Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Scott Longstreet | Graduates of OCS Class 65T and 66B pose with Brig. Gen. Jason P. Mahfouz, Louisiana...... read more read more
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By Sgt. 1st Class Scott D. Longstreet, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office
PINEVILLE, La. – Families, friends, mentors and fellow Soldiers filled the Post Theater at Camp Beauregard in Pineville, La., to watch as 16 officer candidates graduated from the Louisiana National Guard Officer Candidate School and were commissioned as second lieutenants on Aug. 23, 2025.
Brig. Gen. Jason P. Mahfouz, assistant adjutant general – Army, praised the newest officers during the ceremony.
“Congratulations to you all. I am extremely proud of each and every one of you,” said Mahfouz. “On behalf of Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, the adjutant general of Louisiana, we welcome you to a unique and sacred fraternity – one that has served our Nation since its founding: the corps of commissioned officers.”
Mahfouz also quoted from Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s 1962 speech at West Point, emphasizing three key words: duty, honor and country.
“Duty is what you owe. Honor is who you are. Country is what you serve,” Mahfouz said. “These words should be your rallying point when you feel doubt and need reflection. They will be the foundation of your character and the measure of your leadership. You will lead citizens who live in the same communities, work the same jobs and feel the same pride as you do. Their trust is the most precious asset we have. Never take that for granted.”
Following his remarks, Mahfouz was presented with a certificate of appreciation from the graduating class.
Candidates may complete OCS either through the traditional program—attending one weekend a month and two annual training periods over 18 months—or an eight-week accelerated course. This graduating class included traditional Class 65T and accelerated Class 66B candidates.
The three-phase program begins with a two-week annual training session at Fort McClellan, Alabama. Candidates then complete Phase II at Camp Beauregard over the course of a training year, conducting weekend field exercises such as land navigation and live-fire training. Phase III returns candidates to Fort McClellan for a final annual training course designed to test leadership skills in a field environment.
Several graduates earned special recognition. Second Lts. Hayden Stanley and Triston Brown were awarded certificates for Army Air Assault School slots, while 2nd Lt. Nicholas Cullop received a certificate for an Army Airborne School slot. Second Lt. Temitope Kareem received the National Guard of Louisiana Award for highest physical training scores. Second Lt. Shawn Mancik earned the Academic Board Award for the highest academic average, and 2nd Lt. Steven Sonnier received the Leadership Award. Stanley also received the Erickson Award as runner-up for top graduate, while Cullop was named the Adjutant General Award recipient as top graduate. Stanley was awarded the Army Achievement Medal for his performance, and Cullop received the Army Commendation Medal.
Class spokesperson 2nd Lt. Connor Murphy delivered the officer candidate address.
“Today is a day of pride and gratitude,” Murphy said. “It is a day of pride for what we have accomplished together and gratitude for those who have guided us and stood by us along the way. We are here today not just as graduates, but as leaders ready to take the responsibility of wearing a gold bar.”
The ceremony concluded with the recitation of the Oath of Office, the pinning of gold bars by family and friends and the singing of the Army Song.
The Louisiana National Guard’s 199th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) has managed Louisiana’s OCS program since 1960.
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.28.2025 14:46 |
| Story ID: | 546810 |
| Location: | PINEVILLE, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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