With their graduation from MTSU one day away, nine senior ROTC cadets in the Department of Military Science received a ceremonial sendoff into U.S. Army careers.

They were commissioned as second lieutenants during the Blue Raider Battalion spring ceremony held in the Tom H. Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall Friday, May 9.

This semiannual event recognizes the cadets’ completion of the ROTC program and their commitment to the U.S. Army. You can watch an excerpt from the ceremony in the video below.

Those commissioned in the May 9 ceremony are listed below. Distinguished military graduates are indicated by **.

• Adam Baker of Old Hickory, Tennessee, will graduate with a Master of Business Administration degree. He was put on active duty in the Medical Services Branch. His next duty assignment will be at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, to begin the Basic Officer Leader Course in October.
• Zachary Bennett** of Sellersburg, Indiana, will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in mass communication. He was put on active duty in the Infantry Branch. His next duty assignment will be Fort Benning, Georgia, to begin the Basic Officer Leader Course in October.
• Andrew Bontempi of Spring Hill, Tennessee, will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace (professional pilot concentration). He was put on active duty, Aviation Branch, with the Tennessee Army National Guard.
• Hayes Catlin of Madison, Tennessee, will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in liberal studies. He was put on active duty, Field Artillery Branch, with the Tennessee Army National Guard.
• Brendan Duke** of Murfreesboro and formerly of Manchester, Tennessee, will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. He was put on active duty, Armor Branch. He will report to Fort Benning, Georgia, June 16 for the Basic Officer Leader Course.
• Scott Harle of Murfreesboro will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science (pre-law concentration). He was put on active duty, Adjutant General Branch, with the Tennessee Army National Guard.
• Tyler Honey of Murfreesboro will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. He was put on active duty, Field Artillery Branch. His next duty assignment will be to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to begin his Basic Officer Leader Course in February 2015.
• Malcolm Martin of Clarksville, Tennessee, will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in health education. He was put on active duty, Transportation Corps Branch, with the Tennessee Army National Guard.
• Jana Watson of Carthage, Tennessee, and formerly from Buffalo Valley, Tennessee, will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in international relations. She was put on active duty, Field Artillery Branch. She will be camp leader at the Leader Development Assessment Course beginning June 4 and her next duty assignment will be to begin the Basic Officer Leader Course in September.

U.S. Army Col. James P. Isenhower III, director of Warrior and Family Support and special assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, District of Columbia, served as guest speaker.

Isenhower told the former cadets about “the trust Americans put in their commissioned officers and the responsibility to maintain that sacred trust.”

The colonel used three quotations to emphasize their need “to care for their soldiers and their families, to be entrusted to make wise decisions and they are expected to lead effectively.”

In addition to the pinning ceremony by family members and supporters, the newly commissioned officers performed the Silver Dollar Salute and sang the Army song. The 129th Army Brass Quintet from Nashville performed the song and other musical interludes.

Alumnus and U.S. Army Lt. Gen. William “Bill” Phillips of Bell Buckle, Tennessee, joined MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, College of Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Bud Fischer in attending the ceremony. Phillips will serve as guest speaker for the 2 p.m. commencement Saturday in Murphy Center.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)

U.S. Army Col. James P. Isenhower III, left, director of Warrior and Family Support and special assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talks with Brig. Gen. Christopher Burns, center, and Lt. Gen. William “Bill” Phillips after the spring commissioning ceremony in the Tom H. Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall on May 9. Isenhower served as guest speaker. Phillips, an alumnus, will deliver the 2 p.m. commencement address Saturday, May 10, in Murphy Center. (MTSU photos by Darby Campbell)

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Joel Miller, chair of the MTSU military science department, swears in new commissionees, including, from far left, Zachary Bennett, Hayes Catlin, Brendan Duke and Scott Harle during the spring ceremony May 9 in Cantrell Hall of the Tom H. Jackson Building.

MTSU senior cadets listen during a portion of the Blue Raider Battalion spring commissioning ceremony Friday, May 9, in the Tom H. Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall.