May 24, 2018

SIU Carbondale Air Force ROTC cadets earn their commissions

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Five cadets in Southern Illinois University Carbondale U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 205 earned their respective commissions as second lieutenants earlier this month. 

The cadets received their commissions in ceremonies May 11 at the Student Center. They also earned their bachelor’s degrees in commencement ceremonies May 12 at the SIU Arena. There were 61 cadets in the detachment at the end of the semester. 

Throughout a normal four-year plan, cadets participate in one aerospace studies class each semester in addition to physical training and a leadership lab each week. Presently, more than 65 percent of the cadets receive funds from federal scholarships or state tuition waivers. 

Some of the cadets will be reporting for training now while others will wait until the date their training begins, which could be a few months. The cadets who received their commissions, by hometown, degree earned, and U.S. Air Force career, are: 

ILLINOIS 

  • Lake Zurich: 2nd Lt. William Bennett, political science, pilot.
  • New Lenox: 2nd Lt. Michael Crane, history, public affairs.
  • Oak Forest: 2nd Lt. Danielle Fraider, biological sciences, remotely piloted aircraft pilot.
  • Red Bud: 2nd Lt. Alex Kawalec, aviation technologies, pilot. 

INDIANA 

  • Lebanon: 2nd Lt. Jacob Nelson, civil engineering, pilot. 

Visit afrotc.siu.edu for more information on the SIU Carbondale Air Force ROTC program.