The WVU Army ROTC Mountaineer Battalion will commission 11 cadets during a ceremony slated to begin at 10 a.m. Thursday (May 14) in the Mountainlair Ballroom. (WVU Photo/Matt Sunday)
WHAT: The West Virginia University Army ROTC Mountaineer Battalion will commission 11 cadets as second lieutenants during the annual Spring Commissioning Ceremony.
WHEN: Thursday, May 14, at 10 a.m.
WHERE: WVU Mountainlair Ballroom, 1550 University Ave., Morgantown
WHO: Retired Col. John McDonald will be the keynote speaker. McDonald completed a distinguished 30-year career as a U.S. Army Logistics officer encompassing a variety of command and staff assignments and four overseas deployments for operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and New Dawn. Since military retirement, he is a contracted ROTC senior military science instructor and was this year’s freshman class instructor back in 2022.
Lt. Col. Eron Hilty, professor of military science, and Master Sgt. William O’Neal, senior military science instructor, will present the cadets for commissioning.
At the beginning of the commissioning, the Mountaineer Battalion will recognize O’Neal and Sgt. 1st Class John Skowyra as they officially retire from the Army, having served a combined 52-plus years.
Those commissioning from WVU include the following:
Dominic Bonacuse of Akron, Ohio, graduates with a bachelor’s degree in energy land management from the WVU Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He will serve with the West Virginia Army National Guard as an Aviation officer.
Jared Friedman of Lumberton, New Jersey, graduates with a master’s degree in athletic training from the WVU School of Medicine. He will serve in the Vermont Army National Guard as a Medical Service Corps officer.
Ella Holley of Pickerington, Ohio, graduates with bachelor’s degrees in international studies and criminology from the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences with minors in Russian studies and military science. She will serve as a Military Intelligence officer after her first tour in Field Artillery. She is a Distinguished Military Graduate, an Honors College member and is one of eight students this year to earn the Order of Augusta, the University’s most prestigious honor for academic excellence, leadership and service.
Braxton Kenney of Elkins, graduates with a bachelor’s degree in business administration majoring in management information systems from the WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics. He will serve in the West Virginia Army National Guard as a Medical Service Corps aviator. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate.
Philip Lyons of Ravenswood, graduates with a bachelor’s degree in history from the WVU Eberly College. He will serve on active duty as an Infantry officer.
Bryce Mulhollen of Somerset, Pennsylvania, graduates with a bachelor’s degree in business administration majoring in finance from the WVU Chambers College. He will serve on active duty as an Aviation officer. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate.
Tiara Rowe of Fredericksburg, Virginia, graduates with a master’s degree in political science from the WVU Eberly College. She will serve on active duty as a Military Police officer.
Stevon Wagoner of Grantsville, graduates with a master’s degree in sport management from the WVU College of Applied Human Sciences. He will return to active duty as part of the Green to Gold Program as a Chemical Corps officer.
Gabrielle Williams of West Palm Beach, Florida graduates with a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the WVU Eberly College. She will assess onto active duty as a Military Police Corps officer.
Those commissioning from other institutions include the following:
Brady Banyi of Killeen, Texas, graduates from Fairmont State University with a bachelor’s degree in history and will assess onto active duty as a Field Artillery officer.
Dana Westfall of Shinnston, graduates from Fairmont State University with bachelor’s degrees in national security and intelligence and political science. He will serve in the West Virginia Army National Guard as an Armor officer. Westfall has applied to become a Chaplain candidate as he begins divinity school at Palmer Theological Seminary in Ripley this fall. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate.
A livestream during the event can be found on the Mountaineer Battalion Facebook page.
BACKGROUND: Army ROTC is the premier, four-year progressive leadership development program on campus. During classes, leadership labs, physical training and field training exercises, cadets learn firsthand what it takes to lead others, motivate groups and conduct missions as an officer in the U.S. Army. Cadets are required to complete a 35-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.
The WVU 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 2025-26 is comprised of 20 total cadets from the three schools forming the Mountaineer Battalion — WVU, Fairmont State University and Waynesburg University. Nine cadets commissioned in the fall.
Of the 11 lieutenants commissioning in this ceremony, seven will transition onto active duty and four will commission into the West Virginia Army National Guard. This spring class includes four Distinguished Military Graduates who ranked among the top 20% of cadets nationwide determined by the national order of merit list.
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.
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jd/5/11/26
MEDIA CONTACT: John Dowling
Recruiting Operations Officer
WVU Army ROTC
304-894-6641; John.Dowling@mail.wvu.edu
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