The University of Nevada, Reno recently commissioned 12 senior cadets as Second Lieutenants into the U.S. Army. The commissioning ceremony is the culmination for cadets of four years of learning to become leaders who can critically think and solve complex problems. It is the day that each Cadet strives for from the day they raise their hand to contract into the Reserve Officer Training Corps program. The ceremony has three main parts, the pinning of the rank by the families of each commissioning Cadet, the oath delivered by a senior commissioned officer and the "Silver Dollar" Salute, which is a tradition in the Army that newly commissioned Second Lieutenants present a silver dollar to the first enlisted soldier who salutes them. The coin symbolically acknowledges the receipt of respect due the new rank and position.
Major Gen. Mark Yenter, a 1981 graduate of the University, flew from South Korea to deliver the following words of advice to 12 University graduates who were moments away from commissioning as Second Lieutenants in the Army, "Lead by example and be an inspiring leader. Be open to trying new ideas. Take care of your soldiers and they will take care of you."
The newly minted Lieutenants, listed below, will be heading off to various assignments in the upcoming months. Seven are going on active duty, and four are going in the Nevada National Guard and one is going into the Army Reserves.
2LT Justin Francis Geil-Crader
Nevada National Guard - 442nd Signal Battalion
Signal Corps
2LT Micah Lee Gill
Nevada National Guard - 168th General Support Aviation Battalion
Medical Services Corps as a MEDEVAC pilot
2LT Angelica Brooke Gurley
Active Duty - Fort Stewart, Ga.
Military Police
2LT Austin Wayne Stocker Hamilton
Active Duty - Hawaii
Chemical Corps
2LT Christa Eileen Harrop
Active Duty - Fort Carson, Colo.
Military Intelligence
2LT Dashawna Maréé Jimerson
Active Duty - Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Wash.
Military Police
2LT Jason Edward Kilgore
Active Duty - Fort Benning, Ga.
Armor
2LT Tyler Dale Redden
Nevada National Guard - 168th General Support Aviation Battalion
Medical Services Corps as a MEDEVAC pilot
2LT Travis Gene Salley
Army Reserve
Signal Corps
2LT Jacob Van Zandt Sanford
Nevada National Guard - Joint Forces Headquarters, State of Nevada
Finance Corps
2LT Joe Damian Stevens
Active Duty - Fort Sill, Okla.
Field Artillery Corps
2LT Ethan James Witt
Active Duty - Fort Bragg, N.C. (82nd Airborne Division)
Signal Corps
