Coventry Resident Commissioned as RI National Guard Officer

Major General Kevin McBride, Adjutant General of Rhode Island and Commanding General of the Rhode Island National Guard announced six Rhode Island Army National Guardmembers completed Officer Candidate School and will be accepting their commissions.

Officer Candidate School provides training for military personnel to become commissioned officers in the United States Army. The Rhode Island National Guard Officer Candidate program allows candidates to maintain their traditional drilling status and takes 17 months to complete. The program is divided into four phases. Phase 0 is four drill weekends and designed to prepare candidates for the OCS program. Phase I is a 15 day long annual training period, Phase II is conducted one weekend a month over a 11 month period and Phase III is another 15 day long annual training period that concludes commissioning pending federal recognition. 

Graduating Class Number 54 includes:

Officer Candidate Michael L. Clark - Officer Candidate Clark currently resides in Coventry, Rhode Island with his wife Abigail and children Owen and Timothy. He will be commissioned as a Military Engineer Platoon Leader and will be assigned to the 861^st Engineer Company in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. 

Officer Candidate Scott M. Hunt - Officer Candidate Hunt currently resides in Seekonk, Massachusetts with his wife Heather and children Gavin and Addison.  He will be commissioned as a Field Artillery Platoon Leader and will be assigned to Charlie Battery, 1^st Battalion, 103^rd Field Artillery Battalion in Bristol, Rhode Island. 

Officer Candidate Timothy E. O'Leary - Officer Candidate O’Leary currently resides in Harrisville, Rhode Island.  He will be commissioned as an Infantry Platoon Leader and will be assigned to the 1-182^nd IN in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. 

Officer Candidate Nathan E. Cerreto - Officer Candidate Cerreto currently resides in Scituate, Rhode Island with his parents Michael and Carol Cerreto.  He will be commissioned as a Military Aviation Platoon Leader and will be assigned to the 1^st Battalion 126^th Aviation Regiment in North Kingston, Rhode Island. 

Officer Candidate James E. Almonte - Officer Candidate Almonte currently resides in Providence, Rhode Island with his wife Catrena and children Joeb and Caleb.  He will be commissioned as a Military Police Platoon Leader and will be assigned to the 169^th Military Police Company in Warren, Rhode Island. 

Officer Candidate Tania Olsen - Officer Candidate Olsen currently resides in Providence, Rhode Island with her husband Eric and children Alexandra and Jason.  She will be commissioned as a Military Quartermaster Platoon Leader and will be assigned to the 1207^th Transportation Company in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. 

All six Officer Candidates will accept their commissions as Second Lieutenants in the Rhode Island Army National Guard at a ceremony that will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday August 21 in the State Room of the RI State House.

During the ceremony the Graduates will take the federal and state oaths of office. The federal oath is to be administered by Major General Kevin McBride, Adjutant General of Rhode Island and Commanding General of the Rhode Island National Guard. The state oath is to be administered by Brig. Gen. Brian W. Goodwin, Assistant Adjutant General - Army of Rhode Island and Deputy Commanding General for the Rhode Island Army National Guard. The guest speaker will be Maj. Jason Dean, commander Higher Headquarters Detachment, Joint Force Headquarters, Rhode Island National Guard.