ROTC commissions two second lieutenants

December 17, 2024

On Thursday, Dec. 12, Columbus State University’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or ROTC, battalion commissioned two of its cadets as the newest second lieutenants of the U.S. Army. The ceremony was part of the university’s Fall 2024 graduation events, which included three commencement ceremonies on Friday, Dec. 13, during which these commissioning cadets also received their academic degrees.

Col. Daniel Enslen, chief of staff of the nearby Maneuver Center of Excellence, commended the cadets’ commitment to academics and service.

“Becoming an officer [in the U.S. Army] doesn’t happen overnight. It takes dedication and commitment,” Enslen said of the cadets’ achievement. “[Their commissioning] is the recognition of the dedication and the perseverance instilled by family members and the battalion’s cadre.”

During the ceremony, the new second lieutenants received their gold bars, pinned on by family and friends, marking their commissioning. Following that, each received their first salute—an acknowledgment of the respect now due to the newly minted officer. The tradition is known as the “Silver Dollar Salute,” as it includes a coin exchange between the second lieutenant and the service member, rendering the first salute a symbolic request to be trained and mentored by a professional man-at-arms.

“It is an honor to have you here at Columbus State University,” President Stuart Rayfield told the cadets during their commissioning. “Today, we celebrate all you have accomplished. We are thankful have chosen to serve our nation and each one of us in the way that you are.”

This fall’s class of commissioned second lieutenants included:

2nd Lt. Melba Green

Green, an Albany, Georgia, native, was pinned by her mother Debra and sister Monica. She received her first salute from Sgt. 1st Class (ret.) Garilyn Young.

Green graduates with a bachelor’s in health science. She commissioned into the Transportation Corps Adjunct General’s Corps and will attend the Basic Officer Leaders Course (BOLC) at Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia.

2nd Lt. Carson Johnson

Johnson, a Phenix City, Alabama, native, was pinned by his parents Craig and Cynthia, wife Ashlynn, daughter Abby, and sister Chloe. He received his first salute from 1st Sgt. (ret.) Adam Burton.

Johnson graduates with a bachelor of business administration in management information systems. He commissioned into the Adjunct General’s Corps and will attend BOLC at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

ABOUT THE ROTC COUGAR BATTALION

Columbus State’s ROTC program has been developing future military leaders and contributing to the nation's defense since 1972. In June 1974, it commissioned its first 12 ROTC graduates, and since then, CSU’s ROTC program has grown in size and reputation. Today, the battalion includes more than 70 cadets—with plans to grow—on the path to commission as Army officers.

The cadre consists of traditional college students and active-duty Green to Gold enlisted soldiers desiring to advance in rank by earning a bachelor’s degree. Over the last 50 years, the Cougar Battalion has commissioned more than 650 officers and is recognized as one of the strongest units in the U.S. Army Cadet Command.

For more information about Columbus State’s ROTC Cougar Battalion or to explore ways to benefit from adding ROTC participation while a Columbus State student, visit columbusstate.edu/rotc.

Photos from the commissioning ceremony are available through the university’s Flickr account. 

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Media contact: Michael Tullier, APR, Executive Director of Strategic Communication + Marketing, 706.507.8729, mtullier@columbusstate.edu