ROTC Commissioning Ceremonies
Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC will swear in 45 SDSU students this month.
San Diego State University's Reserve Officers’ Training Corps is a program for students interested in pursuing a career in the military. The ROTC program provides scholarship to students as they train to become future officers in the United States Armed Forces.
This month the ROTC programs will graduate 45 SDSU students.
Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony
10 a.m., Friday, May 17, Mt. Soledad in La Jolla
Atop Mount Soledad, the Veteran's Memorial recognizes more than 3,000 veterans dating from the Revolutionary War to the present.
Amidst this history, 32 Army ROTC cadets, 15 of whom are SDSU students, will be commissioned into active duty, reserve and National Guard service on Friday, May 17.
The ceremony will be attended by Lietenant General Benjamin Freakley. Freakley was commissioned as an infantry officer in 1975 and has received numerous awards and decorations for his services. He served in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan before retiring in 2012. After retirement, Freakley began a career in education and was named the policy leader of the year, by the National Association of State Boards of Education in 2010.
Air Force ROTC Commissioning Ceremony
5 p.m., Saturday, May 18, Spreckles Organ Pavilion at Balboa Park
Air Force ROTC will commission 17 cadets with the rank of Second Lietenant — 13 of them are SDSU students.
Major General John F. "Jeff" Newell III will attend the ceremony. He is the Senior Military Advisor to the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the State Department. With this position, Newell provides military advice concerning security issues affecting the United States policy in the region. He was commissioned in 1986 through the ROTC program at Georgia Institute of Technology.
Navy ROTC Commissioning Ceremony
11 a.m., Friday May 24, Jenny Craig Pavilion at the University of San Diego
After completion of academic requirements and the Navy ROTC program, 48 Navy ROTC students, 17 of whom are SDSU students, will be administered the oath for commissioned officers and pin on the rank of Ensign for the Navy or Second Lieutenant for the Marines.
At this year's Friday, May 24 event, the guest of honor is Rear Admiral Dixon Smith, Commander Navy Region Southwest. Smith received his commission from the United States Naval Academy in 1983 and was designated surface warfare officer in 1985. In his career, he has had several sea tours and shore assignments including his previous position as Navy Region Hawaii/Commander and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific.
