The Aviation Center of Excellence honors its Instructors of the Year for Fiscal Year 2025 in a ceremony at Fort Rucker, Ala., Dec. 16, 2025. The winners shown are: • The Officer Academic Instructor of the Year, Capt. Dakota R. Defreece, 1st Aviation Brigade • The Officer Flight Instructor of the Year, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Shawn D. Michael, 110th Aviation Brigade • The NCO Flight Instructor of the Year, Staff Sgt. Nicholas R. Dykeman, 110th Aviation Brigade • The Civilian Flight Instructor of the Year, Harley R. Mast, 110th Aviation Brigade Not pictured is the Noncommissioned Officer Academic Instructor of the Year, Staff Sgt. Tyler L. Finnigan, 128th Aviation Brigade, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. (U.S. Army photo by Kelly Morris)
Story by Kelly Morris
FORT RUCKER, Ala.–The Aviation Center of Excellence honored its Instructors of the Year for Fiscal Year 2025 in a ceremony at Fort Rucker, Ala., Dec. 16.
Each quarter throughout the year, academic instructors and flight instructors from around the AVCOE and Fort Rucker are nominated by their supervisors for the honor of competing for Instructor of the Quarter.
They are evaluated on quality of instruction, quality of materials developed and used, and quality of their presentation. The Instructors of the Year are determined from the quarterly winners.
The Instructors of the Year for FY25 are:
- The Officer Academic Instructor of the Year is Capt. Dakota R. Defreece, 1st Aviation Brigade.
- The Noncommissioned Officer Academic Instructor of the Year is Staff Sgt. Tyler L. Finnigan, 128th Aviation Brigade, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
- The Officer Flight Instructor of the Year is Chief Warrant Officer 3 Shawn D. Michael, 110th Aviation Brigade.
- The NCO Flight Instructor of the Year is Staff Sgt. Nicholas R. Dykeman, 110th Aviation Brigade.
- The Civilian Flight Instructor of the Year is Harley R. Mast, 110th Aviation Brigade.
Maj. Gen. Clair A. Gill, Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker commanding general, thanked Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Daniel P. Kersey for the invocation that focused on the “high and noble calling” of shaping others, as Kersey expressed gratitude for those who “train us to be better than we could ever be on our own.”
Maj. Gen. Clair A. Gill, Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker commanding general, speaks during the AVCOE 2025 Instructor of the Year Ceremony at Fort Rucker, Ala., Dec. 16, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Kelly Morris)
Gill welcomed attendees and congratulated the awardees who endeavor to impact the Army “one Soldier at a time.”
“It is my privilege to present the Instructor of the Year Award to these truly exceptional professionals,” Gill said. “Their dedication and passion have truly made a lasting impact, and we’re all fortunate to have such dedicated professionals teaching our Soldiers. On behalf of all your students, your colleagues, the Aviation Center and the Army, congratulations and thanks for everything that you do. I’m very proud of each of you.”
Gill noted that the Army stands in a “sea of change” as new technologies emerge. “While the tools of our profession of arms may change, our duty to instruct and train competent warfighters remains critical,” Gill said.
In a time of transformation, Army leadership continues to invest in Soldiers as it prioritizes warfighting and strengthening the profession.
“Instructors enable Army priorities to become reality,” Gill said. “The training, educating and developing aviation warfighter basics and developing soldiers who deliver speed, flexibility, depth and lethality to a complex battlespace are primary drivers in transforming students. And we couldn’t do it without our world class instructors, and each of you represent the engine of our professional education and training at this Center of Excellence.”
Gill said the award recipients are leaders whose instruction goes “beyond training manuals, beyond the classroom walls and cockpits and truly make an impact on maturing students into aviation warfighters.”
The instructors inspire students to do more and become more. They “embody the heart and soul of military instruction and education, for each possesses unquenchable passion and dedication for their work and their unwavering commitment to student success,” he said.
The Aviation Center of Excellence honors its Instructors of the Year for Fiscal Year 2025 in a ceremony at Fort Rucker, Ala., Dec. 16, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Kelly Morris)
The AVCOE instructors put in long hours, mentor others including fellow instructors, and develop curricula as they lead with technical competence, professionalism and heart, he explained.
“These instructors know that our aviation warfighters deserve the very best,” Gill said.
The work of instruction includes “igniting curiosity, developing skills for critical thinking, and helping students grow into trained competent warriors who are technically and tactically proficient, and able to perform under the most demanding requirements of combat,” he said.
“The critical thinking warfighter will be more valuable than any piece of kit, “Gill said.
The winners received a Certificate of Achievement citing their excellence in training, professionalism, dedication to duty and technical expertise; tokens of appreciation from sponsoring organizations, and a challenge coin from senior leaders.
The video recording of the ceremony may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAU4woqeFGc.
