The 2021 WVU Army ROTC commissioning (WVU Photo)
WHAT: West Virginia University Army ROTC Mountaineer Battalion Annual Spring Commissioning Ceremony.
WHEN: Friday, May 13, 7 p.m.,
WHERE: WVU Mountainlair Ballroom, 1550 University Ave., Morgantown
WHO: 18 Cadets to be commissioned as 2nd Lts; Col. Brennan C. Fitzgerald, keynote speaker; Maj. David Sherck, WVU Professor of Military Science, and Master Sgt. Christopher Farmer, Senior Military Instructor, will present the Cadets for commissioning.
Those being commissioned are:
Phillip Bertovic (Middletown, Pennsylvania; Lower Dauphin HS) graduates with a B.S. in Business Administration (Finance) and will assess onto active duty as a Finance Corps officer.
Destiny Bohrer (Berkeley Springs; Berkeley Springs HS) graduates with a Bachelor of Integrated Studies degree and assesses into the Florida Army National Guard as a Field Artillery officer.
Nathaniel Bricker (Smithfield, Pennsylvania; Albert Gallatin HS) graduates with a B.S. in Business Administration (Global Supply Chain Management) and assesses into the U.S. Army Reserve as a Quartermaster Corps officer.
Jared Brown (Fairport, New York; The Charles Finney School) graduates with a B.A. in International Studies (National Security & Diplomacy) and assesses onto active duty as an Armor officer.
Aaron Butler (Avon, Ohio; St. Edward HS) graduates with a B.A. in Criminology and assesses onto active duty as a Quartermaster Corps officer.
Katherine Dooren (Rockville, Maryland.; Walter Johnson HS) graduates with a B.A. in Criminology and assesses into the WV Army National Guard as an Ordnance Corps officer.
Benjamin Jackson (Brick, New Jersey; Donovan Catholic) graduates with a B.A. in Criminology and assesses into the U.S. Army Reserve as a Corps of Engineers officer.
Abagayle Macleod (Hyannis, Massachusetts; Millbrook HS) graduates with a B.S. Business Administration (Global Supply Management) and assesses onto active duty as an Aviation officer.
Ryan Mraz (Manassas, Virginia.; Stonewall Jackson HS) graduates with a B.S. in Engineering (Cybersecurity) and assesses onto active duty as the programs U.S. Army Cyber officer.
Abigail Panza (Honesdale, Pennsylvania.; Honesdale HS) graduates with a B.A. in Criminology and assesses onto active duty as the program’s first female Infantry officer.
Connor Phillips (Gettysburg, Pennsylvnia; Delone Catholic HS) graduates with a B.A. in Slavic & Eastern European Studies and assesses onto active duty as a Military Intelligence Corps officer but will be detailed to the Armor branch for his first assignment.
Matthew Sheeder (Fayetteville, North Carolina; Jack Britt HS) graduates with a Regents Bachelor of Arts degree and will assess into the WV Army National Guard as a Corps of Engineers officer.
Lucas Sibole (Hedgesville; Hedgesville HS) graduates with a B.A. in Criminology and assesses onto active duty as a Military Intelligence Corps officer but will be detailed to the Infantry branch for his first assignment
Margaret Smittle (Morgantown; University HS) will graduate with a B.S. in Public Health and will assess onto active duty as an Ordnance Corps officer.
Devin Spaulding (Moon Township, Pennsylvania; Moon HS) graduates with a Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies degree and assesses into the U.S. Army Reserve as an Aviation officer.
Daniel Spetz (Cincinnati, Ohio; St. Xavier HS) graduates with a B.S. in Journalism and assesses onto active duty as an Aviation officer.
Isaac Waters (Parkersburg; Parkersburg HS) graduates with a B.A. in Criminology and assesses into the WV Army National Guard as an Aviation officer.
Ashli Richards (Beckley; Woodrow Wilson HS) graduates with a Master of Science in Coaching & Sports Education and assesses into the WV Army National Guard as an Ordnance Corps (EOD) officer.
NOTES: Fitzgerald is a distinguished military graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is currently assigned as the Arabian Peninsula Division Chief on the Joint Staff, Middle East Deputy Directorate. Fitzgerald’s assignments span a wide range of experiences, commands and environments over 24 years of enlisted and commissioned service.
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.
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, Ky., 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 commissioning class for Academic Year 2021-22 is currently composed of 25 total officers from the three schools forming the Mountaineer Battalion – West Virginia, Fairmont State and Waynesburg universities. All 25 are WVU students this year including four that commissioned in December. Three are expected to commission this summer after completing training and educational requirements. Of the 18 graduates, 10 will report for active duty, five will serve in the Army National Guard (four in West Virginia) and three will serve in the U.S. Army Reserve.
This year’s commissioning includes two historic events of significance. In January 2016, the Army began integrating combat arms billets that were previously banned for female Soldiers including infantry, armor, cavalry, fire support and special forces. Abigail Panza becomes the first female from the Mountaineer Battalion selected for Infantry School, considered one of the hardest and most physically demanding careers in the Army.
The Army’s Cyber Branch is the newest branch of the Army after its establishment in September 2014. Its mission is to conduct defensive and offensive cyberspace operations. Ryan Mraz becomes the first Mountaineer commissioned into Cyber Branch right out of college.
-WVU-
jd/05/11/22
MEDIA CONTACT: John Dowling
WVU Army ROTC
304-894-6641; john.dowling@mail.wvu.edu
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