N.C. National Guard Welcomes New Lieutenants of 2018 OCS Class 60 and Class 29 To Its Ranks

Photo By Sgt. Joe Roudabush | FORT BRAGG, N.C. - The North Carolina Army National Guard welcomed 19 new second lieutenants into its ranks during a commissioning ceremony for the Traditional Officer Candidate School Class 60 and Accelerated Officer Candidate School Class 29 held at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School on 25 August 2018. Family, friends and fellow Soldiers turned out for the event in which Brig Gen. Marvin T. Hunt, N.C. National Guard Director of Joint Staff, administered the oath of office. The North Carolina Military Academy’s OCS program is designed to train, assess, and evaluate potential commissioned officers in the fundamentals of leadership and basic military skills; instill the professional and physical fitness ethic; evaluate leadership potential; and commission those who qualify as second lieutenants in the Army Total Force. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Joe Roudabush, Released)  

FAYETTEVILLE, NC, UNITED STATES

08.25.2018

Story by Sgt. Joe Roudabush 

North Carolina National Guard

The North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) welcomed 19 new second lieutenants into its ranks during a commissioning ceremony for the 139th Regiment’s Officer Candidate School (OCS) Class 60 and Class 29 at the John F. Kennedy Special Forces Warfare Center and School, Aug. 25, 2018.

The graduating classes included the first female officers to join both combat Infantry and Armor units in the NCNG.

"These 19 graduates are all well-educated with almost half having a master’s degree and are mature, tough, hardworking and driven to be the best they can be," said Brig. Gen. Todd Hunt, NCNG's Assistant Adjutant General for Maneuver.  "They could go on and become successful in anything they put their efforts toward but they want more than just a civilian career. They volunteered to be a part of something bigger than themselves; to be one of almost 12,000 Army and Air North Carolina National Guardsmen who are ‘Always Ready and Always There’ to serve the citizens of this great state and nation."

NCNG's OCS was established at Fort Bragg N.C. on Dec.19, 1957 and has commissioned over 1790 officers. The school is designed to train, assess, and evaluate potential commissioned officers in the fundamentals of leadership, basic military skills, professionalism, physical fitness ethics, evaluate leadership potential, and commission those who qualify as second lieutenants in the Army Total Force.

“OCS is really tough and you can't get through it as an individual,” said 2LT Jacob Martin, the Distinguished Honor Graduate for OCS Class 60. “You have to have a team of good people, good candidates, and those that don’t have a good support system are the ones that end up dropping out.”

The graduates went through three phases which took place at Fort Bragg NC, McCrady Training Center in Eastover SC, and Fort McClellan AL, where they trained on a variety of skills including land navigation, field leadership, Army operations, squad-level tactics, and military doctrine.

The graduation ceremony consisted of individual awards, a pinning
ceremony where the new officers received the gold bars that represent their rank, and the presentation of completion diplomas.

The 19 newly commissioned officers will go on to fill the ranks and provide leadership for the varied units across the NCNG.

• Date Taken: 08.25.2018
• Date Posted: 09.04.2018 15:37
• Story ID: 291313
• Location: FAYETTEVILLE, NC, US
• Hometown: CHARLOTTE, NC, US
• Hometown: DURHAM, NC, US
• Hometown: FAYETTEVILLE, NC, US
• Hometown: LILLINGTON, NC, US
• Hometown: MORGANTON, NC, US
• Hometown: RALEIGH, NC, US
• Hometown: SOUTHERN PINES, NC, US
• Hometown: SPRING LAKE, NC, US