Army Logistics University recognizes top instructors at ceremony

By Terrance BellSeptember 24, 2021

Army Logistics University leaders at Fort Lee, Va., pose with the Educator and Instructors of the Year after a Sept. 23 awards ceremony in Bunker Hall’s Green Auditorium. From left are Sydney A. Smith, ALU president; Col. Gregory K. Gibbons, commandant; Lt. Col. Paul J. Peters, Educator of the Year; Instructors of the Year Capt. Joshua Williams, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Adan Rodriguez and Kraus Johnson; CW5 Jonathan M. Waddy, dean of TLC; and Command Sgt. Maj. Marisa Cisneros, Logistics Noncommissioned Officer Academy commandant. Staff Sgt. James L. Ahn, the NCO category IOY winner, was not present for the ceremony. (U.S. Army photo by T. Anthony Bell)
Army Logistics University leaders at Fort Lee, Va., pose with the Educator and Instructors of the Year after a Sept. 23 awards ceremony in Bunker Hall’s Green Auditorium. From left are Sydney A. Smith, ALU president; Col. Gregory K. Gibbons, commandant; Lt. Col. Paul J. Peters, Educator of the Year; Instructors of the Year Capt. Joshua Williams, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Adan Rodriguez and Kraus Johnson; CW5 Jonathan M. Waddy, dean of TLC; and Command Sgt. Maj. Marisa Cisneros, Logistics Noncommissioned Officer Academy commandant. Staff Sgt. James L. Ahn, the NCO category IOY winner, was not present for the ceremony. (U.S. Army photo by T. Anthony Bell) (Photo Credit: Terrance Bell) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEE, Va. – The Army Logistics University here recognized 20 faculty members as distinguished instructors during a Sept. 23 ceremony in Bunker Hall’s Green Auditorium. Out of those selectees, five walked away with more prominent Educator or Instructor of the Year titles.

So honored were Educator of the Year, Lt. Col. Paul J. Peters, College of Professional and Continuning Education; and Instructors of the Year, Capt. Joshua Williams, Logistics Leaders College; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Adan Rodriguez, Techical Logistics College; Staff Sgt. James L. Ahn, Logistics NCO Academy; and Kraus Johnson, Directorate of Education and Operations, Staff and Faculty Development Office.

To earn acclaim as EOY and IOY, the faculty members must undergo rigorous assessment that closely scrutinizes all aspects of the instructional process, said ALU President Sydney A. Smith, who presided over the ceremony.

“They not only have to do their normal instructor certification, but they’re getting evaluated over and over and over again,” she said of the process. “They are recognized as the very best in their schools and then by the overall ALU process recognizing them as the very best. There is no doubt these are the leaders of our Army, and they are right here at ALU.”

Smith headed the ceremony’s official party that included Col. Gregory K. Gibbons, ALU commandant; Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jonathan M. Waddy, dean of TLC; and Command Sgt. Maj. Marisa M. Cisneros, commandant of the Logistics NCO Academy.

A sparse crowd of mostly ALU staff and faculty were present for the event. It was, however, livestreamed on social media to larger numbers.

Those selected for the DIAs were evaluated by their respective departments. Then, a multi-member panel headed by Gibbons culled the list based on distinct criteria and selected the winners.

Peters, with three years of instructing at ALU and a firstime competitor, said the Educator of the Year honor is not his alone, but is owed to a cast of many who support his work.

“It’s a credit to all of the hard work the instructor developers and all the people I work with and all of the students who we teach to show how professionally we take this job and how serious we take the work we do,” said the son of a school teacher.

Civilian category winner Kraus C. Johnson said the award is the culmination of all he has given to the craft.

“This means a lot to me,” said the retired chief warrant officer 3. “It gives me much pride and represents the level of passion I have as an instructor.”

Passion was a reoccurring theme in Smith’s remarks prior to the awards presentation. She said her short tenure as ALU president has provided the opportunity to see firsthand how much instructors put into their students and programs of instruction.

“They pour their heart into what they do,” she said. “None of these individuals take instructing as a job. They live it, and they love it – from the early mornings at PT when there out there with their students to the late nights of grading to the ‘I’m coaching you along the way.’

“They do it all, and they embrace it. They know it’s a part of leadership, and they love it,” Smith observed.

The EOY/IOY and DIA recipients were presented medallions and certificates for their achievement, respectively. The five category winners will next compete at the Training and Doctrine Command level in their respective categories. ALU representatives have earned nine TRADOC titles over the past eight years.