FORT LEE, Va. (Aug. 23, 2018) --Chief Warrant Officer 3 Truman Ward and Chaplain (Maj.) Vincent T. Myers, both Army Logistics University faculty members here, have won 2017 Training and Doctrine Command Instructor of the Year titles for warrant officer and officer, respectively.
The duo traveled to the TRADOC headquarters at Joint Base Langley-Eustis Aug. 1 to receive their awards.
Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, TRADOC commanding general, hosted the occasion that also honored instructors of the year for noncommissioned officers and civilians, as well as those for the National Guard and Army Reserve. An educator of the year award also was presented
Those who have the official capacity to teach and educate hold a special place within the Army, according to Townsend. "Each of us can probably remember an educator who made an impression," he said during the event. "For Soldiers, those impressions are often made by drill sergeants, technical instructors or civilian educators who go the extra distance, and that is what the TRADOC Instructors of the Year winners represent. These instructors work every day to educate others and make a difference in our future Army."
The winners emerged from the more than 10,000 instructors, facilitators and educators representing Army and multi-component schools within the active duty and reserve components.
Foremost among the criteria in which instructors are judged include tactical and technical knowledge, communication skills, appearance and military bearing.
Ward, noting he thought his supervisor was joking upon being notified of his win, said he is still in disbelief he earned the honor, especially due to the circumstances surrounding his entry.
"The video portion -- almost all of it -- disappeared," he said of his recorded classroom session. "It was corrupted, so we had to redo it and rush it."
He is now at peace with how things worked out.
"I feel honored I'm the one out of all the warrants in the Army," said the Soldier assigned to ALU's Technical Logistics College.
Myers, formerly assigned to ALU's Dean, Education and Operations, taught ethics classes at the schoolhouse. He has since relocated to another installation and was not available for comment.
Ward and Myers were among 67 contestants who received final considerations from two panels of seven judges from within TRADOC.
Each of the Instructor of Year awardees received an engraved plaque, a congratulatory four-star note, a commander's coin and certificate of achievement from Townsend.
The winners and ALU itself also can boast the continuance of an award-winning tradition. In 2016, Lt. Col. Jason Hanifin was named Educator of the Year and Staff Sgt. Tegst Ayalw earned Noncommissioned Officer Instructor of the Year. In 2015, ALU's Keith Ferguson nabbed the Civilian Instructor of the Year title.
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