ILSS Updates and Reports

This year will be the largest commissioning class in the history of the Corps of Cadets. Quality is excellent with a 3.31 average cumulative GPA and 291 average Army Physical Fitness Test score.
Twenty-five commissioned in the fall semester, and 66 commissioned in the spring. We anticipate commissioning another 20 this summer. Total will be over 110. As far as we’ve been able to determine, the most commissions occurred one year in the 1950s with 96.

Captain Rose, UNG ’12, assigned to 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, and his partner MSG Horsager, won the 2017 Best Ranger competition at Ft. Benning. CPT Rose also won it in 2014. He is one of only four to ever win the competition twice.

On 24 April, Major General Saeed Abdulrhman Abu Assaf, the commandant of the Royal Saudi Forces Land Academy visited to better his understanding of what his Cadets will experience while at UNG in the Corps of Cadets.

The National University for Public Service (Hungary) Rector and Commandant of Cadets with other representatives signed a Cadet exchange agreement with UNG on 12 May. We will send Cadets to Hungary and they will send Cadets to UNG.

LTG Garrett, UNG ’81, spoke at the Corps of Cadets military awards review and parade during alumni weekend on 23 April. LTC Gannaway spoke at the annual Memorial Retreat on 22 April, and also received the Ralph Colley Spirit of North Georgia Award which is given to an alumnus who has experienced adverse circumstances in his/her life and has risen above those circumstances to live an exemplary life.

On 6 April, the Corps of Cadets conducted their annual military ball at Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville.

Tragically, Lieutenant Weston C. Lee, UNG ‘14, was killed on 29 April 2017 in Mosul, Iraq. From Bluffton, Georgia, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice and commissioned as an infantry officer. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina and was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.

Georgia Gold, American Treasure development initiative is on-going for the sole benefit of the Corps of Cadets. With a goal of $93,145,000, the vision of the initiative is to “Secure and strengthen the Corps of Cadets at the University of North Georgia”. Any contributions benefiting Cadets will count toward our goal. For more information, contact Phil Collins at phil.collins@ung.edu.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies, and you are visiting Dahlonega, we’d like to schedule a one-hour personal briefing for you. Please contact Keith Antonia at keith.antonia@ung.edu.

April 1, 2017

AUSA Army Magazine March 2017 edition contains an article on UNG ILSS/Corps of Cadets entitled, “Mining a Different Kind of Gold: University of North Georgia Expanding ROTC Studies”.

Military Science instructor SFC Jason Bent was selected Cadet Command Instructor of The Year and recognized at the Georgia State Capitol on March 17.

In addition, SFC Shannon Clark was the first ROTC instructor in U.S. Army Cadet Command to earn the Army Basic Instructor Badge. We have outstanding cadre teaching and mentoring our Cadets.

The ILSS visited universities in the four other Five Eyes countries (Australia, New Zealand, Canada and England). In addition, the Georgia National Guard is establishing a relationship with Argentina under the DoD State Partnership Program. The ILSS accompanied the guard team on a visit to that country. Partnerships with academic institutions in these nations will produce additional educational opportunities for our Cadets, with particular emphasis on security and strategic studies.

BG Joe Jarrard, UNG ’88, the Adjutant General of the State of Georgia and Commanding General of the Georgia Department of Defense, was promoted to Major General in a ceremony at Dobbins Air Reserve Base on March 13.

The Commandant hosted a ceremony on March 28 in which 62 cadets were awarded for military excellence, academic achievement or leadership. 20+ organizations presented awards, totaling more than $53,000. The final Cadet awards ceremony for the year takes place on Livsey Drill Field at 1400 hours on Sunday, April 23, to which you’re all invited. 20 more cadets will be honored, most of whom will receive prestigious scholarships provided by donor families and organizations.

A portion of the Colonel (Ret) Jack C. Peevy Endowment Fund will be distributed to more than 30 cadets in fall 2017. The amount distributed this academic year is $100,000, with $80,000 to current cadets and $20,000 to incoming freshmen (FROGs). This is the second year the fund provided financial assistance to cadets. All Peevy Scholars will be recognized at the Corps of Cadets Awards Review on Sunday, April 23, 2017. Per Colonel Peevy’s wishes, the Commandant of Cadets provides oversight of the endowment, which should reach full maturity next year.

