WVU Army ROTC Class of 2019 WVU Photo/Greg Ellis
WHAT: Twenty-three West Virginia University Army ROTC Mountaineer Battalion Cadets will commission as second lieutenants during the Annual Spring Commissioning Ceremony that will be conducted online because of the COVID-19 restrictions.
WHEN: Thursday, May 14, 9:30 a.m.
WHO: Brig. Gen. Christopher Dziubek, Assistant Chief of Staff, C9 (Civil Affairs), Combined Forces Command (Korea), will be the keynote speaker. He is the chief civil-military relations officer for all U.S. and allied forces in Korea. Brig. Gen. Dziubek is a 1989 graduate of the University of Dayton earning a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and holds two master’s degrees, one in Education from the University of Toledo and one in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. His military education includes the Aviation Officer Basic Course, the Armor Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms and Staff School, Engineer Captains Career Course, the Civil Affairs Qualification Course, the Army Command and General Staff College, the Army War College and Advanced Joint Professional Military Education. His nephew, Cadet Kevin Dziubek, will commission as part of the ceremony.
Lt. Col. Travis Betz, Professor of Military Science, and Master Sgt. Joseph Turley, Senior Military Instructor, will present the Cadets for commissioning.
Those being commissioned:
Austin Altemus (Topton, Pennsylvania; Brandywine Heights Area HS), B.A. in Political Science, Army National Guard, Field Artillery
Rosanne Anderson (Spring Valley, Wisconsin; North Cobb Magnet HS for International Studies, Kennesaw, Georgia), B.A. in Criminology, Active Duty, Aviation
Timothy (Cody) Bailey (Kenna; Ripley HS), B.S. in Industrial Engineering, Active Duty, Ordnance Corps
Rayona Chapman (Hartford, Connecticut, Simsbury HS), B.S. in Business Administration, National Guard, Ordnance Corps
Jonathan Dayton (Roanoke, Virginia; William Byrd HS), B.S. in Nursing, Active Duty, Army Nurse Corps
Kevin Dziubek (Pittsburgh; Central Catholic HS) B.A. in Criminology, Active Duty, Infantry
Benjamin Flohr (Grafton; Grafton HS), B.A. in History, National Guard, Armor
Matthew Green (Jefferson, Maryland; Urbana HS), B.S. in Civil Engineering, Active Duty, Chemical Corps
Jaimee Harrison (Mount Airy, Maryland; South Carroll HS), B.S. in Agriculture Natural Resources & Design, Army Reserve, Military Intelligence
Nickalaus Hart (Reading, Pennsylvania; Wilson HS), B.S. in Business Administration, Active Duty, Military Police Corps
Ashley Hernandez (Red House; South Charleston HS), B.A. in International Studies, Active Duty, Ordnance Corps
Leif Klinger (Fairfax Station, Virginia; North Kitsap HS), B.A. in International Studies, Active Duty, Infantry
Lexy Llewellyn (Barton, Maryland; Mountain Ridge HS), B.A. in Criminology, Army Reserve, Military Intelligence
Paige Maze (Belpre, Ohio; Warren Local HS), B.S. in Exercise Physiology, National Guard, Adjutant General Corps
Kathleen McGovern (Springfield, Virginia; West Springfield HS), B.S. in Nursing, Active Duty, Army Nurse Corps
Allison Melius (Strongstown, Pennsylvania; Blacklick Valley HS), B.S. in Agriculture Natural Resources & Design, National Guard, Medical Services Corps
Aubri Paredes (Rahway, New Jersey; Killeen HS), B.S. in Industrial Engineering, National Guard, Quartermaster Corps
Howard (Trey) Sargent (Parkersburg; Parkersburg South HS) B.S. in Business Administration, Active Duty, Signal Corps
Elliot Shepherd (Bellaire, Ohio; Bellaire HS), M.S. in Industrial Relations, Active Duty, Field Artillery
Charles (Chad) Withers (Ashton; Hannan HS), B.S. in Landscape Architecture, National Guard, Corps of Engineers
Taylor Clarkson (Frankfort, Ohio; Adena HS), B.S. in Marine Biology, National Guard, Aviation
Erin Joyce (Pittsburgh; Bishop Canevin HS); B.A. in Sociology, Army Reserve, Adjutant General Corps
Malarie Yoder (Spring Mills, Pennsylvania; Penns Valley Area HS), B.A. in Communications, Active Duty, Adjutant General Corps
Additional Notes: The Spring 2019-20 Army commissioning class is comprised of 23 total officers from the three schools forming the Mountaineer Battalion – WVU (20) and Waynesburg University (3). Waynesburg students travel to WVU several times a week for physical training and leadership instruction but complete their degree/major requirements at the partnership schools. Three WVU students commissioned in December and five more are expected to meet commissioning requirements by the end of August bringing this year’s commissioning total to 31, the most in at least the past six years.
The spring crop of graduates will send 12 lieutenants onto active duty including two nurses (both WVU grads), eight will commission into the National Guard and two will assess into the Army Reserve. The Mountaineer Battalion has averaged 20 commissioning lieutenants annually during the past five years, but there are currently 35 contracted Cadets in the junior class along with 31 (anticipated) this year, which reflects an overall increasing shift in officer requirements throughout the Army.
Interviews: Pre- or post-ceremony interviews with any of the newly commissioned officers and/or guest speaker can be arranged on an individual basis. Any reporter that wishes to witness the ceremony online in real time can send a request to John Dowling john.dowling@mail.wvu.edu or 304-894-6641 for access. Cadet biographical photos are also available upon request.
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jd/05/12/20
CONTACT: John Dowling, WVU Army ROTC
304-894-6641; john.dowling@mail.wvu.edu
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