Johnathan (Andrew) Anspach, a graduate student in the construction science and management program at Clemson University, has been promoted to the rank of major within the United States Air Force. An official promotion ceremony was held in Clemson’s Military Heritage Plaza in June.
Anspach was surrounded by family, friends, neighbors and colleagues during the promotion ceremony. Among the University supporters were Major General Hank Morrow (U.S. Air Force, retired), executive secretary to the Board of Trustees, and Emily DaBruzzi, director of Military and Veteran Engagement.
“I’m stoked to be able to take on this new endeavor, to step up and lead at the next level,” said Anspach, who just completed his first year in the Civilian Institution scholarship program sponsored by the Air Force Institute of Technology. “My family has never had an opportunity to be part of something like this. For them to really understand what promotion means is huge.”
Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Mullinax (U.S. Army, retired) served as the master of ceremonies and Colonel Christopher Mann (U.S. Air Force, retired) was the presiding officer for the promotion. Both are employees at Clemson.
Anspach’s children pinned new oak leaves on the shoulders of his uniform, signifying the rank of major. He then took an oath under Mann’s direction:
I, Johnathan Anspach, having been appointed a major in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I’m about to enter, so help me God.
Mann spoke at length about Anspach’s accomplishments and why he had earned the promotion to major. In a relatively short career as a health services architect, Anspach has led 12 major projects in the United States and overseas with a total value of more than half a billion dollars.
“Promotion is an important aspect of our tradition and culture in the Air Force,” said Mann, a professor in the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business. “We promote officers who have not only done good work, but also have demonstrated they already have the level of maturity and responsibility and are willing to take on the necessary authority to be successful at the next rank.
“Do I think Andrew has sufficiently demonstrated the leadership and management capability to handle authority as a captain that would be necessary as a major? Absolutely, I do. The proof is right in front of us.”
Anspach earned a degree in architecture from the University of North Carolina Charlotte. He joined the Air Force as a Medical Services Corps officer in 2014 and was first stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. A few years ago, he led a 150-bed trauma center expansion at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
Over the past year at Clemson, Anspach has been engaged in the local community. He has helped conduct outreach efforts with veterans, first responders and active-duty service members through the local chapter of Heroes on the Water, a non-profit therapeutic fishing program. He is scheduled to earn his master’s degree from Clemson in May 2024.
“The support at Clemson has been amazing,” he said. “From the faculty to the Military and Veteran Engagement staff, it has helped me tremendously during a difficult transition back into higher education. The leadership skills I’ve learned in the military, coupled with 13 years of experience in the construction industry, have helped me mentor and coach younger students at Clemson.”