Blue Ridge Rifles precision drill team competed at the University of Southern California and placed second in 4-man; 1st in platoon exhibition; second in platoon regulation, and third overall. Also, UNG claimed the 2017 Southern Conference Rifle Championship at The Citadel beating VMI, The Citadel, Georgia Southern, Wofford, and UAB.

Georgia Gold, American Treasure initiative is on-going for the sole benefit of the Corps. Goal is $93,145,000 to “Secure and strengthen the Corps of Cadets at the University of North Georgia”. Contact Phil Collins at phil.collins@ung.edu.

If you’re visiting Dahlonega, we invite you to schedule a personal briefing on the Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies with Keith Antonia, 706-867-4576 or keith.antonia@ung.edu.

February 1, 2017

Corps strength was at 738 at the beginning of this semester, compared to 709 last spring. The Corps is always smaller in the spring than in the fall.

Colonel Cummings, the Professor of Military Science, anticipates commissioning more than 90 Cadets this year into the Total Army.

Rick Maze, Editor-in-Chief of AUSA Army Magazine, visited UNG on 8 December to learn about the Corps of Cadets and we anticipate an article in the March 2017 issue of the magazine.

Cadet Alexandra Bennett is participating in the capstone year of the Chinese Language Flagship program. She was selected to intern at the U.S. embassy in China in the trade division. She will commission into the Cyber career field (branch).

Military Science instructor Sergeant First Class Jason Bent was selected Cadet Command Instructor of The Year, and will now compete for Training and Doctrine Command Instructor of the Year. We have outstanding cadre teaching and mentoring our Cadets.

The U.S. Army Cadet Command national order of merit list was released in November. Thirty-four Cadets were Distinguished Military Graduates ranking in the top 20 percent in the nation, of whom eight were in the top 10 percent. This compares to four Cadets in the top 10 percent last year, and 22 in the top 20 percent. Placement on the order of merit list is determined by superior grade point average, strong performance on the Army physical fitness test, and demonstrating exceptional leadership skills.

We’re creating a “National Service Leadership Track” for Cadets who will not commission. Cadets will fully participate in the Corps of Cadets, and make a decision to enter the track beginning their junior year. They will take courses that are now being designed in lieu of Military Science III and IV courses that will focus on preparation for leadership in federal agencies or global entities. Implementation is planned for fall 2018. This will be good for recruiting and retaining Cadets.

The Georgia House of Representatives Military Affairs Study Committee visited UNG on 30 Nov – 1 Dec. We briefed them on the ILSS/Corps of Cadets. Jenna Colvin, our UNG Counsel, said this about our Cadets who participated, “My favorite part of the two days was the session with cadet leaders and the representatives after the public portion of the meeting … the cadets were simply extraordinary. One common theme I hear in the media and at the Capitol is that today’s college students are entitled snowflakes. These cadets were the counterpoint to that narrative. They were thoughtful and articulate in their presentation and interactions with the legislators, passionate and dedicated to their calling to serve in the military, and hardworking and focused in their preparation to accomplish their goals. As a mom, I can say they embody what I aspire to develop in my child. I was so proud of them for their parents ... They are also great ambassadors for our program and the training they receive here.”

Georgia Gold, American Treasure development initiative is on-going for the sole benefit of the Corps of Cadets. With a goal of $93,145,000, the vision of the initiative is to “Secure and strengthen the Corps of Cadets at the University of North Georgia”. For more information, contact Phil Collins.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies, and you are visiting Dahlonega, we’d like to schedule a one-hour personal briefing for you. Please contact Keith Antonia.

Corps strength stood at 775 at the beginning of this semester. This is the third largest in the Corps’ history.

UNG continued its tradition of outstanding performance at the ROTC summer camp (Cadet Leader Course – CLC) at Ft. Knox. We sent 123 Cadets, more than any other year in our history. Of those, 40 (32 percent) received the highest performance rating putting them in the top 15 percent of the entire nation. The closest senior military college had 18% percentin this category. Of our other Cadets, 43 had the second-highest rating of most qualified; 26 were highly qualified; 15 were qualified; and none were not qualified.

