Photo By Dani Johnson | U.S. Army Transportation Corps inducted 18 individuals into the 2026 Transportation...... read more read more
FORT LEE, Va. – U.S. Army Transportation Corps inducted 18 individuals into the 2026 Transportation Hall of Fame July 27 in a ceremony at the Gregg-Adams Club, Fort Lee, Virginia.
“The Transportation Corps Hall of Fame is our highest honor, reserved for those few outstanding Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians who have given their lives to our mission,” said Col. Jennifer Karim, Chief of Transportation and Transportation School Commandant. “This award recognizes the lifelong contributions that build our history and uphold our traditions. To be judged worthy of this distinction is a lifelong honor—one that ensures the legacy and perpetuation of the Transportation Corps for generations to come.”
In 1996, the Transportation Corps established the Hall of Fame (HOF) award as its highest form of recognition for those Transporters who have made significant contributions to the overall history and traditions of the Transportation Corps. This highly coveted award honors individuals who are judged by a selection board appoint-ed by the Chief of Transportation for their lifelong contributions to the Transportation Corps, the U.S. Army and the United States. The distinction of Hall of Fame is a life-long honor integral to the perpetuation of the Corps. Only a few of the Transportation Corps’ outstanding Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians are recognized as Hall of Fame members.
Inductees for 2026 are:
Honorable Alan F. Estevez graduated from Rutgers University in 1979 and began a Department of Defense civilian career as an Army Transportation Intern in 1981. He served in Military Traffic Management Command for 10 years in various positions. He was appointed to Federal Govt Senior Executive Services (SES) in 2002. Under President Barack Obama’s administration, he was confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Defense (Logistics and Material Readiness), then Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics). Under President Joe Biden’s administration he was confirmed as Under Secretary of Commerce (Industry and Security) and served in that position until 2025.
Maj. Gen. (Retired) William H. Johnson graduated from North Georgia College and was commissioning as an Armor Officer in 1972 and transferred to the Army Transportation Corps in 1977. He was the Deputy Director for Operations and Logistics, U.S. Transportation Command; Director, U.S. Central Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center; Director, Movement and Distribution, CENTCOM Coalition Forces Land Component Command and Chief of Staff, TRANSCOM. He retired in 2010, having served over 38 years in both active and reserve status. He continued to serve as Army Reserve Ambassador, GA, for 13 years and is now Army Reserve Ambassador-Retired.
Brig. Gen. (Retired) Michaelle M. Munger graduated from Christopher Newport University and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Transportation Corps in 1994. She held assignments as Director of Operations (J3), West Virginia National Guard and Special Asst to the Adjutant General, West Virginia National Guard. She retired in 2024, having served over 30 years.
Col. (Retired) James R. Chalkley graduated from Virginia Military Institute and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Transportation Corps in 1973. His overseas service includes Germany, Saudi Arabia, in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and Somalia, in support of Operation Restore Hope. His last assignment was Deputy Chief of Staff, Headquarters, U.S. Army Europe. He retired in 1998, having served 25 years.
Col. (Retired) Patrick N. Delavan enlisted in the Army in 1947, achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant, then at-tended OCS and earned his commission in 1949. He was wounded in combat in Korea in 1951. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism in Vietnam. On April 4, 1964, he led eight of his company’s armed UH-1 helicopters in support of an ARVN unit surrounded by enemy forces. While reconnoitering and under fire, he engaged the enemy repeatedly. When a medical evacuation helicopter arrived to evacuate a wounded officer, he held it back and reentered the hostile fire area, now reinforced with anti-aircraft weapons. He and his three crew members were wounded during the approach but continued and evacuated the wounded officer. He then returned to continue supporting the besieged unit. After retiring in 1980, he was recalled to active duty twice. He retired in 1998 the final time, having served over 30 years. The Hall of Fame induction is given posthumously and his son LTC(R) Clark Delavan was present to accept on behalf
Col. (Retired) Thomas M. Reeves graduated from Middle Tennessee State College and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1963. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism on March 21-22, 1967 while service as a helicopter pilot with 170th Aviation Company, 52nd Combat Aviation Battalion supporting ground forces in Vietnam during a battle in Kontum Province. As fighting began, he volunteered to fly the unit’s operations office to the battle site. Despite intense fire, he delivered the officer, enabling the battalion to assume control of the situation. He then volunteered to fly in reinforcements to a company heavily engaged with the enemy, and provide critically needed ammunition, medical personnel, and supplies. He acted as an aerial radio relay for four ground companies and made repeated trips into the area to pick up critically wounded. He went on to identify the location of the enemy mortar position and directed a helicopter gunship to destroy it. His actions allowed for a successful evacuation to occur. After a second tour in Vietnam, he left active duty and continued serving in positions in the National Guard and Army Reserves until retiring in 1996.
