Rutgers ROTC Commissions 30 Second Lieutenants

A total of 30 Rutgers graduates were also commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the Army and Air Force on Monday through the Rutgers ROTC program.

20 Army ROTC graduates were pinned on campus, while 11 Air Force ROTC grads were commissioned at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix in Lakehurst in Ocean County, according to Rutgers. Nine of the 20 Army ROTC grads will complete their requirements over the summer, according to Rutgers.

The ceremony at Rutgers featured keynote speaker David Christian, a decorated Vietnam veteran and 2012 Senate candidate from Pennsylvania. At McGuire-Dix base, Maj. Gen. William J. Bender, commander of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center at the base, addressed the graduates, according to Rutgers.

After being sworn in, the Army ROTC grads were pinned with gold bars by members of their family, signifying their new rank.

In September, Rutgers will welcome Navy ROTC students for the first time.