Recognizes a 2025 Alabama A&M ROTC Hall of Fame Inductee
By B. Johnson, 9th Episcopal District
The St. John AME Church Military Ministry was excited to learn that a son of St. John would be recognized at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University’s annual Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Hall of Fame Ball. Lieutenant Colonel Angelo (A. J.) W. Johnson, the son of the late Mr. Ollie (Mary Powers) Johnson, will be inducted into the ROTC Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 19, 2025. LTC. Johnson joins his mentor, Col. (Ret.) James O. Heyward was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Lieutenant Colonel Angelo W. Johnson (Retired Regular Army) earned his commission as a Second Lieutenant through Alabama A&M University’s Army ROTC Program in 1986. He went on to have a stellar military career. He served 12 years in the private sector, 25+ years in the U.S. Army, most in a “No Fail” operational environment. He is Fluent in English and Arabic. Lieutenant Colonel Johnson served as Director of Operations, Reliant Global Solutions (RGS), and Defense/Security Consultant; Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton, International Office, in the private sector from February 1, 2012, to present. He engaged the Kuwait Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Ministry of Interior (MOI) at the National Security level. He was an Active-Duty Lieutenant Colonel (LTC)/O-5 in positions of increasing responsibility from December 1, 2003, to January 31, 2012. He achieved superior results through pressure-tested critical thinking and engaging interpersonal skills. He continuously led, taught, coached, mentored, and managed sophisticated geographically dispersed combat, humanitarian aid, counterinsurgency, and peacetime training operations. He holds a U.S. Top Secret Clearance.
Lieutenant Colonel Johnson served as the senior American Combat Advisor to an Iraqi two-star general commanding a 70,000-member Iraqi Security Force (ISF), where he developed means and methods to share information and resources rapidly, which saved lives. He led in fiscal accountability as he managed a $6.2 million annual budget; transformed a language program into a $20 million, 5-year Omni Bus contract with measurable benchmarks. He served as a Military Advisor as he collaborated with two Kuwaiti Brigadier Generals on planning, training, foreign military sales procurement, ongoing Kuwaiti National Defense, and counterinsurgency planning. Lieutenant Colonel Johnson also served as the Second in Command of a Special Force Battalion; he provided oversight for the planning, funding, deployment, and execution of a 34 34-nation regional Humanitarian Disaster Exercise, resulting in baseline Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for all participants.
His awards include the Bronze Star Medal // Defense Meritorious Service Medal // Meritorious Service Medal (3RD Award) // Army Commendation Medal, (2ND Award) // Army Achievement Medal (3RD Award) // Joint Meritorious Unit Award // National Defense Service Medal (2ND Award) // Southwest Asia Service Medal // Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal // Global War On Terrorism Service Medal // Army Service Ribbon // Overseas Service Ribbon (2ND Award) // Special Forces Tab//Sapper Tab // Master Parachute Badge // Pathfinder Badge // Air Assault Badge // Egyptian Parachutist Badge // Honduran Jumpmaster Parachute Badge // Canadian Parachutist Badge // Kuwait Parachutist Badge.
The Military Ministry of St. John AME Church congratulates LTC. (Ret) Angelo (A. J.) Johnson, on being inducted into the ROTC Hall of Fame, salutes his wife of 38 years, Mrs. Lauroselle Ray-Johnson, their son, Mr. Jared Johnson, and daughter, Mrs. Lindsay Ray Johnson-McGrew, for supporting the military mission as a family.
