AG Corps HOF & DMOC Classes of 2015
MG (Ret) Gina S. Farrisee was commissioned in 1978 as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, serving her entire career as an Adjutant General (AG) Officer. Her career highlights include a variety of command and staff positions at Army installations worldwide, including Germany; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana; Fort Jackson, South Carolina; and Fort Knox, Kentucky. She commanded AG / HR organizations from the company to the national level. Making history in October 2010, she was selected by the Army as the first female Commander of Human Resources Command. During several key assignments in the Pentagon, she worked for the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy, and served four years as the Army’s Director of Military Personnel Management (DMPM), the critical policy lead for all HR policy for the Total Army. Achieving another historical milestone while serving as the DMPM, MG (Ret) Farrisee was the driving force behind the 22,000 Soldier Temporary End Strength Increase (TESI), which allowed the Army to deploy fully manned forces to Iraq and Afghanistan during intense combat operations. TESI ensured the personnel readiness of our operational forces. Her efforts were also instrumental in maintaining the controversial Stop Loss Policy re-enacted in 2001 to support the global war on terrorism.
MG (Ret) Dee Ann McWilliams entered the Army in 1974, receiving her commission in the Women’s Army Corps. From the very start of her lengthy career, she distinguished herself as a dedicated professional ready to take on any mission, regardless of the difficulty. MG (Ret) McWilliams distinguished herself through exceptionally meritorious service and achievement in successive assignments of increasingly greater responsibility during a career that spanned 29 years and culminated with her last assignment as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel and Installation Management, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany. MG (Ret) McWilliams is also the first woman officer to have served in the following command and senior staff positions: Commander, 9th Personnel Services Company, Fort Lewis, WA; Commander, 42nd AG Battalion, Fort Dix, NJ; Commander, 3rd Personnel Group, Fort Hood, TX; DA Secretariat and later Director, Enlisted Personnel Management Directorate, Total Army Personnel Command, Alexandria, VA; and Director of Military Personnel Management, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, The Pentagon, Washington, DC. From service during the Cold War to the Global War on Terrorism, she has served with exemplary leadership, distinction, and dedication in the defense of our Nation.
COL (Ret) Robert L. Manning culminated an Army career that spanned more than 34 years with his assignment as the longest-serving Commandant of the Adjutant General School, Chief of the Adjutant General’s Corps, and Chief of Army Bands. Through exceptionally dogged determination, unmatched technical competence, and warfighting acumen, he elevated the AG Corps to new heights in human resources support to Commanders, Soldiers and their Families during a prolonged period of conflict. Through doctrinal change, unprecedented training enhancement, creation of the AG Corps Hall of Fame, commissioning of the first-ever AG Corps print, and promotion throughout the Army of the AG Corps Regimental Association (AGCRA) Achievement Medal (now named after him), he has enhanced and perpetuated the history and traditions of our Corps in a manner unprecedented. COL (Ret) Manning led and directed a complete institutional revitalization and refocus of the Adjutant General School and the Adjutant General’s Corps across all Army Components. He traveled extensively across the Army to ensure all Army Leaders and Adjutant General’s Corps Soldiers understood the significant changes within the Corps that included a reorganization from large Personnel Service Group and Battalion centric hubs to widely dispersed pockets of human resources expertise at the Battalion and Brigade levels. Coining the term “we are everywhere and nowhere at the same time,” his efforts took the Adjutant General’s Corps from one that in many places was disjointed, to one that understood its mission, relevance and spoke in unison on the many Army critical human resources challenges.
COL (Ret) J.P. Mikula’s distinguished service to the AG Corps and Army began as a Battalion S1, continued with multiple command and staff assignments, and ended as the Chief of Staff, Human Resources Command, where he provided the pinnacle of Army-wide human resources support to Commanders, Soldiers, Families, and DA Civilian employees. COL (Ret) Mikula’s AG career is deep-rooted with a series of “firsts,” soaring standards, and lasting contributions. He was the first Chief of Staff of U.S. Army Human Resources Command; following the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the first to develop and execute the Army’s Officer Manning Plan and the first to implement the Officer Distribution System; the first to merge Finance and Personnel Battalions and activate a Soldier Support Battalion at Fort Bragg; the first to publish the Evaluation Reports Journal; the first Chief of the 82nd Airborne Division Personnel Services Center following the Army of Excellence (AOE) transition; and the first to develop, coordinate and implement “Package Platoons” as a revolutionary concept to address Airborne Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) shortages. These “firsts” had a historical and enduring impact on the Army’s personnel readiness and AG Corps.
