ROTC programs get creative with commissioning ceremonies
Planning, strategy and the ability to quickly adapt to changing circumstances are standards of the U.S. armed forces. So when East Carolina University’s Army and Air Force ROTC programs had to rethink their spring commissioning ceremonies in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, they were ready.
“The commissioning ceremony serves two purposes,” explained Lt. Col. Brian Lebeck, commander of the Air Force ROTC detachment at ECU. “First, it is the culmination of all the hard work the students have put forth over their time as cadets here at ECU. Secondly, it serves as the beginning of their journey of service to our nation.”
Typically, the ceremonies bring together cadets, their families, faculty and others who’ve played central roles in the cadets’ training. The two programs took different approaches to their May ceremonies.
Army ROTC commander Lt. Col. Melissa Coleman and her colleagues made the decision to have a series of individual ceremonies. “This was a joint effort between the cadets and me, which resulted in a one-on-one ceremony for each cadet, allowing them to invite up to five guests so we would not violate the social distancing rules,” she said.
“To be able to have family present is especially important, even though we could not hold a large gathering. It felt personal to me and, I hope, to the cadets,” Coleman said.
Each cadet chose someone to render the oath; some were physically present, while others connected virtually.
For closed-captioning, please visit this video on YouTube.
Alumni participated in several of the commissionings. Second Lt. David Chambers remotely rendered the oaths for cadets Alec Cusack and Julia Reber, while 2nd Lt. Kyle Smith, who commissioned from ECU in 2019, was able to join the ceremony virtually from Poland to render the oath for his wife, Amanda Atkinson.
The Air Force ROTC took its ceremony online, hosting a virtual event on WebEx.
Master Sgt. Carlos Melvin salutes newly commissioned officer Julia Reber. (Photos courtesy of Army ROTC)
“When we started planning the commissioning ceremony last fall, we developed a multimedia capstone assignment as part of the spring curriculum,” Lebeck said. “We felt the multimedia presentations would be a good way to show off how each of the cadets had developed their unique leadership attributes over their time as a cadet and student at ECU.”
Little did they know that these projects, titled the “INSPIRE Project,” would become central to the virtual commissioning ceremony.
“Personally, I felt the presentations were the highlight of the ceremony, because they allowed the entire audience to see how creative and talented each one of the cadets really are as well as providing a little insight in to how each of them thinks,” Lebeck said.
Alexis Lupton’s project is filled with photos and video of her and her fellow cadets. In talking about her leadership goals, she said, “I want to lead airmen while doing something that I love. If I can have a positive impact, small or large, on every airman, I’ll consider myself successful.”
In her “INSPIRE Project” video, Aeron Laney shared that “For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a fascination with being off the ground. Growing up, I loved looking up at the sky and was interested in all things air and space. I want to be a leader in the Air Force because I want to impact lives. And I want to serve my country. Air Force ROTC has given me the opportunities and skills necessary to be an Air Force officer. And it’s only up from here.”
Alec Cusack chose Army ROTC at ECU “to get my degree at a university that felt like home while simultaneously preparing myself to serve the greatest country in the world. I’ve been able to accomplish two of my biggest goals at the same time,” he said.
Benjamin Sifter, who earned his degree in business administration just days before his Army commissioning, said, “The leadership skills I’ve learned from serving various leadership roles in Army ROTC as well as interacting with students in the College of Business, and working as a Pirate Navigator for the ECU admissions office have greatly prepared me for any obstacle I will face in the near future. I can’t wait to show Pirate Nation what a great officer it produced.”
While they are entering the military at an unusual time for the country and the world, both Coleman and Lebeck are confident in their newly commissioned officers.
Newly commissioned active-duty infantry officer Benjamin Sifter
Newly commissioned active-duty infantry officer Alec Cusack
“With the pandemic hitting in the middle of the semester, they learned quickly how things can change,” said Coleman. “I believe with the training they have been through in ROTC, they are ahead of the others in this regard and they understand that life is not going to go the way they expect, but how they overcome it is what defines them. I know all of them will succeed. When all is said and done, they are all lieutenants in the Army. They are all part of one team.”
“Though the global pandemic has certainly impacted daily life across the world, the mission of the U.S. Air Force is unchanging and unrelenting,” said Lebeck. “Adapting and overcoming adversity is one of the hallmarks of the Air Force ROTC curriculum and I have no doubt that these newly commissioned officers will be able to serve with distinction as they go forth to their respective assignments.
“The biggest thing I hope they take away from the program is that serving our nation is an honor and a privilege and that the Air Force core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do, will be their guide.”