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Second Lieutenant Kamil Baldyga had his gold bars pinned on by his parents, Adam and Lila Baldyga.
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Second Lieutenant Annaliese Coyne had her gold bars pinned on by her parents, Jon and Ruth Coyne and Alana Escobedo.
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Second Lieutenant Gunnar Griffin had his gold bars pinned on by his mother, Denise Griffin, and his father, Geoff Griffin.
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Second Lieutenant Keyon Griffin had has gold bars pinned on by his parents, Major Jocelyn and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Vane Simmons.
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Second Lieutenant Jonathan Heftrig had his gold bars pinned on by his grandfather and father, Raymond and Michael Heftrig.
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Second Lieutenant Maraquita Jones had her gold bars pinned on by her mother, Touwanda Miller, and her sister, Sinnitra Miller.
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Second Lieutenant George C. Lasley had his gold bars pinned on by his mother, Carla, and his wife, Alexis.
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Second Lieutenant Angelica Strack had her gold bars pinned on by her parents, Wesley and Denise Strack.
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Second Lieutenant Jasmyne Taylor had her gold bars pinned on by her sisters, Khatlin and Larisa Taylor.
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Second Lieutenant Benton Winscott had his gold bars pinned on by his parents, Rodd and Christine Winscott.
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Ten WIU ROTC Cadets Commissioned as Second Lieutenants

May 15, 2018

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MACOMB, IL -- Ten Western Illinois University Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army during Commencement weekend.

Western's ROTC award-winning program was established in 1968. Western's military science department has a longstanding tradition of excellence, having been named the recipient of the General Douglas MacArthur Award for the best ROTC battalion in the Midwest in 1994, 2001 and 2002.

In Spring 2005, Western Illinois University's ROTC Leatherneck Battalion was named the best large program in the 3rd Brigade and a top 15 percent school in all of Cadet Command's 272 programs. The 3rd Brigade, headquartered at Great Lakes, IL, includes 22 college and university programs in Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Major General Duane A. Gamble, the commanding general of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command, spoke to the cadets before the commissioning and swore them in as second lieutenants.

The 10 WIU cadets who took the oath of office of a commissioned officer include:

• Kamil Baldyga, of Palos Hills, IL, received his bachelor's degree in law enforcement and justice administration on the same weekend as his commissioning. He will commission in the Army on active duty and will serve in Air Defense Artillery.

• Annaliese Coyne, of Eola, IL, received her bachelor's degree in law enforcement and justice administration on the same weekend as her commissioning. She will commission in the Army on active duty and will serve in Air Defense Artillery.

• Gunnar Griffin, of East Peoria, IL, received his bachelor's degree in foreign languages and cultures on the same weekend as his commissioning. He will commission in the Army on active duty and will serve in Air Defense Artillery.

• Keyon Griffin, of Tacoma, WA, received his bachelor's degree in instructional design and technology on the same weekend as his commissioning. He will commission in the Army Reserves in the Transportation Corps.

• Jonathan Heftrig, of Marengo, IL, received his bachelor's degree in law enforcement and justice administration on the same weekend as his commissioning. He will commission in the Illinois Army National Guard and will serve in Military Intelligence.

• Maraquita Jones, of Chicago, IL, received her bachelor's degree in law enforcement and justice administration on the same weekend as her commissioning. She will commission in the Illinois Army National Guard in the Military Police.

• George C. Lasley, of Swansea, IL, received his bachelor's degree in law enforcement and justice administration on the same weekend as his commissioning. He will commission in the Army on active duty and will serve in Aviation.

• Angelica Strack, of Stronghurst, IL, received her bachelor's degree in physics on the same weekend as her commissioning. She will commission in the army on active duty and will serve in the Cyber division.

• Jasmyne Taylor, of Sycamore, IL, received her bachelor's degree in law enforcement and justice administration on the same weekend as her commissioning. She will commission in the Army on active duty and will serve in the Air Defense Artillery division.

• Benton Winscott, of Clarks Green, IL, received his bachelor's degree in history on the same weekend as his commissioning. He will commission in the Illinois Army National duty in the Armor division.

For more information about WIU's ROTC program, visit wiu.edu/ROTC.






Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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