Class of 2025

Click on photo to view more information on each hall of fame inductee.

BG Harriet Tubman

U.S. Army Veteran (Posthumously)

Harriet Tubman was born a slave known as Araminta Ross in1822 on a plantation on the Eastern Shore in Dorchester County, Maryland. In 1849, she escaped to freedom in Pennsylvania and, thereafter, led a number of trips to free upwards of eighty fellow slaves. She is undoubtedly most famous for her Underground Railroad activities. However, from 1862-1863, she also acted as a spy and scout for the Union Army, operating against Confederate forces and their civilian supporters in South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia.

In approximately January 1862, Governor John Andrews of Massachusetts, a staunch abolitionist and friend of Tubman’s, asked her to travel to South Carolina to work as a spy and scout and when she was not doing that to do whatever else was necessary; this amounted to using her nursing skills and teaching newly freed slaves in Union camps practical life skills. Once arriving in Beaufort, South Carolina, in the spring of 1863, she worked as a cook and nurse for the Union army. She recruited at least nine former slaves, who could easily maneuver around and mingle with Confederate troops and sympathizers. These spies collected intelligence concerning enemy positions and strengths, movements, and fortifications in Confederate controlled areas. Tubman also collected tactical intelligence through systematic questioning of escaping slaves.

One of her most daring and important missions took place in June 1863, when Tubman and her spies collected vital intelligence about Confederate reinforcements and heavily mined waters along the Combahee River north of Beaufort. Maj. Gen. David Hunter, Union commander of the Department of the South, provided Tubman with a pass which allowed her to travel throughout the Union controlled area unencumbered. Col. James Montgomery, commander of the Second South Carolina Volunteers of African Descent, not only used the intelligence collected by Tubman’s network of spies but, at General Hunter’s suggestion, gave Tubman a leadership role and took a couple of her spies on the successful raid of six Southern plantations on the River. The raid liberated an estimated 750 men, women and children held in bondage, seized or destroyed millions of dollars of Confederate staples, and opened the river for Union boats. It is estimated that at least 100 men freed in this raid later joined the Union Army as soldiers. Reporting on the raid to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, Brig. Gen. Rufus Saxton, the military governor of Beaufort, said, “This is the only military command in American history wherein a woman, black or white, led the raid, and under whose inspiration it was originated and conducted”.

After the Combahee River Raid, Ms. Tubman returned to Beaufort to serve as a nurse at a segregated hospital, working for the Freedmen's Bureau while continuing to collect information as available until the end of the war. After a time, Harriet returned to her pre-war home in Auburn, New York, where she lived the rest of her life as community activist,

humanitarian, and suffragist. She died of pneumonia on 10 March 1913, and was buried with military honors at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn.

BG Harriet Tubman
U.S. Army Veteran (Posthumously)

LTG Patricia E. McQuistion

USA, Retired

Lieutenant General Patricia E. McQuistion, US Army Retired, joined the staff of the Association of the United States Army, where she served as vice president of membership & meetings, after completing 35 years of uniformed service in a variety of positions primarily in logistics and supply chain solutions. She is a life member of AUSA. She finished her Army career as the deputy commanding general for the Army Materiel Command and senior commander of Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. As a general officer, she commanded the U.S. Army Sustainment Command, headquartered at Rock Island, Illinois, the 21st Theater Sustainment Command for U.S. Army-Europe and Seventh Army in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime Supply Chains in Columbus, Ohio. She has served in numerous command and staff assignments in Hawaii, Germany, Virginia, Kansas, Texas, Egypt, Pennsylvania, and Kuwait, (plus three tours at the Pentagon). She is a graduate of the University of Akron (Ohio), where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a commission in the U.S. Army through the ROTC program. She subsequently earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (Acquisition Management) from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and a Master of National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. Military awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters; the Bronze Star; the Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters; the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster; the Air Force Commendation Medal; the Army Achievement Medal; the Army Staff Identification Badge; and the Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr in Gold. Pat is married to Colonel Leif Johnson, US Army, Retired. They have three grown children, three grandchildren, a golden retriever, and a nearly invisible cat.

LTG Patricia E. McQuistion
USA, Retired

MG Gina Farrisee

USA, Retired

MG Gina Farrisee received her commission from the Reserve Officer Training Corps at University of Richmond. Her distinguished career spanned 34 years holding positions of ever-increasing responsibilities in Human Resources. Her career was highlighted by the opportunity to command at every level from Captain to Major General. Her career culminating as the first woman to command U.S. Army Human Resources Command.

