Brig. Gen. Murray E. “Gene” Holt, Assistant Adjutant General – Army and commander of the West Virginia Army National Guard — is the keynote speaker for the commissioning of 23 Army ROTC Mountaineer Battalion cadets as Second Lieutenants.
WHAT: Commissioning of 23 West Virginia University Army ROTC Mountaineer Battalion cadets as Second Lieutenants
WHEN: Wednesday (May 12), 10 a.m.
WHERE: Erickson Alumni Center, 1 Alumni Dr., Morgantown
WHO: Brig. Gen. Murray E. “Gene” Holt, Assistant Adjutant General – Army and commander of the West Virginia Army National Guard — will preside over the commissioning ceremony and serve as the keynote speaker. As the Assistant Adjutant General, he provides command and control over all Army National Guard forces assigned to the state and is the principal advisor to the Adjutant General on all matters related to the Army National Guard. Holt is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College and holds a master’s degree in Strategic Studies, a Master of Business Administration from WVU and a Bachelor of Science Degree from West Virginia State University. One of his sons, Capt. Paul Colley (2016), is a graduate of the program and the other, Cadet Brandon Holt, is currently a sophomore. Both serve in the West Virginia Army National Guard.
Maj. Wayne Richey, professor of military science, and Master Sgt. Christopher Farmer, senior military instructor, will present the Cadets for commissioning.
MEDIA NOTES: Pre- or post-ceremony interviews with any of the newly commissioned officers and/or guest speaker can be arranged on an individual basis. Cadet biographical photos are also available upon request for hometown news outlets.
Those being commissioned on May 12 are:
Kehinde Adelusi (Lawton, Oklahoma, Lagos HS; Lagos, Nigeria), M.S. in Sport Management, Active Duty, Adjutant General Corps
Taiwo Adelusi (Lawton, Oklahoma, Lagos HS; Lagos, Nigeria), M.S. in Sport Management, Active Duty, Adjutant General Corps
Maxwell Brown (Katonah, New York, John Jay HS (Cross River)), B.A. in Criminology, Army Reserve, Quartermaster Corps
Dalton Coe (Ellicott City, Maryland, Centennial HS), B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Active Duty, Armor
Stephen Dlesk (Wheeling, The Linsly School), B.S. in Management Information Systems, Army Reserve, Army Cyber
Cody Eversole (Keyser, Keyser HS), B.S. in Physical Education & Kinesiology, West Virginia Army National Guard, Ordnance (EOD)
Kory Forsell (Loleta, California, Fortuna Union HS), B.S. in Forestry, Active Duty, Armor
Peter Keiser (Vienna, Parkersburg Catholic, HS), B.S. Business Management (Global Supply Chain Management), West Virginia Army National Guard, Quartermaster Corps
Samantha Mayfield (Corning New York, Corning Painted Post High School), B.A. in Business & Management, West Virginia Army National Guard, Adjutant General Corps
Paden McConaughey (New Martinsville, Magnolia HS), B.S. Computer Science Engineering, Active Duty, Infantry
Cameryn Mikesh (Bristow, Virginia, Patriot HS), B.S. in Exercise Physiology, Active Duty, Military Intelligence
Collin Morrison (Uniontown, Pennsylvania, Laurel Highlands HS), B.A. in Criminology, Army Reserve, Military Police Corps
Craig Offutt (Cumberland, Maryland, Allegany HS), B.S. in Mathematics, West Virginia Army National Guard, Corps of Engineers
Andrew Percy (Butler, Pennsylvania, Lincoln Performing Arts Charter HS), B.S. in Industrial Engineering, West Virginia Army National Guard, Field Artillery
Ian Peterson (Ashburn, Virginia, Briar Woods HS), B.S. in Geology, Virginia Army National Guard, Armor
Timothy Rant (Marlton, New Jersey, Cherokee HS), B.S. Human Nutrition and Food, West Virginia Army National Guard, Medical Service Corps
Charly Rojas (Bunker Hill, Musselman HS), Multidisciplinary Studies (MDS), West Virginia Army National Guard, Ordnance
Leah Rupinsky (McDonald, Pennsylvania, Fort Cherry HS), Regents Bachelor of Arts (RBA), Army Reserve, Quartermaster Corps
Aaron Sealey (Little Hocking, Ohio, Little Hocking HS), B.A. in Finance, West Virginia Army National Guard, Armor
Ryan Tan (Frederick, Maryland, Oakdale HS), B.A. in Criminology, Army Reserve, Military Intelligence
John Timan (Long Valley, New Jersey, West Morris Central HS), B.A. in History, West Virginia Army National Guard, Armor (Cavalry)
Lydia Wagner (Morgantown, Trinity Christian), B.S. in Nursing, Active Duty, Army Nurse Corps
Trevor Waldner (Dexter, Missouri, Dexter HS), Regents Bachelor of Arts (RBA), Active Duty, Logistics (EOD)
BACKGROUND: Army ROTC is the premier leadership development program on campus and a four-year progressive leadership development program. During classes, leadership labs, physical training and field training exercises, Cadets learn first-hand what it takes to lead others, motivate groups and conduct missions as an Officer in the United States Army. Cadets are required to complete a 38-day leadership assessment at Fort Knox, Kentucky, known as Advanced Camp. Upon earning their degrees, Cadets commission as Second Lieutenants in the U.S. Army on Active Duty, in the Army National Guard, or in the Army Reserve, and become leaders for life. WVU’s ROTC program was recognized in 2007-08 as the best program in the Eastern Region of the United States and was subsequently awarded the General Douglas MacArthur Award.
The Spring 2020-21 Army commissioning class is composed of 26 total officers from the three schools forming the Mountaineer Battalion – WVU (23), Fairmont State University (1) and Waynesburg University (2). Waynesburg and Fairmont State 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 six more are expected to meet commissioning requirements by the end of August bringing this year’s commissioning total to 35, the most in at least the past seven years.
This spring cohort of graduates will send eight lieutenants onto active duty including one nurse (a WVU grad), 10 will commission into the National Guard and five will assess into the Army Reserve. The Mountaineer Battalion has averaged 20 commissioning lieutenants annually the five years prior to 2020, but 30 commissioned last year along with as many as 35 lieutenants (anticipated) in the 2021 year group. This upward trend reflects the confidence higher headquarters leadership holds in the Army ROTC Mountaineer Battalion to produce quality Officers for our nation’s service.
-WVU-
CONTACT: John Dowling
WVU Army ROTC
304-894-6641; john.dowling@mail.wvu.edu
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