Photo By Jorge Gomez | In front of families, faculty, and fellow Soldiers, COL Laudino Castillo, Irwin Army...... read more read more
COL Laudino Castillo, IACH commander, served as the guest speaker for Kansas State University’s U.S. Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Spring 2025 Commissioning Ceremony on May 16.
In front of families, faculty, and fellow Soldiers, COL Laudino Castillo administered the oath of office to nine newly commissioned second lieutenants, welcoming them into the officer ranks of the United States Army.
Since its founding in 1919, the K-State Army ROTC program has commissioned over 3,800 second lieutenants and is recognized as one of the 274 host programs nationwide shaping future leaders for the Army. COL Castillo, a career Soldier with 33 years of service who enlisted as a private at age 17, told the commissioning cadets he never imagined the journey that would one day lead him to this podium.
“You can’t predict the future of your service,” he said, “but you can shape it by how you lead, how you learn, and how you serve.”
Speaking from his experience as a medical commander, COL Castillo emphasized that leadership is not about titles but about trust, character, and service. “As you pin on those gold bars,” he told the cadets, “you are accepting a mantle of leadership that will test you, shape you, and define you.”
In a personal story that connected the ceremony’s setting to the broader Army family, COL Castillo recounted his first meeting with COL Travis Habhab, the current Chief of Staff for the 1st Infantry Division. A Kansas State ROTC graduate and lifelong Wildcat football fan, COL Habhab introduced Castillo to the leadership principles of legendary K-State coach Bill Snyder. One lesson in particular stood out—“Integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness are the leader’s most important attributes.”
Castillo echoed this principle to the cadets, urging them to never compromise their integrity. “Integrity,” he said, “is the foundation of credible and effective leadership at every level.”
He encouraged the new officers to embrace three enduring values: lead with integrity, never stop learning, and care for your people. Drawing from his experience in military medicine, he described leadership as a commitment to others that transcends the battlefield—from readiness training to ensuring a Soldier’s access to healthcare.
“Your Soldiers are not just subordinates,” he said. “They are people with families, hopes, and sacrifices. Their welfare is your responsibility.”
The Spring 2025 commissioning class now joins the legacy of the K-State Wildcat Battalion, one of the 42 host programs within the 3rd ROTC Brigade, continuing a lineage of leadership that has grown in strength and reputation since 2001.
As the Wildcat Battalion’s newest lieutenants begin their Army journey, the presence of a Fort Riley commander—himself a Soldier of the Big Red One—served as a bridge between the next generation of Army leaders and the operational force they are preparing to lead.
| Date Taken: | 05.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.19.2025 16:33 |
| Story ID: | 498389 |
| Location: | MANHATTAN, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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