The first annual Boar’s Head-Corps Alumni Weekend occurred 9-11 Sep, and was a rousing success. The event was conceived and sponsored by the North Georgia Corps of Cadets Association. We thank all Cadet alumni who participated and interacted with our Cadets throughout the weekend. Kris “Tanto” Paronto, hero of Benghazi and featured in the movie 13 Hours spoke with the Cadets, alumni and guests about his experiences during the Benghazi attack. He held the audience’s attention while describing small unit combat leadership in an ambiguous, uncertain, and complex environment. Colonel (Ret.) Jimmie Blackmon spoke with groups of Cadets about leadership. Other alumni spoke with Cadets about succeeding in various occupations after college. We’re looking forward to next year’s event!

Mr. Bob Mathews, UNG ’70, president and CEO of Colliers International – Atlanta and chairman of the UNG real estate foundation, addressed the Corps of Cadets during distinguished military student review and parade. Twenty-five Cadets were honored.

General Carter Ham, U.S. Army (Retired), President and CEO of AUSA, spoke with the Corps of Cadets on 13 Sep. He was extremely impressed, and stated that he was “blown away” by our Cadet program.

UNG signed a Cadet exchange agreement with the Polish Land Forces Academy. We will send Cadets to study at their academy for a semester, and they will send Cadets to study with us. This fall, our Cadets attended short duration programs in the Czech Republic (University of Defense Economics Course), Italy (NATO Defense College), and Hawaii (Asia-Pacific Center for Strategic Studies). We have a Cadet from the Republic of China (Taiwan) Military Academy studying with us this semester. Also, UNG was awarded a $1.2M grant to continue our ROTC Chinese Language Flagship program. We have 21 Cadets majoring in Chinese, and 14 in Arabic.

Cadet alumnus, LTG Burton Patrick, UNG ’57, was inducted into the Georgia Military Veteran’s Hall of Fame. A total of seven UNG graduates are now in the Hall of Fame.

Cadet alumnus, LTG William (Burke) Garrett, UNG ’81, is retiring from the Army after 35 years of outstanding service as a Soldier.

Georgia Gold, American Treasure development initiative is on-going for the sole benefit of the Corps of Cadets. With a goal of $93,145,000, the vision of the initiative is to “Secure and strengthen the Corps of Cadets at the University of North Georgia”. For more information, go to unggive.org/give/corps-of-cadets

If you’re interested in hearing more about the Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies, and you are visiting Dahlonega, we’d like to schedule a one-hour personal briefing for you. Please contact Keith Antonia at keith.antonia@ung.edu

UNG graduates took command. COL Branch took command of the 780^th MI Brigade at Ft Meade on 17 Jun: a MSC of Army Intelligence and Security Command and Army Cyber Command. COL Skelton took command of the Army’s 1^st Information Operations Command at Ft Belvoir on 20 Jun. (COL Ginn commands the 106^th Signal Brigade at Ft Sam Houston.) All three jobs are critical components of the Army’s cyber operations efforts. COL Duggan took command of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall on 28 Jun. COL Beaudoin took command of 3d Brigade, 82d Airborne Division on 20 May.

Cadet Sydney Coursey was selected as the top graduate (out of more than 500 Cadets) for her CLC (Advance Camp) Regiment. She was presented the AUSA Warrior Ethos Award, a saber. 

Boar’s Head-Corps Alumni Weekend, 9-11 Sep. Conceived and sponsored by the North Georgia Corps of Cadets Association. Event celebrates the Boar’s Head Brigade, and encourages interaction between corps alumni and Cadets through a variety of events, classes, speakers, socials, recognitions and remembrances. Begins Friday night and culminates with the Distinguished Military Student Review on 11 Sep at 1400. A schedule can be found on the NGCCA web site:  ngcorpsofcadetsassn.org  We would be very happy if you could join us for some of the events. 

GEN Carter Ham, U.S. Army (Retired), President and CEO of AUSA, will visit UNG on 13 Sep and speak with the Corps of Cadets.

UNG was named one of the nation's top higher education institutions by Forbes Magazine in its annual "America’s Top Colleges" ranking. This is the first time UNG has been named to the list, and one of only six public universities in Georgia to make the list.

The Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies now has an advisory board composed of accomplished experts in leadership and strategic issues who also have a deep understanding of the value of the Corps of Cadets and its contribution to society. Purpose is to provide ILSS leadership with the knowledge, understanding and strategic thinking that will enable us to more effectively accomplish our mission. Board president is LTG (Ret) Terry, Dr Crupi, LTG (Ret) Mixon, and LTG (Ret) Keen (inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame on 14 July). LTG Garrett has agreed to serve after he retires in a month or two. Bios are on the ILSS web site:  ung.edu/ilss

ILSS will co-host a security symposium on 15 November in collaboration with the Mike Cottrell College of Business and the College of Arts and Letters. The topic to be explored is international trade partnerships.

