By Kenneth Mullinax
The campus of Alabama State University was the site of a special U.S. Air Force commissioning ceremony held on May 6, which saw five recently graduated university and college seniors, from several different Montgomery-area campuses, sworn-in and commissioned as second lieutenants in the United States Air Force.
Lt. Col. Lisa Boyer, commander of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Detachment-019 on ASU’s campus, explained that the University serves as the headquarters for all higher education students in the Montgomery area who are members of the Air Force ROTC program. The five commissioned cadets attended four different local schools: Alabama State University, Auburn University-Montgomery, Troy University-Montgomery and Hunt
“All five have successfully progressed through a four-year curriculum in ROTC studies that included academics, field training, and leadership experiences in Alabama State University’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program and are graduating seniors,” Boyer said.
THESE GRADUATES ARE PATRIOTS
Those commissioned May 6 in a ceremony held at the Ralph D. Abernathy College of Education’s Great Hall of Teachers were Jalen Thompson, Alabama State University; Ariana Tyler, Alabama State University; Adam Avra, Auburn University-Montgomery; Christian Porter, Troy University-Montgomery; and Sebastian Verger, Huntingdon College.
“These cadets have now ‘crossed into the blue’ as officers, after their commissioning ceremony Saturday, as they were sworn to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution against all enemies and affirmed to follow lawful orders, as well as to be servant-leaders themselves in the United States Air Force,” Boyer said.
She believes that these five newly commissioned officers might seem like a small number, but they are part of a mighty force of freedom fighters.
“If one thinks about these new officers as ripples of positive change, then these five are a mighty number, and they are, and can, very well be the future leaders that America needs right now,” stated Boyer. “The cadre at Air Force ROTC Detachment-019 at ASU is excited to pass the baton to this group and see the mountains they will move In the future for America.”