DUBUQUE, Iowa (May 15, 2017) - John Heun , of Erie, IL, Austin George, of Camanche, IA, and Michael Kassehin, of Bettendorf, IA were three of 12 University of Dubuque Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) cadets who were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army at the 2017 ROTC Commissioning Ceremony on Thursday, May 11, in Steffens Hall inside Charles and Romona Myers Center on the university's campus. The UD ROTC program reached a milestone with the 2017 Commissioning Class. The program has now commissioned over 100 cadets in the United States Army since it was reactivated in 2004. "A lot of good students come through this program," said retired Col. Dan Kammiller, military science faculty and ROTC recruiter. "I've commissioned every one of those cadets. I've seen them all grow." Twelve cadets were commissioned as second lieutenants and two more cadets will be commissioned as second lieutenants this summer, bringing the total cadets commissioned at UD since 2004 to 105. Heun , a senior criminal justice major, was commissioned second lieutenant and assigned active duty, Field Artillery Branch.
George, a senior criminal justice major, was commissioned second lieutenant and assigned active duty, Infantry Branch.
Kassehin, a senior aviation management major, was commissioned second lieutenant and assigned National Guard (Iowa), Infantry Branch. During the ceremony, graduating seniors took an oath of office and had their new rank pinned on their uniform by loved ones and/or military officers. The commissioned officers then completed the "first salute" - a tradition wherein students walked through the arch of sabers to receive their first salute as a member of the military from a current/prior enlisted officer, typically a family member. Students, in turn, gave the person who gave them their first salute a silver dollar as part of a longstanding military tradition. The UD ROTC program is offered through a partnership with University of Northern Iowa. It is opened to students at UD, Clarke University, and Loras College, though this year's commissioning class are all UD students. The program was reactivated in 2004 after it had been shut down for 10 years due to Department of Defense downsizing. It is a college elective students can try out for up to two years with no obligation. Note: Stephen Adjei, Kaitlyn Velsvaag, and Kirsten Velsvagg are featured in an article about the 2017 ROTC Commissioning Ceremony at https://tinyurl.com/kfzkh23. -30
