Army and Air Force ROTC to commission 11 second lieutenants in joint ceremony

Clemson University’s Army and Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units will hold a joint ceremony to commission 11 second lieutenants at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, December 16.  The ceremony, with limited attendance, will occur in Tillman Hall Auditorium and be broadcast via Facebook Live. Five students will receive commissions into the U.S. Army and six students will receive commissions into the U.S. Air Force.

The ceremony will feature guest speaker Air Force Maj. Gen. Leah G. Lauderback, a 1993 Clemson graduate. Gen. Lauderback is currently the director of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for the U.S. Space Force. Her career as an intelligence officer spans the strategic, tactical and operational levels of war throughout the Pacific, Central and European theaters of operation. She served as the senior military assistant to the undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and as the director of intelligence for Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq. She is also a graduate and former instructor of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School.

Following the commissioning ceremony, the newly appointed lieutenants will participate in a “silver dollar salute” on Military Heritage Plaza. The ceremony marks the first salute received by an officer from an enlisted service member. As a sign of mutual respect, the officer presents the enlisted member with a silver dollar.

The commissioning candidates for the December ceremony are:

United States Army:

Jared Eric Batt of Fishers, Indiana, majoring in criminal justice

Elizabeth May Bereswill of Apex, North Carolina, majoring in nursing

Kyle Andrew Hebl of Fayetteville, North Carolina, majoring in industrial engineering

Adam James Heitkamp of Olathe, Kansas, majoring in industrial engineering

Austin Albert Charles Lasater of Trophy Club, Texas, majoring in biological engineering

United States Air Force:

William Bradley of Savannah, Georgia, majoring in industrial engineering

Andi Brown of Aiken, South Carolina, majoring in environmental engineering

Tyrus Earls of Gaffney, South Carolina, majoring in sociology

Paul LaVerne of Charleston, South Carolina, majoring in civil engineering

Matthew Perham of Alexandria, Virginia, majoring in mechanical engineering

Jaylin Alexander Lee Thompson of Greenville, South Carolina, majoring in computer science