Clemson Army and Air Force ROTC to commission 16 second lieutenants

CLEMSON – Clemson University’s Army and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) units will hold a joint ceremony to commission 16 second lieutenants at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19, in Tillman Hall Auditorium. Six students will receive commissions into the U.S. Army and 10 will receive commissions into the U.S. Air Force.

The ceremony will feature two guest speakers: U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Wendy Masiello (retired) and U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Masiello (retired).

Lt. Gen. Wendy Masiello was commissioned in December 1980 as a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program at Texas Tech University. She has held a variety of systems acquisition roles, including as principal contracting officer for surveillance and reconnaissance systems, weapon systems and test ranges.

Her last assignment was director of the Defense Contract Management Agency, where she led a Department of Defense agency with more than 11,900 civilian and military personnel who execute worldwide contract management responsibilities covering more than 20,000 contractors and more than $2 trillion in contracts.

Maj. Gen. Thomas Masiello was commissioned in 1981 as a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. A command pilot, he has logged more than 3,300 flying hours in more than 20 different aircraft. He has served as an experimental test pilot and test squadron commander conducting developmental flight tests on a wide variety of weapon systems.

His last assignment was commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He was responsible for managing a $2.1 billion Air Force science and technology program and an additional $2.3 billion in externally funded research and development.

Following the commissioning ceremony, the new lieutenants will participate in a Silver Dollar Salute ceremony at Military Heritage Plaza. The ceremony marks the first salute received by the new officer from an enlisted member. As a sign of mutual respect, the officer presents the enlisted member with a silver dollar.

The commissioning candidates for the ceremony are:

U.S. Army

• Alex L. Berg of Leesburg, majoring in industrial engineering
• Matthew G. Burris of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, majoring in environmental engineering
• Joseph H. Flowers of Charleston, majoring in computer science
• Matthew E. Foster of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, majoring in financial management
• Mikayla H. Godfrey of Webster, New Hampshire, majoring in biological sciences
• Michael T. Sutton of Quartz Hill, California, majoring in mechanical engineering

U.S. Air Force

• Ryan B. Delong of Glendale, Arizona, majoring in electrical engineering
• Adam R. Doyle of Aynor, majoring in secondary education at Anderson University
• Robert H. Edwards of Charlotte, North Carolina, majoring in materials engineering
• Philip M. Gibson of Asheville, North Carolina, majoring in industrial engineering
• Wyatt A. Grace of Delmar, New York, majoring in mechanical engineering
• Denver H. Lennon of Greenville, majoring in mechanical engineering
• Jordan G. Motlong of Columbia, majoring in industrial engineering
• Andrew R. Perham of Alexandria, Virginia, majoring in civil engineering
• Clayton M. Pratt of Fort Mill, majoring in environmental engineering
• Benjamin J. Pritchard of Greer, majoring in industrial engineering