Tennessee Army National Guard commissions 21 new officers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Twenty-one Tennessee Army National Guardsmen were commissioned as U.S. Army 2nd Lieutenants during a special ceremony held at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House, August 17.  

These new officers, who graduated from the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 18-month-long Officer Candidate School led by the 117th Regional Training Institute located at Smyrna’s Volunteer Training Site, will now join the military as platoon leaders and junior staff officers.  

“It’s always a proud day when we commission young men and women who’ve worked so hard, for nearly two years, to become leaders in the Army’s officer corps,” said Maj. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee’s Adjutant General, who presided over the ceremony. “They are true patriots and leaders, and I look forward to what the future holds for them all.” 

The graduating candidates of OCS Class 68 are part of a long lineage of more than 2,100 officers who commissioned through Tennessee’s OCS program, including 19 who became General officers and six who became Tennessee’s Adjutant General, the highest position in Tennessee. Class 68 is the largest graduating class since 2005.

“It was a great opportunity to be able to hold this ceremony at the Opry,” said Maj. Andrew Troxel, the Officer Candidate School commander. “It is normally held in Smyrna, but it’s a special occasion with this OCS class being the largest we’ve graduated in two decades.”

During the ceremony, Troxel administered the Oath of Office to each new officer and discussed the new roles they are about to embark on.   

  “There is no greater calling than serving your country and leading Soldiers,” said Troxel. “When you leave here today, you are responsible for our nation’s most valuable assets, the men and women you are asked to lead. It is a powerful responsibility and privilege, and I am confident every one of you will excel at it.”    

  Next, Troxel and Sgt. 1st Class Jason Martin, the Officer Candidate School’s senior non-commissioned officer, presented awards for excellence during training. Thomas Bitner earned the Physical Fitness award for having the highest fitness scores and the award for leadership excellence for having the best leadership evaluations throughout the course. Christopher Thompson was awarded the Academic Excellence award for having the classes highest academic scores and Micah Metje was announced as the class’s Distinguished Honor Graduate and recipient of the Erikson Trophy for having the highest overall grades in all areas of training during OCS.   

“This was an incredibly challenging journey that taught me about myself and what it takes to be the best leader I can be,” said Metje. “I feel ready to take on whatever awaits me.”  

  Following the presentation of awards and the Oath of Office, each candidate’s family were given the honor to pin on their graduate’s new 2nd Lieutenant rank. They then conducted the time-honored tradition of the first salute ceremony, where the newly commissioned officer receives their first salute from an enlisted Soldier, and in return, the officer presents them with a silver dollar. It is a tradition that represents the symbolic relationship between officers and enlisted service members, and the deep sense of gratitude they have for the non-commissioned officers who pass on their knowledge and training.   

  After commissioning, each officer is now assigned to various units in the Tennessee National Guard, and will attend courses needed to be qualified in the branch they were selected to serve in.  

•  Jennye Austin, from Memphis, branched Signal and will serve in Mt. Carmel’s 4th Squadron Headquarters of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.  
• Brandyn Benfatto, from Clarksville, branched Military Intelligence and will serve as an Intellgence Officer with Athen’s 117th Military Police Battalion.
• James Bitner, from Greenville, branched Infantry and will serve as a platoon leader in Springfield’s 1st Squadron of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.  
• Kyle Burks, from Corvallis, Okla., branched Field Artillery with Chattanooga’s Battery B of the 1-181st Field Artillery Regiment.
• Christopher Byrne, from St. Petersburg, Fla., branched Ordinance with Elizabethton’s 776th Maintenance Company.
• Jonathan Cease, from Lavergne, branched Field Artillery with Shelbyville’s Regimental Fires Squadron of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
• Jesse Cisneros, from Cordova, branched Field Artillery with Winchester’s Regimental Fires Squadron of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
• Priscilla Claude, from Spring Hill, branched Adjutant General and will serve as a personnel officer with Winchester’s Regimental Fires Squadron of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.  
• Jacob Hughett, from Huntsville, branched Field Artillery with Shelbyville’s Regimental Fires Squadron of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.  
• Heather Masigat, from Lancaster, Calif., branched Quartermaster with Chattanooga’s 35th Division Support Brigade.
• Micah Metje, from Auburn, Wash., branched Field Artillery with Winchester’s Regimental Fires Squadron of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.  
• Stewart Newcomb, from Paris, branched Field Artillery with Covington’s Battery B of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.  
• Nathan Pastore, from San Diego, Calif., branched Engineer with Huntingdon’s 890th Engineer Company.  
• Bassamba Sao, from Knoxville, branched Military Intelligence and will serve with Johnson City’s 176th Support Battalion.
• Matthew Sigmund, from Omaha, Neb., branched Chemical and will serve as a platoon leader in Cookeville’s 2nd Squadron of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.  
• Brent Smith, from White House, branched Field Artillery with Shelbyville’s Regimental Fires Squadron of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.  
• Makayla Tharpe, from Paris, branched Military Police and will serve as a platoon leader with Murfreesboro’s 269th Military Police Company.
• Christopher Thompson, from Knoxville, branched Ordinance with Elizabethton’s 776th Maintenance Company.
• David Trisdale branched Armor with Sweetwater’s Troop N, 4th Squadron of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.  
• Mary White, from Memphis, branched Transportation and will serve in Smyrna’s Forward Support Company of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.  
• Tyler Wyckmans, from Phoenix, Ariz., branched Field Artillery with Lawrenceburg’s Battery A of the 1-181st Field Artillery Regiment.