Early assignments included Commander, 525th Replacement Detachment and Assistant Secretary of the General Staff, I Corps, FT Lewis, WA; Chief Strength Management Division, 32 AADCOM and Commander, 575th Personnel Support Company, 5th Personnel Group, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany. Early assignments to the Pentagon included Assistant Executive Officer to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel and Assistant Executive Officer to the Chief of Staff, United States Army, Washington, DC. Followed by Commander, 22d Personnel Services Battalion, Fort Lewis, WA, Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces and Commander, U.S. Army Enlisted Records and Evaluation Center, Indianapolis, IN. Returning to Washington, DC, as the Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Management Policy), Office of the Secretary of Defense, then as The Adjutant General/Commanding General, Physical Disability Agency/ Executive Director, Military Postal Service Agency, Alexandria, VA. Later Commanding General, U.S. Army Soldier Support Institute, Fort Jackson, SC, then to the Pentagon as the Director Military Personnel Management Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1.

She continued Federal service for almost a decade with the Department of Veterans Affairs, serving as the Assistant Secretary, Office of Human Resources and Administration, moving to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, then Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs, followed by Executive Director of Strategy and Analysis, National Cemetery Administration, then returning to and culminating her Federal service as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs.

Still serving Veterans, she is the Chairperson for the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Cemeteries and Memorials.
She is married to Colonel(R) David Farrisee.

MG Gina Farrisee
USA, Retired

BG Barbara Doornink

USA, Retired

BG (Ret) Doornink began her Army career in August 1973, attending the Women’s Army Corps Officer Basic Course prior to the Transportation Officer Basic Course. Her first assignment was as a platoon leader and executive officer in the 104th Transportation Company, 39th Combat Engineer Battalion at Ft Devens, Massachusetts. She played All Army Tennis and other sports at the installation level and when the decision was made to open the US Military Academy to women, she was selected to be a role model as an associate Tactical Officer for their plebe summer. She remained at West Point, first in the Superintendent’s Office as an Assistant Protocol Officer and later as an instructor and Operations Officer for the Department of Military Instruction.

After an assignment in Korea as a Movements Officer with the 25th Transportation Center she returned to Ft Eustis, Virginia to command the 100th Transportation Company and serve as the S-3 and Executive Officer of the 6th Transportation Battalion.

Her first assignment in Washington DC was as a Recorder in the Department of the Army Secretariat for Selection Boards followed by assigning Transportation Company Grade Officers. Probably the most challenging but rewarding job in her career.

Following Command and General Staff College she served as the Division Transportation Officer for the 9th Infantry Division (Motorized) Ft Lewis, WA, then Executive Officer of the 99th Support Battalion and Division Support Command Operations Officer (S-3).

Germany was the next stop as the Commander of the 53rd Transportation Battalion, 37th Transportation Command in Kaiserslautern. The Battalion was responsible for moving the nuclear weapons that were based in Europe at the time as well as the more routine munitions throughout Europe.

After graduation from the Industrial College of Armed Forces she took command of the 507th Corps Support Group (Airborne), XVIII Airborne Corps. As the first woman to command an airborne brigade the pressure was on when on her first jump as the commander she was put into the trees. Ending high up in a North Carolina pine, she had to climb down her spare parachute to reach the ground. Thank goodness cell phones weren’t around!

Her next assignment was with the U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany, she served initially as the Chief of Joint Logistics Operations. After selection for promotion to General, she became Vice Director of Logistics and Security Assistance, J4. During this time, she spent six months as deputy commanding general, Stabilization Force Support Command, Zagreb, Croatia. Returning to the United States, she commanded the DLA Defense Distribution Center, expanding the world-wide number to 24 distribution centers. She served on the Army G4 Staff as the Director of Plans and Operations.

In her final assignment as DCG and Director of Operations for SDDC, BG (Ret) Doornink directed the surface deployment of US forces to Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as their surface sustainment support. Following her retirement, she served as the Vice President for Operations, IntelliTrans, a company focused on supply chain support through technology to the rail industry. She joined Leidos (formerly Science Applications International Corporation), in September of 2005 as Vice President, Division Manager in the Logistics and Engineering Solutions Business Unit. Still serving soldiers she led an innovative effort to ensure that the expedited procurement of life saving Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) could be supported with a common equipment integration and sustainment system. She became a Senior Vice President and Operations Manager in 2009. Her last role with Leidos before retirement was to win and lead as Managing Director, a $13B contract with the United Kingdom to provide procurement and inventory management of common commodity items, storage and distribution for all MOD “non-explosive” stock items, and the development and operation of the Support Chain Integration Platform.

BG (Ret) Doornink received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Washington State University in 1973, a Master’s of Science from the University of Southern California in Information Systems Management and a Master’s of Science from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in National Resource Management. She is an active member of the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA), Association of the United States Army (AUSA), and the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). In addition to being inducted into the Transportation Hall of Fame, she was inducted into the DLA Hall of Fame in 2007 for her major contributions to the Defense Distribution Center and the nation’s security. She also was the 2018 recipient of the NDIA Logistics Division’s Edward M. Greer Award for meritorious service to the Depart of Defense in the area of integrated logistics support engineering.