Lt. Col. Frank W. Speir graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1932. He was a pioneer in development of amphibious assault craft and served tours in World War II and Korea. He was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism Sept. 19, 1950, while attached to Army Tug LT 636 engaged in evacuating Republic of Korea guerrilla troops from the stranded Landing Ship Tank 667 far behind enemy lines. He volunteered to board a relief LST whose crew was reluctant to beach under enemy fire and carry out the hazardous mission. Upon reaching the LST, he rigged three life rafts in tandem and evacuated over 100 wounded and over 600 troops. He swam into the beach under hostile mortar and machine-gun fire, to successfully evacuate highly trained and valuable personnel with minimal losses. The Hall of Fame is given posthumously.
Lt. Col. (Retired) Randy R. Tibbs recently completed a combined active-duty Army and Department of the Army Civilian career spanning over 45 years of service. He graduated from University of Delaware and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Armor Branch in 1974 and transferred to Transportation Corps in 1979. He retired in 2000 as a lieutenant colonel, with over 25 years, and began his Army Civilian career in 2005, as the Sustainment Branch Chief and later Deputy Division Chief of the Army G3, Organizational Integration Division, overseeing countless structure changes significantly improving Army lethality and readiness. He was instrumental in changes supporting Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, the Grow the Army Plan, and was an advocate for Army Sustainment and Watercraft capabilities. He retired in 2025.
Maj. (Retired) Donald C. Overton entered the Army as an Armor crew member in 1974 and reached the rank of Staff Sergeant. He was selected for attendance to Officer Candidate School and commissioned an Artillery Officer in 1987. He transferred into the Transportation Corps in 1993. He began his Department of the Army Civilian Career in 2009, serving as U.S. Training and Doctrine Command capability manager and later becoming the branch chief, Sustainment-CDID Requirements Division, Transportation Requirements Development Branch. He has been responsible for developing capability requirements for Transportation systems including Tactical Wheeled Vehicles, Army Watercraft, and autonomous systems.
First Lieutenant James R. Hammersla, a graduate of University of Baltimore, was drafted into the Army in 1966. He volunteered for Transportation Officer Candidate School and was commissioned Sept. 13, 1967. In August 1968, he reported to 379th Transportation Company in South Vietnam. On Dec. 17, 1969, while commanding a convoy carrying supplies from Long Binh Depot to Dau Teing, his convoy was ambushed by a North Vietnamese Army battalion. As trucks began receiving fire, his jeep was stuck by a rocket-propelled grenade and a vehicle in front was hit and disabled in the middle of the road. He and other occupants quickly dismounted and returned fire. Realizing other convey sections would drive into the ambush, he courageously returned to his jeep under intense fire and radioed a warning. Although wounded, he returned to his defense position and continued to direct fire until he was mortally wounded. His radio message prevented other vehicles from being ambushed and enabled reinforcements to be dispatched to the battle site. The Hall of Fame is given posthumously.
Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Retired) Lorena C. Del Andre entered the Army in 1995, attending Basic Training at Ft Jackson, SC, and Advanced Individual Training for MOS 88N at Ft Eustis, Virginia and accessed into the Warrant Officer Corps as a Mobility Warrant Officer, MOS 882A in 2002. Her overseas deployments include three combat tours in Iraq and one combat tour in Afghanistan. She retired in 2021 after having served over 25 years.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Retired) Keith R. Borck joined the Army in 1950 and attended training to become a helicopter pilot. In January 1963, while serving in Vietnam as an Aircraft Commander, his aircraft was shot down. He evacuated the crew to a rescue helicopter that was damaged by enemy fire while taking off, wounding all crew members. Borck exposed himself to enemy fire to evacuate crew members, placing them in a defilade position, and administering first aid. A second rescue helicopter was struck by fire and crashed. With disregard for his own safety, he dashed through intense fire to extricate the crew. For three hours, they laid in a muddy rice paddy under constant fire. When other aircraft from the rescue could not reach them, he led the men to a protected area and organized a defense line until they were evacuated. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions. He continued to serve until the 1970s. The Hall of Fame is given posthumously.
