SPRINGFIELD, IL (08/26/2013)(readMedia)-- The Illinois Army National Guard's 129th Regional Training Institute Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Camp Lincoln in Springfield commissioned 34 Soldiers as second lieutenants during the OCS graduation ceremony at Springfield High School, Aug. 25.
To meet the commissioning requirements, an officer candidate must complete more than 658 hours of classroom and field instruction. Candidates are evaluated on leadership abilities along with academics. They must also complete many physical and mental tasks, such as road marches and tactical exercises.
The 129th has commissioned 2,289 officers from the program.
The six newly commissioned accelerated program officers are:
• 2nd Lt. Dustin Anderson of Preemption, Ill., with Troop C, 2nd Battalion, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Aurora, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Robert Boney of St. Louis, with Company B, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion in Bloomington, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Amanda Bruni of Troy, Ill., with Company C, 634th Brigade Support Battalion in Springfield, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Jonathan Logemann of Lancaster, Wisc., with Detachment 1,1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Joliet, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Jonathan Miller of Macedonia, Ohio, with the 135th Chemical Company in Machesney Park, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Garrett Nevious of Marion, Ill., with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Marion, Ill.
The 28 newly commissioned traditional program officers are:
• 2nd Lt. Matthew Bisesto of Aurora, Ill., with Company G, 634th Brigade Support Battalion in Crestwood, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Tom Boas of Philo, Ill., with Detachment 1, 1544th Transportation Company in Danville, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Logan Burke of Nashville, Ill., with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in West Frankfort, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Jose Corona of Aurora, Ill., with the 135th Chemical Company in Machesney Park, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Amanda Day of Peoria, Ill., with the 233rd Military Police Company in Springfield, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Landon Foy of Park Forest, Ill., with the 1244th Transportation Company in North Riverside, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Trevor Garner of Hull, Ill., with the 661st Engineer Company in Sparta, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Jason Harrison of Lisle, Ill., with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Chicago
• 2nd Lt. Wade Joiner of Edwardsville, Ill., with the 445th Chemical Company in Shiloh, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Dallin Jones of Paxton, Ill., with Company B, 634th Brigade Support Battalion in Champaign, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Benjamin Klingberg of La Grange Park, Ill., with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Chicago
• 2nd Lt. Adam Kowalski of Darien, Ill., with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment in Peoria, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Brock Kowske of Chicago, with Company B, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Elgin, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Simon Lee of Chicago, with the 1744th Transportation Company in Crestwood, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Justin Lipes of Roseville, Ill., with Company A, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Bartonville, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Kirby McKee of Huntley, Ill., with Company D, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Woodstock, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Doreen Misiorek of Springfield, Ill., with the 766th Engineer Company in Decatur, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Brandon Nicol of Leroy, Ill., with Company E, 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment in Peoria, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Monica Perez of Mount Prospect, Ill., with the 933rd Military Police Company in Fort Sheridan, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Peter Pogwizd of Chicago, with Troop B, 2nd Battalion, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Dixon, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Robert Reif of Wauconda, Ill., with Company A, 405th Brigade Support Battalion in Streator, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Antonio Reyes of Chicago, with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Chicago
• 2nd Lt. Greg Romanek of Franklin Park, Ill., with Company B, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion in Bloomington, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. John Schaaf of Moline, Ill., with Company A, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Bartonville, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Erin Speck of LaGrange, Ill., with the 333rd Military Police Company in Freeport, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Keith Stewart of Ursa, Ill., with the 661st Engineer Company in Sparta, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. Jessica Sucic of Moline, Ill., with 2nd Battalion, 123rd Forward Support Company in Milan, Ill.
• 2nd Lt. David Wachtveitl of Springfield, Ill., with Company C, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion, 33rd Brigade Support Battalion in Carbondale, Ill.
Outstanding OCS graduates were awarded the following:
• The Leadership Award was awarded to 2nd Lt. Monica Perez of Mount Prospect, Ill., for the highest overall leadership evaluation score over the entire OCS program
• The Physical Fitness Award was awarded to 2nd Lt. Jessica Sucic of Moline, Ill., for the highest average score on the OCS Army Physical Fitness Test
• The Academic Award was awarded to 2nd Lt. Matthew Bisesto of Aurora, Ill., for holding the highest academic average in the class.
• Three Soldiers received honors. The honor award is a calculation of peer evaluations, leadership evaluations, academic evaluations and physical fitness, determining the top three overall officer candidates.
• The third honor was awarded to 2nd Lt. John Schaaf of Moline, Ill., for maintaining the third highest course average
• The second honor was awarded to 2nd Lt. Monica Perez of Mount Prospect, Ill., for maintaining the second highest course average
• The Erickson Trophy was awarded to 2nd Lt. Jessica Sucic of Moline, Ill., for holding the highest academic average in the class and she is also the class distinguished honor graduate.