BG Barbara Doornink
USA, Retired

CSM Cynthia L. Graham

USA, Retired

Cynthia L. Graham is a soldier married to a soldier, the mother of a Marine and a Sailor, sister of a Soldier and an Airmen, and granddaughter of a WWII Bomber Pilot. Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Cynthia L. Graham retired from active-duty with the United States Army April 2007. She worked as a Field Support Engineer and a Digital Systems Engineer prior to starting her own business in 2013. She is currently CEO/President of Graham’s Goods LLC which manufactures and sells branded material for the following: US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, US Marine Corps, US Coast Guard, and many collegiate institutions including US Military Academy, US Air Force Academy, and US Naval Academy.

Cynthia started her career with Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri where she was awarded the MOS 64C, Motor Transport Operator. Her assignments include: 40th Transportation Company, 181st Transportation Battalion; Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 181st Trans Bn; Personnel Administrative Specialist, Headquarters, STARC, Richmond, VA (AGR), Personnel Services NCO, Headquarters, 58th Transportation Battalion; Drill Sergeant, Delta Company, 2/10th Infantry Regiment; Instructor, Headquarters, 58th Trans Bn; Instructor, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Engineer Brigade; Recruiter, United States Army Recruiting Battalion, Durham, North Carolina; Platoon Sergeant, 513th Transportation Company, 44th Corps Support Battalion; S3 NCOIC, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 44th CSB; PAC Supervisor, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 28th Transportation Battalion; First Sergeant, 260th Transportation Detachment, 28th Trans Bn; First Sergeant, 70th Transportation Company, 28th Trans Bn; First Sergeant, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 58th Transportation Battalion; First Sergeant, Headquarters Company, United States Army Maneuver Support Center, Fort Leonard, Missouri; United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, Fort Bliss, Texas; USASMA Instructor, Fort Bliss, Texas; Command Sergeant Major, 181st Transportation Battalion.

Cynthia has served duty as Motor Transport Operator, Battalion Commander’s Driver, Squad Leader, Section Sergeant, Platoon Sergeant, Drill Sergeant, Field Recruiter, Senior Instructor Evaluator, Instructor Writer, Chief Movement Supervisor, Operation Sergeant, Personnel Administrative Supervisor, Detachment Sergeant, First Sergeant, Senior Operations Sergeant Major, Senior Instructor/Mentor Sergeant Major Academy, and Command Sergeant Major. Command Sergeant Major Graham was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cynthia’s military education includes Command and Staff Course; United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, (class #54); First Sergeant Course, Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course, Battle Staff Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Army Sexual Harassment/Assault Response Program Coordinator Course (SHARP/SARC), Recruiter School, Drill Sergeant School, Cadre Training Course, Instructor Training Course, Joint Deployment Logistics Model Training Course, Army Master Fitness Training Course, Equal Opportunity Advisor Course, and Primary Leadership Development Course. Cynthia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, a Master of Arts in Organizational & Industrial Psychology, a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership.

Her awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3rd award), Army Commendation Medal (3rd Award), Army Achievement Medal (8th Award), Army Good Conduct Medal (6th Award), National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award), Overseas Service Ribbon (3rd Award), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (4th award), Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Combat Action Badge, German Armed Forces Marksmanship Badge (Gold), Driver & Mechanics Badge, Drill Sergeant Badge, and US Army Recruiter Badge. Cynthia is a member of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, the Sergeant Morales Club, and a recipient of the Transportation Order of Saint Christopher.

Cynthia has been married for 35 years to her husband, SGM(R) Jonathan P. Graham. They have two children Deric (USMC) combat veteran, A’Moure (USN) veteran and three wonderful grandchildren, Landyn, A’Moure Jr, and Alora.

CSM Cynthia L. Graham
USA, Retired

CPT Diane Carlson Evans

U.S. Army Veteran

Diane Carlson Evans is the Founder of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, dedicated in Washington DC near the Wall of Names on Veterans Day, 1993.

As a former Captain in the Army Nurse Corps who served in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969, Diane Carlson Evans had a profoundly personal interest in remedying the omission of recognition for women veterans. Working in surgical and burn units, her first-hand knowledge of the casualties of the Vietnam war and the sacrifices of the women who volunteered to leave the comforts of home to support their fighting brothers in a foreign land, led her on a ten year mission – during which she had to convince government agencies, Congress, journalists and the public that building a women’s Vietnam memorial was a necessary part of the healing process for female war veterans.

It is an everlasting tribute to the 265,000 women who served during the Vietnam War.

