Presbyterian College ROTC to commission nine graduates

Presbyterian College ROTC to commission nine graduates

PC Alumnus and retired Col. Jack Zeigler will deliver keynote address

Presbyterian College Reserved Officers Training Corps will commission nine students as second lieutenants during ceremonies on Friday, May 9 at 2 p.m. in Edmunds Hall. The students, members of the Scottish Highlander Battalion, will graduate from three Upstate colleges – PC, Lander University and Newberry College.

As part of the commissioning ceremony, the Highland Battalion will present its prestigious awards, including the CPT Kimberly Hampton Leadership Award, presented by Mr. and Mrs. Dale Hampton; the Spirit of the Claymore Athletic Award and the Wysor Saber Award.

“The cadets receiving these awards have distinguished themselves while participating in the ROTC program,” said Lt. Colonel Brian Donley, PC professor of military science.

PC alumnus and retired Col. Wayne Harris will be inducted into the PC ROTC Hall of Fame during ceremonies led by retired Brigadier General Rick Porter, a 1978 PC graduate.

Administering the Oath of Office to the cadets will be CPT(P) Brad DeLoach, a 2004 graduate of PC.

Two PC students are entering active duty. Daniel Jenkins, son of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel K. Jenkins of Sumter, is joining the Field Artillery division. Joining the Military Police is Theodore Goodson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Allen R. Goodson Jr. of Jacksonville, N.C.

Students entering the South Carolina National Army National Guard Armor branch are PC students Kirk Boland, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kirk W. Boland of Smoak and Richard Taylor, son of Robert H. Taylor Jr. of Spartanburg.

Joining the South Carolina Army National Guard Corps of Engineers are Lander University students Keenan Tallent, son of Keenan Tallent Sr. and Janie Felkel of Charleston, and Jonathan Smith, son of Angela Denise Smith of Clinton.

Kevin Sinkler, a student at Newberry College, is being commissioned in the Guard’s Air Defense Artillery. He is the son of James and Kathy Sinkler of Sumter. Newberry student Christopher Keesee II will be going in to the Transportation Branch of the South Carolina National Guard.

PC student Adam Bradshaw, son of Mr. and Mrs. John C. Bradshaw of Simpsonville, is joining the Guard’s Ordnance branch.

Delivering the keynote address is retired Colonel Jack Zeigler, a 1979 PC graduate. A native of Florence, S.C., Col. Zeigler has an extensive military career, beginning as a mechanized infantry platoon leader, scout platoon leader and rifle company executive officer with the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment in Illeshiem, Germany.

Col. Zeigler served as the Battalion Commander, 3rd  Battalion, 3rd  Special Forces Group (Airborne), as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations for the United States Army, Special Operations Command, and as the Inspector General. On June 24, 2005, Colonel Zeigler assumed command of the 1st Special Warfare Training   Group (Airborne) in Fort Bragg, N.C. and held that command until his retirement.

Col. Zeigler received numerous military awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Joint Staff Identification Badge, the Special Forces Tab, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Military Freefall Parachutist Badge, and the Ranger Tab.  He has conducted airborne operations in Italy, Botswana and Swaziland and has been awarded their parachutist badges.

Colonel Zeigler is married to the former Janice Rebecca Lawhon of Effingham, S.C. They have two children, Lauren and Jack III.

Two additional PC Cadets will be commissioned into the S.C. National Guard this summer following their completion of cadet summer training at Fort Knox, Ky. Zachary Furr, son of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Ray Furr of Aiken, will join the Guard’s transportation unit. Nicholas Smith, son of Dr. and Mrs. Roy E. Smith of Camden, will join the military intelligence unit.

Founded in 1880, Presbyterian College is a Carnegie One liberal arts college and is fully accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The institution confers B.A. and B.S. degrees in 32 courses of study and nine pre-professional programs including pre-law, pre-med, pre-pharmacy and pre-theological. The PC School of Pharmacy will award the doctor of pharmacy degree to its inaugural class on May 10. The PCSP is in the process of gaining full accreditation status from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. For more information, visit www.presby.edu.

—PC—