Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall- More than 100 graduates from around the National Capital Region joined family and friends in a joint service graduation recognition ceremony Nov. 21 here at Memorial Chapel.
Dr. Wes Smith, director of the Army Credentialing and Continuing Education Services for Soldiers and keynote speaker, congratulated the graduates on balancing military service while meeting their education goals.
“Congratulations for starting this adventure.” he said. “You took aim at your values-based goal, navigated the series of challenges and obstacles, competed in a chaotic world, and earned your degree.”
Smith also shared some statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics to put the graduates work into perspective. In 2021, 94% of the American population completed high school; 49% completed at least an associate’s degree; 39% completed a bachelor’s degree, 9% completed a master’s degree, and only 1% of the population completed a doctorate.
During this year’s ceremony, approximately 50 graduates received advanced degrees and 60 received undergraduate degrees or certificates from 37 different academic universities and colleges. The ceremony included service members, including reserve and guardsman, dependents, veterans, and civilians working on the installations.
“In the Army in 2024, about 102,000 Soldiers used tuition assistance to enroll in about 325,000 courses, with about 8,200 earning a degree this year,” Smith added, “and you are a part of that group. It is so great to see firsthand the result of all the hard work that all of you have done.”
Maj. Benjamin Asare, deputy program manager in the Special Victims Counsel Program Office at the Pentagon, received a Master of Law in Military Law from The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School and served as student speaker during the ceremony.
In his address, he noted the difficulty of serving as student speaker when the graduating class all matriculated to different schools, received different training, come from different services, and earned different honors.
“Our differences are stark,” he said. “The strongest similarity that we all share is that each took the same oath to defend and support the Constitution to be a part of this joint force. This recognition ceremony is a clear depiction of the joint force.”
Joint Base Commander Col. Tasha Lowery was also on hand to congratulate the graduates. Before introducing the keynote speaker, she asked every family member, friend, or supervisor in the audience to stand up and be recognized.
“Know that those who graduated today could not have done so without your support,” she said. “Your love and encouragement helped every single one of them make it on the stage today, so thank you for all you have done, and will continue to do for them in the future.”
Lowery added that she also understands firsthand how difficult it is to balance military duties with personal endeavors.
“I want to commend each of you for the hard work, dedication, and perseverance that you’ve shown in pursuing your educational goals” Lowery said. “You all have risen above the obstacles that came your way, and your success is well deserved.”
During the ceremony, each graduate crossed the stage of Memorial Chapel and received their diploma from Ms. TaMekii Clark-Warrington, Education Services Officer for Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, to the applause of more than 200 well-wishers in the audience. Once every attendee received their diploma, the graduates moved their tassels from the right to the left, signifying the completion of their programs.
According to Clark-Warrington, a different installation in the Military District of Washington hosts the graduation ceremony each year. This year was the largest in recent history and included graduates from Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Fort Belvoir, Fort Meade, and the Pentagon.
“Celebrating the academic achievement of our service member is one of the most rewarding moments of the year,” Clark-Warrington said. “It brings us immense joy to see those we’ve built a connection with walk across the stage to receive their well-deserved recognition. Witnessing them set educational goals, work diligently to achieve them, and ultimately succeed is both heartwarming and a testament to the power of dedication and perseverance.”
The JBM-HH Education Center facilitates access to education institutions and programs, both on-post and online that cater to the needs and schedules of military personnel. The Education Center collaborates with colleges, universities, and vocational schools throughout the United States to offer a variety of flexible learning options, including distance learning programs. For any questions, contact the JBM-HH Education Center at 703-696-1653.
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