Ms. Evans was the first woman in American history to spearhead a campaign to place a national monument in the nation’s capital that recognized the contributions of military women to their country, as well as civilian women’s patriotic service. Evans has remained an active advocate in the veteran’s community focusing on healing the wounds of war. She served under six Secretaries of Veterans Affairs on the Readjustment Counseling Services advisory board promoting services for veterans with PTSD.

On Memorial Day, 2020 her memoir, Healing Wounds, A Vietnam War Combat Nurse’s 10-year Fight to Win Women a Place of Honor in Washington, DC, was released.

She lives today in Helena, Montana with her husband, a Veteran Era veteran of the U.S. Army Medical Corps and Air National Guard.

CPT Diane Carlson Evans
U.S. Army Veteran

SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF CHAMPION AWARDEES

SGM Petra M. Casarez

USA

SGM Casarez enlisted in the Army in 1994 as a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic and completed Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Since then, she has served in leadership positions from squad leader to Command Sergeant Major. SGM Petra M. Casarez assumed duties as the Department of the Army G-4 Sergeant Major in March 2023. Some of her previous assignments include G-4 Maintenance SGM, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Red Cloud, Korea from 2013-2015; BN CSM, HHBn, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia from 2015-2017; BDE CSM, 403rd Army Field Support Brigade, Camp Henry, Korea, Army Sustainment Command from 2017-2018; G-3 SGM, U.S. Army Materiel Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama from 2018-2019; Ordnance CSM, U.S. Army Ordnance School, U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command, Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia from 2019-2021; and CSM, U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command, U.S. Army Materiel Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois from 2021-2023.SGM Casarez’s military education includes Basic Leader Course; Advanced Leader Course; Army Basic Instructor Course; Senior Leader Course; Drill Sergeant School; and U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy (Class 63). Her civilian education includes bachelor’s degree in management from Wayland Baptist University and master’s degree in organizational leadership from University of Texas. She is also a Master Fitness and Combatives Trainer, and a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.SGM Casarez is married to Mr. Tom Casarez. They have a daughter, Maya.

SGM Petra M. Casarez
USA

The Baltimore County Delta Foundation

The Baltimore County Delta foundation (BCDF) was established in 2010 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to provide charitable and educational programming in Baltimore County.
BCDF is governed by an elected Board of Directors comprised of members of Baltimore County Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and members of the public.
The Female Veteran’s Program serves as the signature event for the Foundation. Under the signature program the Foundation has raised funds to support its charitable and educational programming. Funds are instrumental in awarding scholarships for female veterans. Funding allows veterans the opportunity to pursue higher education or create entrepreneurial programs.
The Foundation is committed to providing services to meet the reintegration needs of female veterans through the Annual Stand Down event. Annual Stand Down workshops are facilitated to provide attendees with the opportunity to interact with fellow veterans, become acquainted with local, state and federal resources, promote their works, express concerns, identify gaps in services and enjoy the camaraderie of other female veterans.
The Foundation facilitates an annual Walk-Run event to assist in raising funds to support the organization and veterans. This statewide event provides opportunities on three levels; raise dollars to support services needed by veterans, promote awareness of the need to support veterans and to encourage growth in the number of organizations prioritizing female veteran needs throughout the state of Maryland.
To provide veterans with a voice in identifying their needs and gaps in service, an initial work session was facilitated at the VA Hospital in Baltimore Maryland. More than fifty veterans participated in the workshop. A list of needed services was developed that served as a guide for the Foundation.
Through a partnership with the Baltimore County Office of Manpower, workshops have been facilitated to assist veterans in updating or creating resumes and workplace narrative.
Annual scholarships are awarded to veterans to assist and promote academic upward mobility, college completion and/entrepreneurship.
Recognizing that veterans may be in need of clothing and/or household items, the Foundation provides veterans with Jump Start Kits of newly purchased household items and clothing upon request. Jump Start Kits (house items) may be requested through local support agencies, churches, or veterans. Kits are provided to veterans transitioning from sheltered or shared living sites into independent living.

To support veterans in job search attending various business meetings; more than 125 new clothing garments have been provided, upon request.
The Foundation has partnered with the Baltimore County Community College to provide scholarships to veteran students.
In honor of Women’s History month, the Foundation has conducted two primary events to promote the legacy of the WW II Six Triple Eight Central Postal Directory Battalion of the US Women Army Corp. On March 9, 2024, BCDF collaborated with the Baltimore County Public Library to present the inaugural 6888th Day in Maryland, honoring these amazing women. March 9th has been designated as Six Triple Eight Day in Maryland through legislation signed by Governor Wes Moore .
In 2024 the Foundation, in collaboration with the Baltimore County Alumnae and Lambda Kappa Chapters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. hosted a private screening of the 2024 Tyler Perry film, “Six Triple Eight.” The event was part of a limited release in theatres prior to its release on Netflix. BCDF was the only organization to host this historic prerelease showing in the DMV.

The Baltimore County Delta Foundation