Four W&M students to be commissioned at May 10 ceremony
Four William & Mary ROTC cadets will be commissioned as officers in the U.S. Army during a May 10 ceremony on campus.
Lt. Gen. Eric J. Wesley, who currently serves as the deputy commanding general of the Army Futures Command and director of the Futures and Concepts Center at Fort Eustis, Virginia, will commission the cadets and speak at the ceremony, scheduled for 12:30 p.m. in the Commonwealth Auditorium.
W&M Chancellor and former Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates ’65, L.H.D. ’98, W&M President Katherine A. Rowe and Army Lt. Col. Dustin Menhart, chair of the university’s military science department, are also expected to provide remarks.
“The process is nearly complete regarding our soon to be commissioned officers here at William & Mary,” Menhart said in April. “To ensure the seamless transition from student to warrior, our cadets experience a grueling and rigorous executive leadership curriculum as the capstone of the ROTC program.”
The cadets to be commissioned are:
• Haley Noelle Burton, Explosive Ordinance Division, Active Duty
• Matthew Yi Chu, Cyber Command, Active Duty
• Thomas James Harwood, Infantry, Active Duty
• Audrey M. Lloyd, Quartermaster Corps, Active Duty
Wesley’s command experience includes commanding general for the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, and maneuver formations from company to brigade. His operational experience includes multiple deployments in support of Operations Joint Guard/Endeavor, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Wesley graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1986 and was commissioned as an armor officer. His military education includes the Armor Officer Basic Course, the Armor Officer Advanced Course and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He is a graduate of the National War College, earning a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies. Wesley also holds a master’s degree in international relations from Troy State University.
His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Joint Service Commendation Medal. He has also earned the Combat Action Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Ranger Tab.
W&M’s Commencement will take place May 11 at 8:30 a.m. at Zable Stadium.
