BGSU alumnus, decorated military veteran elected into ROTC Hall of Fame

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Douglas M. Gabram ’84 earns another honor with enshrinement into ROTC Hall of Fame

For retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Douglas M. Gabram ’84, a career of decorated military service that started at Bowling Green State University is slated to receive another honor.

Gabram was among the honorees who was inducted into the U.S. Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Hall of Fame during a March 24 ceremony in Huntsville, Alabama, a recognition of his time in the program and the accomplished career it helped launch.

Gabram took his first steps into the military through ROTC, which provided invaluable experience during his time as a student at BGSU, ranked the No. 1 university in the Midwest for veterans and active military students for the past five years.

Looking back years later, Gabram said his experience as a Fighting Falcon helped him develop the self-discipline to succeed in the military as a career.

“I was in the ROTC program and a fraternity at the same time, so I had a very regimented schedule from that,” Gabram said. “The key is, once you get into the Army, it’s about self-discipline. ROTC really teaches you self-discipline without someone having to tell you what to do.

“In the Army, that really has to be built into your DNA.”

A Cleveland native, Gabram said BGSU “definitely won the family vote” when he was evaluating colleges. Not only did Gabram receive his first honor as a distinguished military graduate at BGSU, but he also met and married his Falcon Flame, Lori Flury '87, who was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in nursing at BGSU and completed a deployment in Operation Desert Storm as a nurse.

The ROTC Hall of Fame is the latest recognition for Gabram, who earned seven Bronze Stars, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with Valor, the Army Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit, among other honors.

Most recently, he was the commanding general of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command before his retirement in 2022. Gabram is a master aviator with more than 2,500 flight hours who piloted an AH-64 Apache helicopter and saw a combined seven combat deployments to Iraq, Bosnia and Afghanistan.

He also was inducted into the Army Aviation Hall of Fame in 2025.

Gabram said remaining connected to his alma mater and giving back to future generations has been an important part of his life.

“I have a saying that you are what you leave behind, and life really is about giving back to people,” he said. “I was in the service for 38 years and spent a lot of time deployed, but when I returned, I did like reaching out to share life lessons learned, and not just about the Army, but about life as you grow older.”

William '81, '83 and Mary Shelt, Gabram’s friends and business partners, established a scholarship in Gabram’s name for students in the School of Aviation, providing for the next generation to experience the value of higher education through a career in aviation.

Now that he will be enshrined in the ROTC Hall of Fame, Gabram said he’s thankful for the experience he had as a BGSU student.

"The BGSU ROTC program was very challenging and rewarding," he said. "It provided me a solid foundation of self discipline, teamwork, focus and represented the Army values. I’m thankful for the opportunity to start my Army career at BGSU and enter the sacred profession to serve our nation.”