ILSS is working with foreign countries to establish military exchange opportunities and/or internships for our Cadets. Hungary, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Austria, Brazil, South Korea, Latvia, Estonia, Republic of Georgia, Czech Republic, Germany, and Italy are all candidates for agreements. We already have formal agreements with Land Forces Military Academy, Poland; Republic of China Military Academy, Taiwan; and Bundeswher Academy, Germany.

Georgia Gold, American Treasure development initiative, the first fundraising effort in the history of UNG for the sole benefit of the Corps of Cadets, launched during Alumni Weekend 2016. With a goal of $93,145,000, the vision of the initiative is to “Secure and strengthen the Corps of Cadets at the University of North Georgia”. For more information, go to unggive.org/give/corps-of-cadets

If you’re interested in hearing more about the Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies, and you are visiting Dahlonega, we’d like to schedule a one-hour personal briefing for you.  Please contact Keith Antonia at keith.antonia@ung.edu

Continuing our cyber education initiatives, UNG was just given the distinction of becoming a National Security Agency/Department of Homeland Defense Center of Academic Excellence for Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).

This summer, we received a grant from the NSA/DHS GenCyber program to run a free, two-week residential “National Cyber Warrior Academy” on the Dahlonega Campus.  We’ll enroll 40 high school students 19 Jun – 1 July, who will live in Gaillard Hall, and will be taught the Certified Ethical Hacker curriculum by UNG PhD computer science professors.

In December/January, we will seek to become an Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) by the Defense Intelligence Agency.  The IC CAE has the mission to increase intelligence community job applicants. They provide grants to accredited U.S. four-year colleges and universities to support the design and development of intelligence-related curricula.  We strongly feel that we meet the criteria by which the DIA evaluates applications, including having academic programs which serve as a foundation for an intelligence or national security studies certificate, major or minor.  With our degrees and minors in international affairs, strategic studies, critical foreign languages, cyber security, study abroad programs and more, we believe we’ll be very competitive to become an IC CAE.

We have four Cadets who were awarded prestigious national scholarships in 2015-2016.  Anita Renfroe is a winner of the prestigious David L. Boren Scholarship, a national scholarship funded by DoD’s National Security Education Program worth up to $20,000 to spend a full academic year studying abroad. Renfroe is a junior in the Corps of Cadets majoring in Arabic with a minor in Spanish and will spend next year studying in Fez, Morocco. Two Cadets won Fulbright scholarships.  Cadet Cody Bijeaux, a Chinese major, and former Cadet Jacob Dietrich, an Arabic major.  The Fulbright program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. In addition, Cadet Elisha Weber will spend a year at ZhieJiang Normal University in Jinhua, courtesy of Chinese Government Scholarships from the Consulate in Houston.

We commissioned 48 Cadets on 6-7 May: 36 active duty, 13 Reserve Force Duty (primarily Georgia Army National Guard); 9 were Distinguished Military Graduates (DMG). 

173 Cadets will participate in Cadet training programs this summer.  15 will participate in Cadet Command’s Cultural Understanding and Language Program (CULP) for three weeks in the following countries: Republic of Georgia (3); Hungary; Lithuania (2); Philippines, Bulgaria; Mongolia (2); Morocco; Senegal; Sri Lanka; Nepal; Bukina-Faso.  A record 126 Cadets will attend the Cadet Leader Course (summer or advanced camp) at Ft. Knox.  Forty seven will go to Cadet Initial Entry Training (CIET) at Ft. Knox (a new program for freshman and sophomore Cadets who intend to commission).  Fifteen Cadets will attend schools: airborne (5), air assault (7), and Cadet Field Training (3).  Three Cadets will do overseas CTLT in Germany, Korea, and Alaska. 

Distinguished Military Student Review Weekend will be 9-11 Sep.  We’re planning to make this a Cadet Alumni Weekend event.  More info to follow, but would really be happy if you could join us for some of the events. 

