Three Recognized with the Distinguished Achievement Award

Carmel, IN - On the evening of December 8, 2016, staff from the International Headquarters, members of the Grand Chapter, and brothers from the greater Washington D.C. area met for an alumni reception at the Washington Marriott Georgetown. Several special guests were among the attendees including Lieutenant General Henry P. Osman, USMC (Zeta Pi/Old Dominion 1969), Colonel Gordon O. Tanner, USAF (Alpha Phi/Alabama 1970), and Rear Admiral Scott Burhoe, USCG (Eta Lambda/Virginia Tech 1979). During the reception, the three men were bestowed the Distinguished Achievement Award, an honor recognizing outstanding accomplishments outside of the Fraternity. Past recipients have been significant figures in government, academia, athletics, entertainment, and the military. “It’s a pleasure and privilege to have presented these three outstanding brothers with Theta Chi’s Distinguished Achievement Award,” said Executive Director Mike Mayer. “They exemplify what it means to serve their God, their country, and their fellow man. They truly are three Resolute Men.”

Below is information about each of the recipients:

Lieutenant General Henry P. Osman (Zeta Pi/Old Dominion 1969)
Lieutenant General Henry P. Osman enlisted in the Marine Corps in March of 1967. Upon his graduation from Old Dominion University in 1969 he was commissioned and went on to serve for 37 years as an active duty Marine. His career included commanding a rifle platoon during combat operations in Vietnam as well as serving as a company officer at The Basic School (Marine Corps officer training). Lt. Gen. Osman commanded companies in the 3rd Battalion 1st Marines, the Marine Corps Base Quantico, as well as the Marine Detachment on the USS Eisenhower.

Further in his career, Osman commanded 3rd Battalion 7th Marines as well as the Marine Corps Officer Candidates School. He also was a logistics and operations officer in the 1st Marine Regiment, aide-de-camp to the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, G-3 Plans Officer of 1st Marine Division, and the Chief of Strategy for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. Several other roles he held included the Director in the Personnel Management Division of HQMC, the Commanding General of Marine Corps Recruit Depot/Western Recruiting Region, and the Director of Operational Plans and Joint Force Development of the Joint Staff. Osman served as the Commanding General II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, NC and as the Commander of a Joint Task Force deployed to Northern Iraq during the Iraq War. In his final assignment, Lt. Gen. Osman served as the Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

Since retiring in October of 2006 Osman now serves as the CEO of Toys for Tots, a Marine run program that collects new toys to distribute to the less fortunate each Christmas.

Colonel Gordon O. Tanner (Alpha Phi/Alabama 1970)
Currently, Colonel Tanner is the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of the Air Force and Chief Legal Officer and Chief Ethics Official for the Air Force in Washington, D.C. Before this appointment, Tanner was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Senior Executive Service for the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. He assisted in executing the responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary in the supervision of manpower, military, and civilian personnel, Reserve component affairs, and readiness support for the Department of Air Force. Colonel Tanner gave guidance to the Deputy Assistant Secretaries for Management Integration, Strategic Diversity Integration, Reserve Affairs, and the Deputy for the Air Force Review Boards Agency.

Further, Tanner served as the Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Air Force, providing oversight, guidance, and direction regarding legal matters that arose within the Department of the Air Force. He also served as the Department of Defense Executive Agent for the National Science Foundation Antarctica Program/Operation Deep Freeze. In his private practice, Tanner was a senior partner in the financial institutions and real estate group of a large multi-state firm. He represented clients in a broad range of industries including banks, real estate ventures, and emerging technology.

Tanner retired as a Colonel in the Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps Reserves. His Reserve service included the Office of the Air Force General Counsel, the Senior Reserve Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Staff Judge Advocate, Fourteenth Air Force, Vandenberg Air Force Base; and as the Senior Individual Mobilization Augementee and Instructor at the Judge Advocate General School Maxwell Air Force Base.

Rear Admiral J. Scott Burhoe (Eta Lambda/Virginia Tech 1976)
After graduating from Virginia Tech in 1976, Rear Admiral Burhoe attended Officer Candidate School where he received his commission and served for 34 years in the United States Coast Guard. His first assignment was to lead the USCG Ceremonial Honor Guard in Washington, D.C. Following this, Burhoe served in a variety of operational and staff roles including Executive Officer and Alternate Captain of the Port, Coast Guard Station New London, CT; commanding Officer, Station Fort Lauderdale, FL; and Group Commander, Group Sandy Hook, NJ. His staff assignments have been focused primarily in the human resource specialty at Training Center Cape May, the Leadership Development Center, Training Center Yorktown, VA, Coast Guard Headquarters, and as the Chief of the Officer Personnel Management Division. His final assignment with the Coast Guard was serving as the 39th Superintendent of the USCG Academy.

Currently, Rear Admiral Burhoe serves as the 10th President of Fork Union Military Academy, a college prep, Christian, military boarding school in Fork Union, Virginia that educates, develops, and inspires young men. He was selected for this position after retiring from the United States Coast Guard.