University News

WIU Commissions 17 U.S. Army Second Lieutenants

May 17, 2006

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MACOMB, IL - - Fourteen men and three women in Western Illinois UniversityÂ’s Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC) program were commissioned second lieutenants in the U.S. Army during a May 12 ceremony on the WIU-Macomb campus.

The oath of office of a commissioned officer was administered by WesternÂ’s Professor of Military Science Lt. Col. Michael Cumbie on his last duty day after 23 years and 7 months of service in the U.S. Army. The ceremony included the pinning on of the second lieutenant gold bar by family and friends selected by the cadet.

Active duty commissions were award to 12 officers. These include, by branch:

Military Intelligence Corps (5) - -


  • 2LT Kara Elizabeth Hess (Aurora, IL), with a branch detail to field artillery;

  • 2LT Samantha Danielle Johnson (Vandalia, IL) and

  • 2LT Sara Marie Winkler (Danville, IL), who will initially serve as cadre during Warrior Forge at Fort Lewis, WA;

  • 2LT Bryan Matthew Maroney (Elmhurst, IL); and

  • 2LT Thomas Joseph Rodebaugh (Sullivan, IL), with a branch detail to the infantry.



Medical Service Corps (2) - -


  • 2LT Andrew Stephen Bower (Rock Island, IL) and

  • 2LT Daniel Wayne Winnie (Posen, IL), who will initially serve as cadre at the leadersÂ’ training course at Fort Knox, KY.



Aviation Corps (2) - -


  • 2LT Scott William Fixmer II (Yorkville, IL) and

  • 2LT Nicholas William Young (Decatur, IL).



Other officers and branches are:


  • 2LT John Eric Bush II (Algonquin, IL) to the Adjutant General Corps;

  • 2LT Joshua Matthew Fields (Breese, IL) to the Signal Corps; and

  • 2LT Patrick Gregory Lesher (Roselle, IL) to the Infantry.



Reserve duty commissions were awarded to the following:


  • 2LT Sean Patrick Devine (Geneva, IL) to the Quartermaster Corps;

  • 2LT Robert Paul Ehnle (Kewanee, IL) to Armor;

  • 2LT Ryan Leo Morrisey to Adjutant General Corps;

  • 2LT Michael David Phillips (Springfield, IL) to the Military Police Corps; and

  • 2LT John Jordan Moore (Peoria, IL), a Monmouth College graduating student who was part of WesternÂ’s ROTC Bulldog Battalion, to the Adjutant General Corps.



Western’s Bulldog Battalion was named the best large program in the 10th Brigade – headquartered at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and including 22 programs in Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma – and a top 15 percent school in all of Cadet Command’s 272 programs in 2005. Also during Cumbie’s tenure (2001-2006), only seven non-military universities across the nation produced more Army officers than Western.

Established in 1968, the departmentÂ’s longstanding tradition of excellence includes having been named the recipient of the General Douglas MacArthur Award for the best ROTC battalion in the Midwest in 1994, 2001 and 2002.

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