La. Guard commissions new lieutenants in OCS Graduation Ceremony
By Staff Sgt. Noshoba Davis, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office
PINEVILLE, La. – Families, friends, mentors and fellow Soldiers filled the Post Theater at Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville as the 199th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) hosted the graduation of officer candidates from the Louisiana National Guard Officer Candidate School Classes 64T and 65B as second lieutenants, Aug. 17.
The mission of the Louisiana’s Officer Candidate School, managed by the 199th Regiment (RTI) since July 1960, is to train, mentor, and commission the future leaders of the Louisiana Army National Guard. Opening the Ceremony, Col. Kevin James, commander of the 199th Regiment (RTI), expressed his gratitude to the families of the graduates, stating, “We, as members of the National Guard, cannot be successful without the shared sacrifices of our families. After speaking with the officer candidates over the past couple of days, it’s evident that many of you are bearing a pretty heavy load right now. So, thank you. We appreciate that.”
Brig. Gen. Michael M. Greer, assistant adjutant general of Louisiana, and guest speaker for the graduation, addressed the new lieutenants, emphasizing the importance of their commitment and leadership. “This is a great day that you and your families will remember for years to come. A special thanks to all the family members. As you’ve heard, this cannot be done without you,” he said. Greer also offered guidance to the graduates, stating, “Keep your mind on the task of planning, training, learning and doing, and take care of your Soldiers.”
LANG officer candidates can choose between two OCS options: a traditional 18-month program with weekend drills and two annual training sessions, or an accelerated 8-week course. The traditional OCS is divided into three phases: Phase I is a two-week training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, followed by Phase II, a year-long training at Training Center Pineville that includes field exercises like map reading and live-fire drills during weekend drills. Phase III returns candidates to Fort McClellan for final leadership testing in a field environment.
During this class, six Soldiers from the Belize Defense Force successfully completed the course and were commissioned as second lieutenants. To honor their achievement, the 199th Regiment held a special graduation ceremony for these international officers, separate from the official class graduation. Brig. Gen. Greer highlighted the longstanding partnership, stating, “We are honored to have six graduates from the Belize Defense Force…For 28 years, Louisiana and Belize have forged strong partnerships and friendships through the State Partnership Program. We look forward to many more productive years together and wish our new Belizean lieutenants all the best in their service.”
Candidates were recognized for outstanding achievements in physical training, leadership and academics. Second Lt. Edwin Coleman received The Adjutant General’s Award for the highest combined scores in leadership, academics and physical training. Second Lt. Heather Johnson earned the Leadership Award for demonstrating exceptional leadership abilities throughout training. The National Guard Association of Louisiana Award was presented to 2nd Lt. Juan Martinez-Garcia for achieving the highest physical training scores. Second Lt. Michael Wheeler received the Academic Award for having the highest academic average and the Erickson Award as the runner-up for top graduate.
As a reward for their hard work, 2nd Lt. Michael Wheeler, 2nd Lt. Edwin Colman and 2nd Lt. Juan Martinez-Garcia were selected to attend Air Assault School after graduation.
The ceremony concluded with family and friends pinning the gold second lieutenant rank insignia on the newly commissioned lieutenants’ shoulders, marking the beginning of their service as officers.