TUSKEGEE, Ala. -- Hundreds witnessed history at the Tuskegee University Chapel as two cadets commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps for the first time since the school's ROTC program was created in 1918.
General Dennis L. Via, commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, administered the oath of office to a total of 21 new military officers at the Tiger Battalion's commissioning ceremony here May 6.
Via said he was awed by Tuskegee University's rich history and military tradition, pointing to its first president, Booker T. Washington, and to Brig. Gen. Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., the first African-American to achieve the rank of general in the U.S. Armed Forces.
"We are standing in the shadows of two truly great men," Via said.
Trailblazers like Davis continue to light the way for officers who represent the future of our military, Via said.
"Today, as I look out at you, I remain confident that the future of our military is very bright," he told the cadets before commissioning them as officers. "You'll soon be joining the most powerful military the world has ever known, serving at home and abroad."
Via noted that most of the cadets were in elementary school on 9/11 and grew up watching hundreds of thousands deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq, including parents, siblings, neighbors and friends.
"If there has ever been a generation that truly knows what it means to serve in uniform and the sacrifice that it requires, then it's your generation," Via said. "And yet, you volunteer to serve anyway."
This year marks the 100th anniversary of ROTC, a time to reflect and celebrate the program's immeasurable accomplishments, to which Tuskegee is no exception, he said.
Tuskegee's ROTC program has produced nearly 3,000 officers, including retired Air Force Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James, Jr., who was the first African-American four-star general in the U.S. military.
Via left the newly commissioned officers with a charge.
"Always protect your reputation and your character. Be humble in your success and don't forget to thank those who helped you along the way," he said. "You've acquired an exceptional foundation here at Tuskegee University. Now, you can go out and do your part in the Armed Forces to make a difference for yourself, your families and our nation."
Joining the two Marines were 11 Army second lieutenants, four Navy ensigns and four Air Force second lieutenants.
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