Nine cadets to commission through WVU Army ROTC

WHAT: The West Virginia University Army ROTC Mountaineer Battalion will commission nine cadets as second lieutenants during the Fall Commissioning Ceremony.

WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 14, 10 a.m.

WHERE: Mountainlair Ballroom, Morgantown 

WHO: Maj. Gen. William “Bill” Crane, adjutant general, West Virginia Joint Force Headquarters will be the keynote speaker. Lt. Col. David Sherck, professor of military science, and Master Sgt. William O’Neal, senior military instructor, will present the cadets for commissioning.

Maj. Gen. Crane assumed adjutant general duties on Jan. 4, 2021. In the role, he provides command guidance and vision to the West Virginia Army and Air National Guard’s more than 6,500 citizen soldiers, airmen and civilians employed through the West Virginia Military Authority.

Those being commissioned are the following:

Andrew J. Ausiello, of Palm Harbor, Florida, graduates with a history degree and will assess onto active duty as an Armor officer. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate.

Nathan D. Bryson, of Manheim, Pennsylvania, graduates with a business administration degree majoring in management and will assess onto active duty as an Armor officer. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate.

Adam M. Cooper, of Mount Airy, Maryland, graduates with an exercise physiology degree and will assess onto active duty as a Military Police Corps officer.

Jacob B. Gladwell, from Akron, Ohio, graduates with a criminology degree. He will assess onto active duty as a Quartermaster Corps officer.

John D. Hempel, from Elkins, graduates with a Regents Bachelor of Arts. He will assess onto duty as an Infantry officer before transitioning to the Signal Corps.

Jordon R. Nibert, from Robson, graduates with a mechanical engineering degree and will assess into the West Virginia National Guard as an Ordnance officer.

Zachary R. Reeves, from Ashville, Ohio, graduates with a history degree and will assess into the West Virginia Army National Guard as an Armor officer.

Alex C. Ritter, from Manheim, Pennsylvania, graduates with a health and well-being degree. He will assess into the Pennsylvania National Guard as a Medical Services Corps officer.

Stephen R. Snyder, from Triadelphia, graduates with a political science degree and will assess onto active duty as an Armor officer. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate.

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.

The commissioning class for 2023-24 is currently comprised of 30 total Cadets from the three schools forming the Mountaineer Battalion — WVU, Fairmont State and Waynesburg universities. Twenty-seven are from WVU, two from Waynesburg and one from Fairmont State. Of the nine commissioning in this ceremony, six will transition onto active duty and three will commission into the National Guard. Three earned Distinguished Military Graduate status ranking in the top 20% of cadets across the country factoring in academic, military, community and physical training performance.

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.

-WVU-

jd/12/12/23

MEDIA CONTACT: John Dowling
Recruiting Operations Officer
WVU Army ROTC
304-894-6641; John.Dowling@mail.wvu.edu

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