Command Sgt. Maj. (Retired) Scott A. Reed entered the Army in 1993 as a Motor Vehicle Operator. He completed four Operational Iraqi Freedom and one Operation Enduring Freedom deployments. He was the 2000 Drill Sergeant of the Year for US Army Training Center and finished 2nd in the Army DSOY. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Sergeant Major Academy Class 59. He retired in 2016, having served over 23 years.
Command Sgt. Maj. (Retired) Joseph E. Woods entered the Army in 1981 as a Wheeled Vehicle Operator. He retired in 2008, having served 27 years and began a career as a Department of the Army Civilian, where he served as Transportation Division Chief and Installation Transportation Officer, Redstone Arsenal. He retired from his civilian career in 2025, after compiling over 36 years of combined government service.
Sgt. Maj. (Retired) Clifford McMillan enlisted in the Army as a Cargo Specialist, MOS 88H, in 1982. He began his Department of the Army Civilian career in 2009, serving as a Proponent Specialist in the Office of the Chief of Transportation. He retired in 2020, having served 11 years as an Army Civilian, with a combined 37 years of government service.
Sgt. 1st Class (Retired) Louis R. Cass entered the Army in 1983 as a Cargo Specialist MOS 57H. He retired in 2006, having served 23 years. He continues to serve as an Army contractor Field Engineer and Military Analyst developing plans and training updates for critical sustainment systems and later returning to the Middle East to field systems and train personnel.
Sgt. 1st Class (Retired) Joel Jean entered the Army in 1979 as a Watercraft Operator. He served on various Army vessels, including U.S. Army Transport Ship 790, 65, and 100-foot tugs, 1600 LCU and LARC. As a Training Developer he provided key training guidance and strategy for new equipment acquisitions to include Harbor Master Command and Control Center, High Speed Vessel, Theater Support Vessel, and Joint High-Speed Vessel. He was instrumental in starting The Army School System, by developing the first 88K Active/Reserve Component courseware. He retired in 2001 and began a Dept of the Army Civilian career as a Training Developer, then Instructional Systems Specialist and managed the TC training products. He retired in 2025, having served over 45 years of combined service.
Kathryn M. O’Neill was a member of the Women’s Army Corps Student Officer Program at Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the WAC upon graduation in 1971. She branch transferred to the Army Transportation Corps in 1973, becoming the first female transportation officer. She left active duty in 1983 and began a Department of the Army Civilian career as a Logistics Management Specialist. While serving in the Transportation School Directorate of Combat Developments, Concepts, and Studies Division, she developed concepts for operations, organizations, and materiel that led to substantial changes in Transportation Truck, Watercraft, Rail and Movement Con-trol organizations. She later served in U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command, where she developed the concept for the Movement Control Warrant Officer, which led to the creation of MOS 882A, Mobility Warrant Officer. She retired in 2004 and continued serving as a contractor until retiring in 2010, having completed 39 years of combined service.
In recognition of the need for a single branch to manage military transportation during World War II, the U.S. Army created the Transportation Corps July 31, 1942. In acknowledgement of its lasting value to the U. S. Army, President Harry Truman signed into law making the Transportation Corps one of the permanent branches of the Army June 28, 1950. On Dec. 31, 1985, to provide a greater sense of belonging, the Army Chief of Staff authorized a system for sustainment branches. On July 31, 1986, the Transportation Corps was placed under the U.S. Army Regimental System with its motto Spearhead of Logistics. The Transportation Corps provides a solid base upon which Transporters worldwide can unite with pride and encourage professional growth and development.
| Date Taken: | 07.28.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.28.2026 15:45 |
| Story ID: | 570893 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
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