Photo By Amabilia Payen |
Col. Richard Clark, chief nursing officer for William Beaumont Army Medical Center,......read moreread more
Photo By Amabilia Payen | Col. Richard Clark, chief nursing officer for William Beaumont Army Medical Center, gave an inspirational speech to Class 25-008 during the hospital’s Practical Nurse Course Graduation on July 22, 2026, held at the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss Museum. see less
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FORT BLISS, Texas – Thirty-six enlisted U.S. Army Soldiers graduated from the William Beaumont Army Medical Center Practical Nurse Course during a ceremony July 22, 2026, at the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss Museum, earning the military occupational specialty of Practical Nurse Specialist.
The intensive 55-week program challenged the graduates of Class 25-008 with 752 hours of classroom instruction, 1,074 clinical hours, and 31 comprehensive examinations. The PNC course is divided into two phases, beginning with 11 weeks of training at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, followed by 44 weeks of hospital-based clinical rotations in El Paso, Texas. The class achieved a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), significantly surpassing the national average.
Maj. Brittany Leckrone, WBAMC PNC director, praised the graduates for their resilience and unwavering commitment throughout the program.
"I think that the class that graduated this year was a perfect example of perseverance," Leckrone said. "They had plenty of challenges that they had to face and different things that were changing with the Army and the curriculum and they persevered."
Col. Richard Clark, WBAMC chief nursing officer and guest speaker, emphasized the immense responsibility that comes with joining the Army nursing profession.
"Wherever you go next, go with confidence and humility and the strength this program has given you," Clark said. He noted that graduates are prepared to provide expert care under some of the most demanding conditions, standing beside doctors and medics.
Spc. Christopher Hannou, recipient of the Director's Award, reflected on the lessons he learned during the course.
"The first and foremost thing is resiliency," Hannou said. "You won’t be able to get through it without being able to brush off the hard days and being able to add a little more to the tank even though you are already at the end."
The ceremony opened with an invocation by Chaplain Stephanie Okolo before graduates received their diplomas and course awards. Sgt. Tolentino was recognized as Instructor of the Cycle, and 1st Lt. Torrence Nelson earned Preceptor of the Cycle Honors. The graduation concluded with the traditional candle lighting ceremony and the graduates’ recitation of the Florence Nightingale Nursing Pledge.
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