The Adjutant General Corps inducted five into its hall of fame during a ceremony in the Soldier Support Institute Auditorium June 3.
Retired Col. James (Buddy) Kelly, retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 David Betancourt, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Aner (Rico) Henriquez, retired Sgt. Maj. Derek D. Johnson, and retired Sgt. Maj. Gabrielle Russum were inducted for “doing things they don’t get credit for.”
Col. Marcus Motley, chief of the AG Corps, said “we honor these folks today, who have done these efforts and initiatives, and done things that I can’t even thank them (for). They’ve done things they don’t get credit for … and continue to serve even after retirement.”
The Adjutant General Hall of Fame was established to recognize and honor persons who have made outstanding contributions to the AG Corps. They are honored with a permanent display in the AG Corp Hall of Honor at the Adjutant General School. Inductee selections were made by a board comprised of currently serving AG Corps senior leaders and previously selected hall of famers. Those selected will have made positive, lasting, and significant contributions that perpetuate the history and traditions of the Army AG Corps.
Kelly, Betancourt, Henriquez, and Johnson were inducted into the class of 2022.
The late Kelly, whose wife Vicky accepted on the honor on his behalf, was characterized during the ceremony as having “few peers” and “arguably the best enlisted readiness manager in the Army.”
Vicky remarked Kelly would have been “blessed” by the honor. “Thank you so much for the honor.”
Betancourt, who joined the Army in 1992, was called a “leading technical expert in the Army and Joint human resources systems.” He was named the 6th Chief Warrant Officer of the Corps. Betancourt, during his retirement, works as a Training and Doctrine Command Proponent Office Training and Leadership Developer focusing on delivering the new IPPS-A training throughout the Army.
Betancourt, also characterized as a “master mentor and teacher” said it was a humbling experience to be inducted.
Henriquez was lauded during the ceremony for his legacy of “impacting conventional and unconventional human resources operations.”
“I thank you for this honor,” he said during the ceremony.
Johnson, who ended his 30-year military career as the senior enlisted advisor for the Headquarters, Department of the Army, G1. There he helped develop and execute manpower plans, policies and programs for the entire Army. He was lauded during the ceremony for helping push the Army’s Credentialing Assistance program and changing the DA Centralized Promotion Board system.
“I didn’t get here alone,” Johnson said during his enshrinement. “I got here with the help of past and present people. I got here not because of the name and not because of the position, but by the amount of positive influence that people had in my life. When people have influence on your life they inspire you to do things.”
Russum was enshrined in the 2021 AG HOF class.
She served in the Army 33 years where as Enlisted Personnel Management Directorate Sergeant Major, she was “instrumental in the army’s efforts to transform the Sergeants Major/Command Sergeants Major Branch.”
She thanked and congratulated fellow inductees and those being honored as distinguished members of the AG Corps.
“It is an honor and a privilege” to be in the same group of HR professionals, she said. “Thank you for what you do every day … thank you so much.”
Twenty-eight individuals were named distinguished members of the corps during the ceremony as well.
The AG Corps, which dates to the foundation of the American Army June 16, 1775, develops new and increasingly efficient way of providing personnel support to commanders and the Army Family.
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