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Second Lieutenant Colton A. Lawrence's gold bars were pinned on by his father, Matt.
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Second Lieutenant Moira E. McMahon's gold bars were pinned on by her parents, Rebecca and Jim.
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Second Lieutenant Jerome L. Keaton and LTC C. Carl Oborski. His gold bars were pinned on by his mother, Serena.
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Three Second Lieutenants Commissioned at WIU

January 6, 2023

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MACOMB, IL -- Three Western Illinois University Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army Friday, Dec. 16, during Commencement weekend.

Two of the cadets, Colton A. Lawrence and Moira E. McMahon, took the oath of office from Major General Yves J. Fontaine, civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army, during an afternoon ceremony. A third officer, Jerome L. Keaton, was commissioned at a subsequent ceremony by LTC C. Carl Oborski, commander of WIU's Leatherneck Battalion. As of this commissioning ceremony, the Leatherneck Battalion has commissioned 1,124 second lieutenants in the U.S. Army, throughout its history.

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

Colton A. Lawrence, of Petersburg, IL, received his bachelor of science degree in fire protection services. He will commission into military intelligence with the Illinois National Guard.

Moira E. McMahon, of Rockford, IL, received her bachelor of science degree in forensic chemistry. She will commission into the active-duty Army and serve in the infantry.

Jerome L. Keaton, of Aurora, IL, received his bachelor of science degree in law enforcement and justice administration. He will commission into the active-duty Army and serve in the infantry.

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


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