Army ROTC pride was on display yesterday.
After standing for the national anthem, four dozen cadets received awards at the Behavioral Science Auditorium.
Cadets were recognized for everything from GPA-based honors to their accomplishments in physical fitness.
“We are recognizing excellence,” said Col. Edwin Frederick.
Frederick’s new promotion to from major to colonel was recognized as well. “I am proud to be the new professor of military science,” Frederick said.
Awards are presented twice a year and are based on the cadets’ accomplishments during the previous semester.
Many cadets made the Dean’s List and many more received honors for their scholastic accomplishments and improvements.
Russell Anderson, in his fourth year with ROTC, received the Recondo Award for his excellence in physical fitness, a hand grenade course, rifle marksmanship, land navigation and leadership skills. The award is given in honor of a school in Vietnam that instructed soldiers in patrolling and squad tactics. “I am very honored to represent my unit by winning this award,” Anderson said.
Anderson says he hopes to go to Fort Hood, Texas, after being commissioned in the spring.
The Scabbard and Blade Award held a significant honor as well. Recipients, including Rhiannon Bush, share the honor with other members of the Scabbard and Blade Society, including Bob Hope. The award is based on the person’s moral and ethical character. “I am honored to be part of the society,” Bush said.
Cadet Chad Stone was recognized for graduating from the Leadership Training Course, held in Fort Knox, Ky. The 30-day course trained cadets on everything from leadership to fixing machine guns. After graduation, cadets sign on with the ROTC program. Because he completed the course, Stone was promoted directly to a third-year rank, instead of joining ROTC as a first-year.
Physical fitness awards, called the Platinum, Gold and Silver Awards, were given to cadets based on their ability to complete a set number of sit-ups, push-ups and a two-mile run. The Most Improved Awards for fitness and for GPA were presented as well.
After the presentation, cadets hurried to help ESPN set up for the U football game, showing that their dedication to the community is as important as their dedication to military pursuits. “They’ve chosen us to help because they know they can count on us,” Frederick.
Frederick finished his speech by saying, “If you ask me what I need you to do this semester, it’s exactly this. The path to success here in Army ROTC is to pursue academic excellence and physical excellence.”