BALTIMORE – The Bear Battalion, which includes Morgan State University and Coppin State University, held its 2026 spring commissioning ceremony on May 13 at the Morgan State University Student Theater, where eight ROTC cadets recited the oath of office and officially began their service as U.S. Army officers.
The ceremony marked not only the commissioning of these cadets, but also their transition from students to leaders entrusted with guiding Soldiers and upholding the Army’s values.
Brig. Gen. Eric Van Den Bosch, deputy commanding general for U.S. Army Recruiting Command, served as the guest speaker delivering a message to the next generation of Army officers.
“Today is more than just about a ceremony. Today is about crossing over. Crossing over from being led to being accountable for leading others; crossing over from preparation to service to nation,” said Van Den Bosch. “A rank will be placed on your uniform today. You will receive your first salute. You will take an oath. But what truly changes today is not what you wear, it is now what’s entrusted to you.”
The program’s storied history dates back to 1948, the same year President Harry Truman integrated the Army, and when the university was known as Morgan State College. The cadets join more than 1,500 officers who came before them including retired general officers like Gen. Larry R. Ellis, Gen. Kip Ward, Lt. Gen Scott Dingle and others who attended the ceremony.
The Bear Battalion's Enhancement Team, a group of general officers and other influential alumni, provides cadets with a model of what they can achieve while delivering guidance and mentorship needed to assist them down the path.
During an earlier luncheon with the Enhancement Team, Van Den Bosch told the room of leaders what their presence and dedication means for the program.
“It requires leaders who look at the next generation and rather than exclaim you have big shoes to fill, you have all said, you will stand on my shoulders and achieve things that I have not even dreamt of yet. I am going to help open the door for you because you are capable of great things,” he said.
During the commissioning ceremony, Van Den Bosch reminded the cadets, ROTC cadre and all in attendance of the footsteps the new officers will follow.
“The cadets commissioned today are not stepping into this moment alone. They’re stepping into a legacy; a legacy of service, a legacy of excellence, a legacy of leadership, a legacy that now becomes their responsibility to carry forward,” he said.
Lt. Col. Damon Knauss, the ROTC program’s professor of military science, stated he has seen a resurgence in the program with the establishment of what he calls a “culture of excellence.”
Knauss stated the program’s leaders built “a culture with the foundation being the standards and the mindset of becoming one percent better every day by doing hard things.”
Like a new coach on a sports team, Knauss recognized a need to strengthen his battalion’s organizational culture. Knauss’s culture change included external influence to get the program and its cadets recognized as tactical athletes on campus.
Drawing from the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness model, he briefed fellow department chairs and university administrators and advisors on his plan. He then partnered with the athletic department, residence life, food service providers, and others to ensure cadets are treated like student-members of the athletics programs.
Knauss wanted his cadets to see themselves as tactical athletes and the staff and faculty to support that vision. “Just like the football team our cadets will now have cohort housing, our cadets can see athletic trainers and for example get coaching from members of the track team on running best practices,” Knauss said.
He said the cadets can see nutritionists to optimize their diet for performance and a strong relationship with the school counseling center allows for cadets to optimize performance, by building mental readiness, toughness, and cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal skills. Knauss said his program also built a partnership with the university writing center to ensure our Cadet’s master writing well.
Van Den Bosch closed his speech by reminding the new lieutenants what lies ahead.
“Today is not the end of your journey. It is the first step in a profession that will ask much of you and give you an opportunity to make a difference every single day,” the general said. “Wear the rank with humility and the required responsibility but never take yourself too seriously.
As the Morgan and Coppin State University graduates begin their Army journey, they do so with the knowledge that they are part of a proud tradition of excellence like so many who came before.