USF News

Family and friends surrounded nine graduating USF students Dec. 9, helping pin new rank insignias onto the shoulder straps of the students’ uniforms, decorations that represent new positions in a branch of the U.S. Military – Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.

The students were taking part in the inaugural combined commissioning ceremony for USF’s Joint Military Leadership Center.

The time-honored commissioning ceremony is typically held separately for each branch of the military, so the combined event was the first time USF graduates with the three ROTC programs at USF were commissioned together.

“Since the Joint Military Leadership Center was established, a joint commissioning ceremony has always been envisioned,” said John F. Sarao, CDR, USN (Ret.), director of the Joint Military Leadership Center. “Over the years, different challenges prevented such an event including the size of each graduating class, scheduling conflicts and the traditions of each individual ROTC program. This year, these challenges were overcome mainly due to the inter-service cooperation of the students and cadre of each ROTC unit. The timing was right with a small graduation class and a desire to highlight that the University of South Florida is unique with its Joint Military Leadership Center.”

Students take the Commissioning Oath prior to receiving their new ranks. The newly commissioned officers then receive their first salute from a trusted enlisted advisor who has guided them and taught them in their pursuit to become an officer. In return for this guidance, officers give this enlisted member a silver dollar that the enlisted advisor keeps until the officer makes the rank of General or Admiral, at which time they return the silver dollar.

The guest speaker for the ceremony was Alexander G. Toth, a U.S. Army veteran who served more than 25 years in the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and retired as the senior assistant regional director in charge of DEA Enforcement Operations for several South American countries. He is currently a PhD Presidential Fellow in the USF Criminology Department.

Also included in the ceremony, and presented to each student, was a Promotion Warrant, signed by General Joseph F. Dunford, USMC chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Once commissioned, and graduated from USF, the newly commissioned officers will continue their training and disperse throughout the country and the world to various bases and vessels. The graduating students commissioned include:

Fall Commissioning Class of 2017 and USF graduates

Cadet John Christians (Army), BA in Political Science

Cadet Andrew Hornacek (Army), BA in History

Cadet Aaron Galang (Air Force), BS in Mechanical Engineering

Cadet Jessica Swantek (Air Force), BS in Electrical Engineering

Midshipman 1/C Stacey Campos (Navy), BS in Business Administration

Staff Sergeant Jeannie Bailey (Marine Corps), BS in Business Administration

Staff Sergeant Matthew Belleci (Marine Corps), BS in Criminology

Staff Sergeant Christopher Ryan Collette (Marine Corps), BA in International Studies

Staff Sergeant Edward Hill (Marine Corps), BS in Criminology