The Adjutant General's Corps will induct seven members into its Hall of Fame on Friday, including the founder of the honor. The ceremony will be at 10 a.m. in the auditorium of the Soldier Support Institute.
The honor was established to recognize those who have made positive, lasting contributions to the AG Corps at Fort Jackson and elsewhere.
The honorees for 2015 are:
Retired Maj. Gen. Gina S. Farrisee, the first female commander of the Human Resources Command and adjutant general of the Army. Farrisee is being recognized for consolidating the Army's HRC operations under one organization. She also is credited for being the driving force behind the Army's 22,000-Soldier Temporary End Strength Increase, which allowed for more efficient deployment of troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. Farrisee retired in 2012 and is assistant secretary, human resources and administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.
Retired Maj. Gen. Dee Ann McWilliams, who received her commission into the Women's Army Corps in 1974. As commander of the 42nd AG Battalion, McWilliams worked to mobilize 5,700 Reserve Soldiers to the Southwest Asia Sustainment Force while simultaneously demobilizing 8,000 Reservists from the first Gulf War and performing normal reception duties for new Soldiers. She has served as III Corps AG and commander of the 3rd Personnel Group at Fort Hood, Texas, and director of enlisted personnel management at the Army HRC. After retiring in 2003, she established the Lessons Learned Center for the director of national intelligence and served as center director.
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Mitchell V. Lewis is among the few enlisted Soldiers to be selected from the secondary zone for promotion to sergeant first class, master sergeant and sergeant major. He served at Fort Jackson's SSI, mentoring several NCO of the Year award winners. Since retiring in 2006, Lewis has been SSI chief, Individual Training and Education Division.
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Billy J. Blackmon is being cited for demonstrating his ability to lead from the front, ensuring that Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan executed their warrior tasks efficiently and effectively. He provided guidance and training for Soldiers in transition, and increased the number of Advanced Individual Training and NCO Academy instructors at Fort Jackson. He retired in 2010 and works as an independent consultant.
Retired Col. Robert L. Manning was the longest-serving commandant of the Adjutant General School, chief of the AG Corps and chief of Army Bands. During service in Iraq, he was principal AG adviser to Gen. David Petraeus. He created the AG Corps Hall of Fame to perpetuate the history of the AG Corps. He now directs planning and communication for the S.C. Department of Transportation.
Retired Col. John P. "JP" Mikula was the first to develop and execute the Army's Officer Manning Plan and Officer Distribution System after Sept. 11, 2001. He was the first to publish the Evaluation Reports Journal and first chief of the 82nd Airborne Division Personnel Services Center. He retired in 2005 and is a principal for Booz Allen Hamilton, a provider of management and technology consulting services to the government.
Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Charles E. Green Sr. retired in 2003 after serving as executive assistant to several four-star generals. He is director of human resources at Fort Hood, Texas, where he has supervised the deployment of more than 250,000 active and Reserve Soldiers. He also supervised a highly recognized Army substance-abuse program.
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