ASU AF ROTC commissions four lieutenants

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Laura R. McFarlane
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
SAN ANGELO, Texas --  The Air Force commissioned four cadets to the rank of second lieutenant during an Air Force ROTC Detachment 847 commissioning ceremony at Angelo State University's C. J. Davidson Conference Center May 13.

Retired Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins Jr., ASU Department of Security Studies and Criminal Justice professor and guest speaker, spoke about the importance of the Oath of Office.

"The profession you are stepping into, the Profession of Arms, is not a job," said Hawkins. “The United States’ citizens expect you to be ready 24 hours a day, 365 days a year…There is no other Oath of Office like it in the world in any profession. You need to uphold and understand the words that you’re saying and uphold them each and every day.”

The ceremony included former or current military officers swearing in the cadets, friends and family members pinning the rank to their uniform, and former or current enlisted members rendering the new officers their first salute.

Newly commissioned 2nd Lt. Hakeem Regis offered advice to current and future ROTC cadets.

"There will come a time in your ROTC career where you have an obstacle, if not more than one obstacle,” said Regis. “Don’t give up; that obstacle is there for a reason, to test you. Think about why you’re here in ROTC and go on and complete that goal to get that gold bar.”

Lt. Col. Scott Partin, Air Force ROTC Det. 847 Commander, addressed the officer oath as well. He explained how other countries swear their allegiance to their president, to their queen or to their government party but in the United States military officers swear an oath to the constitution.

"We have the honor and the privilege, a document that is sacred in my eyes, the Constitution of the United States," said Partin. "You’re going to raise your right hand and you’re going to be willing to give your life in defense of the Constitution of the United States."

The Det. 847 commissioned second lieutenants are:

Matthew Cornman, force support officer
Ruben Perez, behavioral scientist
Hakeem Regis, remotely-piloted aircraft pilot
Quinn Sokolnicki, space and missile operations officer