CW4 (Ret) Charles E. Green, Sr.’s significant accomplishments include: supervising a mobilization and deployment team that deployed over 250,000 Active and Reserve Component Soldiers with no delayed flights; overseeing an Army Substance Abuse Program that has been recognized as the Secretary of Defense best program for FY 2008, FY 2009 and FY 2013; oversees the Workplace Violence and Employee Assistance Program which serves as the Fort Hood Garrison Commander’s primary liaison on workforce issues and was recognized as the Secretary of Army best program for FY 2008; increased enrollment at Tarleton University to create a Texas A&M satellite university in the Greater Killeen / Fort Hood community; hosted the 39th Retiree Day Appreciation ceremony in which over 3,500 retirees participated in October 2013; and executed the Army’s largest Job Fair, whereas, 3,500 interested Soldiers and Family Member sought employment. As the President of the AG Corps Regimental Association Lone Star Chapter, he annually hosts the Fort Hood AG Ball and invites senior guest speakers to ensure Officers, Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, Enlisted Soldiers, and Civilian personnel are briefed on the changing AG Corps as it relates to transformation and their mission as combat multipliers to Brigade Commanders on the battlefield.
Throughout his distinguished career, CSM (Ret) Billy J. Blackmon led from the front, inspiring and caring for Soldiers and their Families, epitomized Warrior toughness, and demonstrated what right looks like in all his endeavors. With America’s Soldiers engaged in two wars (Iraq and Afghanistan), he was the right Leader, in the right place, at the right time. He ensured all HR Soldiers and leaders were trained and proficient in executing their warrior tasks and battle drills at the strategic, operational and tactical levels. Despite the high training OPTEMPO to support ARFORGEN personnel requirements, his training guidance, technical and tactical expertise, and presence resulted in exemplary HR support to Commanders in theater, as well as in garrison. During his tenure as the AG Corps Sergeant Major, he traveled countless hours to HR units, both CONUS and OCONUS, providing guidance and monitoring the transition of over 5,000 42L to 42A ensuring the enlisted force was properly postured to support the full spectrum of Army operations. He increased the number of Instructors assigned to AIT and the NCO Academy at Fort Jackson with previous OIF and OEF tours to bring relevant and realistic experience into the classroom and robust and rigorous training to field exercises. He also oversaw the TRADOC implementation of the Drill Sergeant to Platoon Sergeant concept in AIT to better prepare Soldiers for their first unit assignment.
CSM (Ret) Mitchell Lewis is a distinguished leader whose military career is highly worthy of emulation and has set him apart from his contemporaries. He is among the very few Enlisted Soldiers within the AG Corps and the Army to be selected, from the secondary zone, for promotion to SFC, MSG, and SGM. During his tenure as the Soldier Support Institute (SSI) CSM, he coached, trained, and mentored several Fort Jackson, CASCOM, and TRADOC Soldier and NCOs of the Year recipients; implemented the Institute CSM’s Safety Council; implemented SSIs Annual NCO Dining-In event; ensured all SSI NCOs became trained and certified on the Army’s Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills; and established an Enlisted Mentorship Program that significantly reduced Soldier misconduct including DUIs, fraternization, and inappropriate relationships between cadre and students. He worked tirelessly with U.S. Army PERSCOM and the Fort Jackson leadership to provide significantly more 42-series 1SG and CSM opportunities. Additionally, CSM (Ret) Lewis served as the Post CSM for Forts McPherson and Gillem, GA, where he was responsible for coordinating Soldier actions for four major Army headquarters (1st Army, 3rd Army, U.S. Army Reserve Command, and FORSCOM). During his tenure as the Post CSM, he received numerous accolades for building the best Installation level Sergeant Audie Murphy Club Program in FORSCOM and for establishing model NCO Professional Development Programs.
AG Corps Distinguished Member of the Corps (DMOC)
Class of 2015
MG (Ret) Dee Ann McWilliams
BG David MacEwen
COL Mark Rado
COL (Ret) Robert L. Manning
COL (Ret) JP Mikula
COL (Ret) Billy Orr
COL (Ret) Joe Pedone
COL (Ret) David Tighe
MAJ (Ret) William C. Villnow
CW5 Pamela Johnson
CW5 Coral Jones
CW5 (Ret) Terence P. Henry
CW5 (Ret) Raymond Lutz (USAR)
CW4 (Ret) Julie Bermea
CW4 (Ret) Eugene Roberts
CW4 (Ret) Sheren Roberts
CW3 (Ret) Ron Clouse
CW3 Shannon D. Tyus
SGM (Ret) Rodney P. Berry
SGM (Ret) Harry V. Chipchase
SGM (Ret) Thomas M. Clark
SGM (Ret) Donald E. Weber