Award Honorees

Lt. Colonel Corby Koehler '91 has dedicated his career to keeping Minnesota safe, serving for 32 years in the U.S. Army and as a three years as a Minnetonka police officer. Throughout his impressive career, Koehler led Minnesota's largest military intelligence sector, accumulated over 2,000 helicopter flight hours—300 of which were in combat—and was deployed multiple times domestically to assist in natural disaster crises.

Koehler's passion for aviation began early, inspired by stories from his father, a Vietnam War veteran who spoke of flying. He joined the military shortly after his high school graduation, initially planning to serve for a few years before attending college. However, he soon changed his plans, opting to attend officer candidate school and later getting commissioned as an officer.

After completing officer training, Koehler fulfilled his dream of flying by enrolling in a flight training program, where he learned to pilot the helicopters he had long dreamed about. Following flight school, he served as a Minnetonka police officer for three years before returning to the military full-time. He accepted a position with the National Guard, flying helicopters for 23 years, during which he played a vital role in firefighting, flood response, and other domestic emergency operations.

Koehler's military service took him to various global locations, including deployments to Kosovo (2003-2004), Iraq (2007-2008) and Kuwait (2014). His extensive experience led him to identify significant gaps in the Army’s training for Aviation Intelligence personnel, particularly during his deployment in Iraq. His in-depth research and findings resulted in three influential articles, one of which was recognized as the 2013 Aviation Digest Article of the Year. These articles spurred the creation of the Intelligence Support to Aviation (ISTA) course, directly addressing the training deficiencies he had identified.

During his time in Iraq, he collaborated with his Battalion TACOPS Warrant Officer to develop new tactics and strategies to mitigate the dangers facing helicopters in combat. These tactics were validated in combat and subsequently incorporated into Army aviation manuals, which remain in use today.

Reflecting on his extensive career, Koehler shares this key takeaway: "Be open to any opportunities or experiences. The military is a great place to gain those experiences. I saw things all over the world that I would never have seen otherwise; I got to do things I wasn't sure I would ever get to do."