First Army Commanding General Presides over University of Iowa Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony

By Darryl HowlettMay 26, 2022

IOWA CITY, Iowa – “What you do matters.” Those were the words of wisdom that the First Army Commanding General spoke to the 15 newest Army officers through the University of Iowa Army ROTC program.

Lt. Gen. Antonio A. Aguto, Jr., served as the keynote speaker during the university commissioning ceremony held at the Iowa City Readiness Center.

Before the ceremony, Aguto spoke privately to the officers in a classroom setting during a leadership program development session.

The new lieutenants hail from Iowa, Florida, Wisconsin, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Alabama.

During the ceremony, Aguto also administered the officer’s oath to Second Lieutenant Emmanuel Lee Shott With Two Arrows, an infantry officer (Branch: Military Intelligence), from Rolling Meadows, Illinois.

University of Iowa Army ROTC Professor of Military Science Lt. Col. Kevin Salge appreciated the time Aguto spent with the new officers.

“It was an honor to have Lt. Gen. Aguto visit the Mighty Hawkeye Battalion twice this year,” he said. “These newly commissioned Lieutenants went through a unique and challenging path with the tribulations of the pandemic. We appreciate Lt. Gen. Aguto taking time to visit with our future leaders and making the day extra special.”

Aguto had previously interacted with the officers (then cadets) during a November 2021 University of Iowa Hawkeyes versus the University of Minnesota Gophers football game at Kinnick Stadium.

First Army mobilizes, trains, validates, deploys and demobilizes all Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve forces throughout the continental United States, providing trained and ready forces for diverse missions worldwide.