Georgia Gold, American Treasure development initiative, the first fundraising effort in the history of UNG for the sole benefit of the Corps of Cadets, launched during Alumni Weekend 2016.  With a goal of $93,145,000, the vision of the initiative is to “Secure and strengthen the Corps of Cadets at the University of North Georgia”. For more information contact Phil Collins, phil.collins@ung.edu. Three priority areas are: Scholarships, Operational Support, and Facilities and Infrastructure.

The Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies (ILSS) has decided to adapt the Army’s 21^st Century Soldier Competencies contained in TRADOC Pam 525-8-2, The U.S. Army Learning Concept, to our Corps of Cadets. A purpose of the ILSS is to ensure that academic and co-curricular programs are in place for Cadets to learn and practice these competencies.  The flyer is attached.

In January, UNG established a “Center for Cyber Operations Education” to provide more cyber-related educational opportunities for our Cadets.  We also applied to become a National Security Agency/Department of Homeland Security Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. Our application has been accepted, and the next step is an on-site visit by the NSA/DHS grant team.  We have also joined a consortium of colleges and universities that offer the Army Cyber Institute’s “Cyber Leader Development Program” for Cadets who are interested in commissioning into the Army’s Cyber Branch.

Colonel Ron Stephens has been selected to promotion to brigadier general.  He’s a graduate of UNG, Magna Cum Laude in chemistry, commissioned Medical Service Corps, and later completed medical school at the Medical College of Georgia under the Health Professions Scholarship Program.  He attended UNG on the Georgia Military Scholarship. Congratulations!

MG William K. Gayler, a 1988 graduate of the University of North Georgia (UNG), was appointed the commanding general for the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, Alabama. He previously served as the deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Europe, and commander, U.S. Army NATO.

On the international front, since the beginning of the new year, we’ve sent Cadets to conferences in Japan, Latvia, Republic of Georgia, Boston, and VMI.  We also have Cadets in study abroad or internships in Italy, Taiwan, France, China, Germany and Bulgaria.  Our leadership traveled to South Africa, Estonia and South Korea to explore partnerships with military academies. 

UNG is expecting to commission fifty-six Cadets on 16 May and more in August.  We anticipate commissioning around 90 Cadets this year. 

Dahlonega Campus Alumni Weekend will be 22-24 April 2016 (Recall).  The Honorable Debra Wada, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) tentatively plans to run with the Corps of Cadets on Saturday morning at 0800, attend 5^th Ranger Training Battalion Open House on Saturday, and speak at Sunday’s Corps of Cadets Military Awards review at 1400 on the drill field.  Recall details are available here:  https://ungalumni.org/aw

A UNG alumni event was held on 12 March at Ft. Bragg, graciously hosted by LTG Steve and Melissa Townsend.  The 82d Abn Chorus provided entertainment, and fun was had by all.  About 50 alumni attended, many of whom were younger alumni, including lieutenants and captains.  Thank you, General Townsend!

The Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies (ILSS) has decided to adapt the Army 21^st Century Soldier Competencies contained in TRADOC Pam 525-8-2, The U.S. Army Learning Concept, to our Corps of Cadets. A purpose of the ILSS is to ensure that academic and co-curricular programs are in place for Cadets to learn and practice these competencies.  The competency flyer is attached.

In January, UNG established a “Center for Cyber Operations Education” to provide more cyber-related educational opportunities for our Cadets.  We also applied to become a NSA/DHS Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. Our application has been accepted, and the next step is an on-site visit by the NSA/DHS grant team.  We have also joined a consortium of colleges and universities that offer the Army Cyber Institute’s “Cyber Leader Development Program” for Cadets who are interested in commissioning into the Army’s Cyber Branch.

Colonel Ron Stephens has been selected to promotion to brigadier general.  He’s a graduate of UNG Magna Cum Laude in chemistry, commissioned Medical Service Corps, and later completed medical school at the Medical College of Georgia under the Health Professions Scholarship Program.  He attended UNG on the Georgia Military Scholarship. 

Since the beginning of the New year, we’ve sent Cadets to conferences in Japan, Latvia, Republic of Georgia, Boston, and VMI.  We also have four Cadets studying in China.  Our leadership traveled to South Africa, Estonia and South Korea to explore partnerships with military academies. 

Fifty-two Cadets will commission on 16 May and in August.  We anticipate commissioning around 90 Cadets this year. 

Dahlonega Campus Alumni Weekend will be 22-24 April 2016.  Details will be available here soon:  https://ungalumni.org/aw