Landon Carves Own Path to Success on Way to Becoming Newest Chief Warrant Officer Five

When Mariah Landon enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in 1994, she had no intention of making the military a career especially in the Human Resources field.

Fast forward 31 years, newly promoted Chief Warrant Officer 5 Marian Landon has carved her own path not only in the administrative field, but is the first Human Resources Warrant Officer to be promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 5 in the Illinois Army National Guard in two decades.

Landon, who initially enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard as a Military Police Soldier, hit a rather significant roadblock on her way to donning the crossed flintlock pistols of the Military Police Corps during Basic Combat Training at Fort McClellan, Alabama.

"I couldn't shoot the 9mm," Landon said during a promotion ceremony at the Illinois Military Academy, Camp Lincoln, Springfield, Oct. 15.

Landon said that's when Drill Sgt. Stacy stepped in and provided her with two options - discharge from the Illinois Army National Guard or drive on in another military occupational specialty.

"He told me I was a good Soldier, and he could see potential in me," she said. "He suggested I change my military occupational specialty to Administrative Specialist. This would allow me to stay in the military and in the 233rd Military Police Company. That was the unlikely start of my service in the administrative field."

Brig. Gen. Lenny Williams, the Assistant Adjutant General - Army and Commander of the Illinois Army National Guard said he has known Landon the entirety of her full-time career.

"When she went to become a Warrant Officer, we all knew she would be a fantastic Warrant Officer," he said. "As an officer, you lean on the advice you get from your noncommissioned officers, senior noncommissioned officers, and particularly your warrant officers. The duty positions Mariah served in were all challenging and she performed them during challenging times for our organization."

Landon, who reached the rank of sergeant first class before attending Warrant Officer Candidate School in 2007, served as the Personnel Actions Branch Chief, the 129th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) personnel, administration, and human resources officer, Casualty Actions Branch Chief, Deputy State Surgeon, and Officer Personnel Management Branch Chief.

"Notably when Mariah served as the Casualty Actions Branch Chief, we were going through challenging times as an organization," Williams said. "Many of those in this room were on the 2008-2009 deployment when we lost 18 Soldiers. We were away doing our mission and she's in that job which is a very thankless job."

Williams said leaders were trying to figure out how to get Casualty Notification Officers and Casualty Assistant Officers trained up, qualified, and prepared to go out to perform very tough duty. Full-time Soldiers' rule of thumb was to keep your dress uniform at work in case they had to perform that duty.

"All of that was on her shoulders and the shoulders of everyone in her office. That puts a lot of pressure on individuals," Williams said.

As units were returning home from deployment, Landon was preparing to move to the Medical Branch.

"When Mariah is preparing to assume new duties, she thinks she can't do the job," Williams said. "Then she goes in and crushes it. During Mariah's tenure in the Medical Branch, we were number one in the nation for medical readiness almost the entirety of the time she's in the position."

Williams said Landon's success, like most Soldiers serving, is due to her support network.

"It takes a village to raise a Soldier. None of us gets to where we are without a support network," Williams said. "Thank you for helping get her to where she is today."

Williams said as Officer Personnel Management Branch Chief, Landon is creating generational change for the Soldiers in the Illinois Army National Guard.

"The same way we do things are still good, but she and her team are working on improving processes to positively impact the people in this organization," he said.

With the promotion, Landon becomes the sixth currently serving Chief Warrant Officer 5 in the Illinois Army National Guard, a rank which is extremely rare and hard to find - thus leading to the nickname of unicorn.

Williams said he would offer advice to other Human Resources Warrant Officers in the Illinois Army National Guard formation.

"Here's a path. Do your job and do it well. Take care of your people. Make generational change to positively impact the lives of our Soldiers and this is potentially the outcome," he said. "Getting promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 5 is hard but not impossible. Mariah, I'm happy for you, your family, your 420A family, and the administrative community. No one deserves this promotion more."

Landon thanked Williams and other leaders for their years of mentorship.

"You always believed in what I was capable of, often with a well deserved 'I told you so,'" she said. "Thank you for the trust you have in me to allow me to serve in a profession I truly love."

Landon thanked fellow Soldiers for their support for the past 31 years.

"Standing here today is not something I accomplished alone," she said. "This promotion is a testament to countless leaders, mentors and friends who have guided me throughout my career. You have made a lasting impact on my life and career. My commitment to you is I will continue to being the advocate, advisor, and leader our Soldiers deserve."

Landon also thanked her family for their support.

"I couldn't be the loving mother, loving wife, sister, daughter, best friend, adopted daughter, favorite aunt today without your love and support which shaped me into the focused, passionate, and I like to think put together classy kind of gal I am today," she said.

Landon said that at the end of the day, her thoughts return to Drill Sgt. Stacy.

"He saw potential in me I couldn't yet see in myself," she said. "He pulled me aside when no one else did. He didn't have to do that. He wasn't my drill sergeant. That always stuck with me."

Landon said if there's anything anyone takes away from her story is she hopes each person sees the potential in others especially when they don't yet see it in themselves.

"Be the person who believes in someone before they believe in themselves," she said. "Encourage them to continue even when the road is difficult and give them the confidence to discover what they are truly capable of."

Landon said one never knows how profound a difference your belief in someone can make or change the course of their life.