USASMA inducts two into Hall of Honor

By U.S. ArmyAugust 31, 2015

Johndrow inducted into USASMA Hall of Honor, USASMA
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret) Phillip Johndrow (center) stands on stage next to his Hall of Honor plaque during ceremonies held Aug. 28 in the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Cooper Lecture Center. Also pictured are Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Defreese (lef... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
USASMA inducts Johndrow at Hall of Honor
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Phillip Johndrow addresses the gathered crowd Aug. 28 during the USASMA Hall of Honor induction ceremony held in the Academy's Cooper Lecture Center. During his time as the command sergeant major of the Combined Arms Center J... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Johndrow added to USASMA Hall of Honor List
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret) Phillip Johndrow, accompanied by Ms. Lanette Vela, unveil his wall plaque following ceremonies which inducted Johndrow into the USASMA Hall of Honor. Also picture are Command Sgts. Maj. Dennis Defreese (r) and Joe Pritchard (l... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Koehler inducted into Hall of Honor
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Defreese, commandant of USASMA, assists Carol Koehler, spouse of the late Sgt. Maj. Erwin "Butch" Koehler, the former branch chief of the Primary Leadership Development Course, unveil Koehler's Hall of Honor plaque during the... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
USASMA inducts Koehler into Hall of Honor
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Koehler family pose for a picture with Command Sgt. Maj. Joe Pritchard (l) and Dennis Defreese (r) deputy commandant and commandant of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy respectively, in front of the late Sgt. Maj. Erwin "Butch" Koehler who wa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The United States Army Sergeants Major Academy recognized the singular and cumulative achievements of two individuals who have made significant contributions to the Academy and the Noncommissioned Officer Education System in a ceremony held Aug. 28 in the Academy's Cooper Lecture Center.

Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Defreese, USASMA commandant hosted the ceremony and spoke about each of the inductees -- Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret) Phillip Johndrow, command sergeant major of the Combined Arms Center and the late Sgt. Maj. Erwin "Butch" Koehler, former branch chief of the Primary Leadership Development Course for the USASMA. Koehler was represented by his family; wife Carol, daughters Terri Wills and Patti Hark and granddaughters Daniella and Hannah.

"Today we are inducting two very deserving individuals into our Hall of Honor," Defreese said. "We couldn't have chosen a better pair for both have served the NCO Corps well and have been champions of enlisted education."

Defreese took note of Johndrow's accomplishments during his time as a student of the Sergeants Major Course and then later as the command sergeant major of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas saying that he pushed for excellence in everything he did.

"During his last assignment as the command sergeant major of CAC he pushed to ensure that USASMA and NCO Academies didn't lack the resources they needed to successfully implement the Army's NCO Education System," Defreese said. "He has had his hands in education for almost as long as he has served. Even as a retiree, he continues to help Soldiers and NCOs everywhere obtain the education they need as the national director of Strategic Military and Veteran Relations for Trident University. He is truly a Soldier for life and deserving of this honor."

With his comments complete, Defreese invited Johndrow up onto the stage to unveil his Hall of Honor plaque and to make some remarks.

"I am humbled to be here and privilege to be among such a prestigious group of individuals, many of them who have inspired me along the way and continue to make a difference both in and out of uniform," Johndrow said. "Each of you have spent your entire career learning to be a better leader. And now it is your turn to help others to achieve that same success. Eventually each of you will pass that torch of leadership to someone else. This is your time to be able to give some back to our Army all of the leadership skills that you have learned along the way."

Johndrow said that his mentors told him that good leaders produce more good leaders, not more followers and he should always look out for that two or three who have the potential to be good leaders.

"Who do you see out there that has potential? Let them know, teach, coach, mentor, train and motivate them. Tap into their potential; bring them along. Train them not to be as good as you are, but to be better than you are," he said. "Education is one of the keys to success. Education is knowledge and is extremely powerful. Armed with knowledge we can perform better, solve problems more easily, make wiser decisions and improve lives. You have to look mat education not as a tax on the present, but as an investment into your future."

Following Johndrow's remarks, Defreese turned his attention to Koehler, whom he said he had never met, but from the comments he received from his family and those who knew him that he was a great Soldier.

"Butch was one of those rare breeds who knew what right looks like and how NCOs and Leaders should train," Defreese said. "When the Army went to a four-tiered education system for enlisted Soldiers, Kohler was picked to lead the team that would be responsible for the development of the Primary Leadership Development Course, the precursor of the Warrior Leader Course and soon to be Basic Leader Course of today."

Defreese noted that Koehler did it all, from developing the curricula to writing the instructor's handbook and said that many in the room had gone through the courses he developed.

"Much of what we do today is because of what he did in the early 1980s. There is no telling where we would be as an institution if it were not for his work," Defreese said. "Carol, I want to thank you for allowing us to use this great Soldier and leader. Your support allowed him to make our NCO Corps what it is today and for that we are eternally grateful."

Defreese invited Koehler's friend and fellow Hall of Honor inductee, Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Al Hobbs to come forward and speak on his behalf.

"Thank you for the privilege of allowing me to speak on your behalf today for Erwin 'Butch' Koehler," Hobbs said to the Koehler family. "He was a personal friend of mine and a friend of all of you because he established where you are today by developing the Primary Leadership Development Course. Butch was one of those individuals that had to have, and wanted to have, education. He fought for it. It is a great day for me to be here and honor my personal friend and his family. He was just one of those guys that continued to serve."

Following the remarks by Hobbs, the official party moved out to the Hall of Honor where the inductees, unveiled the wall plaques amongst the 28 others who were inducted in prior years.

Additional photos of the ceremony can be found on the Academy's flickr site at https://www.flickr.com/photos/133821783@N02/albums.