Photo By Pfc. Cambrie Cannon | The Oklahoma Army National Guard celebrated the graduation of Officer Candidate School...... read more read more
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BRAGGS, Okla. -- Thirteen newly minted Oklahoma Army National Guard second lieutenants received their first salutes as commissioned officers during a ceremony at Camp Gruber Training Center on Sunday.
The 13 Guardsmen of OKARNG OCS Classes 69 and 70 were pinned as second lieutenants by family, friends and fellow Guardsmen during their commissioning ceremony after completing OCS earlier this year.
2nd Lt. Kevin Egger, a field artillery officer assigned to the 1st Battalion, 160th Field Artillery Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, was named as the honor graduate and said he was proud of his and his fellow candidates' accomplishments.
"It feels good," Egger said. "[Commissioning today] means the effort I put forth and the sacrifice my family put forth was well received."
Officer Candidate School is an intense, mentally and physically challenging, leadership training program that offers enlisted Army National Guard Soldiers a path to earning a commission and becoming an officer. Traditional OCS is conducted on drill weekends for 15 months, while the National Guard Bureau’s accelerated OCS takes place over two months and Federal Officer Candidate School lasts 14 weeks. All three OCS paths result in candidates earning a federally recognized commission as a second lieutenant.
Maj. Mitchell Bledsoe, commander of the OKARNG's Officer Candidate School, said OCS provides future officers with hands-on experience in learning leadership from a cadre of non-commissioned and commissioned officers.
"Our cadre has been there and done that," Bledsoe said. "We'll pass that real-world experience and knowledge to these new officers."
For a Guardsman to qualify for Officer Candidate School they must have a minimum of 90 college credits towards an accredited degree to begin training and score a minimum of 110 GT line score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.
Candidates with no prior military service must complete the enlistment process on or before their 35th birthday and must complete the commissioning process on or before their 42nd birthday. Candidates with prior military service must complete the commissioning process on or before their 42nd birthday.
For more information about how to apply for the Oklahoma Army National Guard Officer Candidate School and other paths to becoming a commissioned officer, visit https://goguardok.com/basic-branch.
This year’s graduates who earned their commissions are:
2nd Lt. Martin Babbitt, 700th Brigade Support Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
2nd Lt. David Defranc-Ponce, 545th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
2nd Lt. Lane Duchan, 545th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
2nd Lt. Kevin Egger, 1st Battalion, 160th Field Artillery Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
2nd Lt. Shailey Evans, 777th Aviation Support Battalion, 345th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 90th Troop Command
2nd Lt. Seth Grundmeyer, 545th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
2nd Lt. Dewey Ivey, 700th Brigade Support Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
2nd Lt. Eliezer Laryea, 777th Aviation Support Battalion, 345th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 90th Troop Command
2nd Lt. Kyle Moulton, 120th Engineer Battalion, 90th Troop Command
2nd Lt. Blake Novar, 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment
2nd Lt. Kanon Springer, 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment
2nd Lt. Chad Watson, 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment
2nd Lt. Cory Watson, 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment
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| Date Taken: | 10.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.23.2024 14:23 |
| Story ID: | 483771 |
| Location: | BRAGGS, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 86 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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