Six WVU Army ROTC cadets to commission as officers

Six WVU Army ROTC Mountaineer Battalion cadets will become second lieutenants in the U.S. Army, National Guard or Army Reserve after a commissioning ceremony set for 6 p.m. Thursday (Dec. 19). (WVU Photo/Matt Sunday)

WHAT: The West Virginia University Army ROTC Mountaineer Battalion will commission six cadets as second lieutenants during the Fall Commissioning Ceremony.

WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 19, 6 p.m.

WHERE: Mountainlair, Mountaineer Room, 1550 University Ave., Morgantown

WHO: Col. Charlie Green, 53rd Commandant and Chief of the Regiment for the Military Police Corps at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, will be the keynote speaker. Maj. Leon Geiger, acting professor of military science, and Master Sgt. William O'Neal, senior military science instructor, will present the cadets for commissioning.

Those commissioning include:

Alexis Brusio, from North East, Maryland, who is graduating with an animal and nutritional sciences degree will assess onto active duty in January as an Air Defense Artillery officer.

Gabrielle Frankenfield, from Prospect, Kentucky, is graduating with a sport management degree and will assess onto active duty as an Infantry officer.

Karina Guevara, from Manassas, Virginia, will graduate with a multidisciplinary studies degree and will assess into the Delaware Army National Guard as an Adjutant General Corps officer.

Levi Kramer, from Fairfax Station, Virginia, will graduate with an aerospace engineering degree and a Chinese Studies degree and will assess onto active duty as an Army aviator.

Keegan Mahony, from Charles Town, will graduate with a Master of Arts in History and will assess into the Army National Guard as a Field Artillery officer.

Brayden Warnick, from Oakland, Maryland, will graduate with a nursing degree and will assess onto active duty as an Army nurse.

BACKGROUND: Army ROTC is the premier, four-year, progressive leadership development program on campus. During classes, leadership labs, physical training and field training exercises, cadets learn firsthand what it takes to lead others, motivate groups, and conduct missions as an officer in the U.S. Army. Cadets are required to complete a 38-day leadership assessment at Fort Knox, Kentucky, known as Advanced Camp. Upon earning their degrees, cadets commission as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army on active duty, in the Army National Guard or in the Army Reserve.

The WVU ROTC program was recognized in 2007-08 as the best program in the Eastern Region of the United States and was subsequently awarded the General Douglas MacArthur Award.

The commissioning class for 2024-25 is comprised of 27 total cadets from the three schools forming the Mountaineer Battalion - WVU, Fairmont State and Waynesburg universities. All 27 cadets are from WVU this year. Of the six commissioning in this ceremony, four will transition onto active duty and two will commission into the National Guard. One cadet commissioned in early October from WVU.

MEDIA NOTES: Pre- or post-ceremony interviews with any of the newly commissioned officers and/or guest speaker can be arranged on an individual basis. Cadet biographical photos are also available upon request for hometown news outlets.

-WVU-

jd/12/18/24

MEDIA CONTACT: John Dowling
Recruiting Operations Officer
WVU Army ROTC
304-894-6641; [email protected]

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