes.com