Sources: Lt. Col. George Belin, 785-532-6754, gbelin@k-state.edu;
Adam Zerr, 785-226-3499, zerr@k-state.edu; and
Jason Miller, 785-226-1620, jtmiller@k-state.edu
Note to Editors: Adam Zerr is a graduate of Junction City High School.
News release prepared by: Jessica Grant, 785-532-6415, jgrant@k-state.edu
Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007
K-STATE ARMY ROTC STUDENTS RECEIVE HIGH HONORS
MANHATTAN -- Several students in Kansas State University's Army ROTC Wildcat Battalion have been recognized nationally for excellence through the recently released Army ROTC National Order of Merit List.
Of the 23 K-State cadets commissioning this year, five were in the top 10 percent of the Order of Merit List and eight of the cadets were designated as distinguished military graduates. Distinguished military graduates rank in the top 20 percent of Army ROTC graduates nationwide.
In addition, four K-State cadets were ranked among the top 100 in nation, including one K-State cadet ranked No. 7 nationally. K-State also had the top four rated cadets in Kansas.
The National Order of Merit assessment judged more than 4,000 cadets from Army ROTC programs across the nation on factors such as grade point averages, physical fitness, performance at a 33-day leadership camp at Fort Lewis, Wash., extracurricular activities and a rating provided by the students' professors of military science.
"You have to be well rounded in all of these areas," said Jason Miller, a K-State Army ROTC cadet major and senior in management, Fairfax, Va. "You may score well in physical fitness or do well at summer camp, but a bad grade point average will kill a score. You have to be strong in all aspects."
Miller was ranked in the top 10 percent of the Order of Merit List, and was designated as a distinguished military graduate.
"You have to be both mentally and physically capable," said Adam Zerr, a cadet lieutenant colonel and senior in management, Manhattan. "You really have to prove that you're able to both think and lead. To be an officer, you have to have both of these qualities."
Zerr was ranked in the top 10 percent of the Order of Merit List; designated as a Distinguished Military Graduate; was ranked in the top 100 cadets in the nation; and was named the No. 7 cadet in the nation.
The performance of the K-State cadets will only serve to enhance the program in the future, said Lt. Col. George Belin, K-State professor of military science.
"Success breeds success and this will only help us to bring in more students in the future," Belin said. "Our freshman class is great and each year we continue to get better and better."
The K-State Army ROTC program has the largest cadet enrollment, with 132 cadets, in its brigade of 20 schools, Belin said.
Seeing the success of the current graduates should also encourage good and capable recruits to want to participate in K-State's Army ROTC program when they see it's one of the top programs in the nation, Zerr said.
"Our performance also sets a standard for K-State cadets," Miller said. "It gives the underclassmen a sense of pride and it gives them a set of standards to work toward."
The graduating K-State ROTC cadets have just received their branch selections. Nationwide, 64 percent of cadets receive their first Army branch choice. This year, 95 percent of the Wildcat cadets received their first choice.
Three cadets were selected for educational delays, which is a highly competitive process, Belin said. One student plans to pursue a law degree, another will work to become a physician's assistant and the third will work to become a physical therapist.
Belin attributes the success of the program to not only the hard work of the students, but also to the support the program receives.
"Not only do we have a dedicated cadre that cares about the cadets, but K-State, Fort Riley and the community are all extremely supportive," he said. "We're fortunate to be so close to Fort Riley, which means that the cadets can receive hands-on training, which provides opportunities that other schools just don't have."
Other K-State Army ROTC cadets earning honors include:
Jeffrey Zizz, graduate student in political science, Fort Riley, a distinguished military graduate; Gary Kohlasch, senior in political science, Hays, top 10 percent of the Order of Merit List and a distinguished military graduate; Michael Weilbacher, fifth-year senior in architectural engineering, Leavenworth, top 10 percent of the Order of Merit List and a distinguished military graduate; Alex Ells, senior in life sciences, Manhattan, top 10 percent of the Order of Merit List and a distinguished military graduate; Leah Marietta senior in political science, Oberlin, distinguished military graduate; and Thomas Webb, senior in political science, Topeka, distinguished military graduate.