Journey to Fellow Program Launches in 2024

Volunteers form the backbone of the Society of American Military Engineers. Through the efforts of dedicated members, SAME has driven the engagement needed to connect people across federal agencies and private industry and produce solutions that have real-world impacts for our national security. Today, SAME has over 25,000 members spread across over 100 Posts, Student Chapters, and Field Chapters around the world.

Within this diverse and dedicated group of professionals, the Academy of Fellows elevates those who have made outstanding contributions to the Society, rendering at minimum ten years of time and leadership to SAME and the A/E/C profession. However, these dedicated members had not always been organized thusly–in fact, for the first fifty years of the Society, the Fellows recognition did not even exist.

The Genesis for the Academy of Fellows

In 1972, with the reason being to honor and recognize those members who had rendered long-time dedicated and outstanding service to the Society, the Fellow title was bestowed for the first time. However, beyond the title there was no other specified role for Fellows within the Society and the process for identifying and selecting Fellows was not codified. Some Fellows were selected by SAME’s Executive Director; others by an awards committee.

By the time of the early 1990s, the list of Fellows was growing and it was recognized that more needed to be done to leverage these dedicated leaders and elevate them within the Society. Discussions began to arise among Society leaders about organizing the Fellows into an Academy to better direct their collective efforts. At the 1994 annual conference in Nashville, Tenn., at the request of Brig. Gen. Gerald C. “Jed” Brown, USA (Ret.), an informal breakfast meeting of Fellows was held, the first time since the inception of the Fellows title that a meeting for Fellows only had been called. Nearly 80 Fellows attended the breakfast meeting—including several past National Presidents and a former long-time Executive Director of SAME. At the meeting, a productive discussion led to support for the idea of a select group of SAME Fellows should be appointed as a committee for the purpose of considering how to elevate recognition of Fellows within the Society, and to consider what more the Fellows could do for the Society and whether an organization of Fellows would be beneficial.

This 12-member working group, stood up later that year, would go on to hold six meetings as they laid the groundwork for what would become the Academy of Fellows. The committee concluded that the goals of such an Academy should be focused on: (1) promoting the profession of military engineering; (2) supporting the Society’s objectives; (3) providing professional opportunities for Fellows; (4) enhancing recognition of Fellows; and, (5) promoting fellowship among Fellows.

The working committee would go on to outline the nomination process, guidelines, and overall mission for the Academy of Fellows. On January 1, 1995, the new Academy officially began, and the working committee disbanded later that month, handing the new organization off to its first collection of officers.

Journeying to Fellow

To illuminate the value of becoming a Fellow to a broader membership base, the Academy of Fellows has crafted a new program, Journey To Fellow, to create awareness and cultivate future new Fellows. Launching in 2024, this initiative promises several annual opportunities for members to delve into the nuances of being a Fellow; strategies to maximize efforts toward earning this distinction; and the chance to connect with peers on a similar path.

Members interested in working toward Fellowship will learn how to chart their own course. Both webinars and in-person meetings will offer a list of volunteer opportunities across local, regional, and national levels—an invaluable resource for those on temporary duty assignment in areas lacking a Post. Journey To Fellow will share the initiatives of various Posts in mentoring and highlight examples of the tracking used to chart one’s efforts over the course of their membership. The program will provide tips from those who have been recognized as a Fellow on how they traversed their own journey.

The first webinar (Jan. 18) will delve into the benefits of Fellowship. The second (Feb. 29) will include information gleaned from participants in the Career Transition Workshop and focus on possible detours that could be encountered on your journey. For example, how can military members who are away from a Post continue progressing on their goal of Fellowship? The third webinar will be in  April.

For those eager to delve deeper, an invitation is extended to join the AOF LinkedIn page. Additionally, prospective participants can reach out to a member of the AOF Executive Committee (www.same.org/academy-of-fellows). We look forward to your participation!