Appalachian State Army ROTC

App ROTC Alumni All Over the Army! Pictured is Major (MAJ) Jacob C. Smith (Class of 2014) and Major General (MG) Karen S. Monday-Gresham (Class of 1999), Deputy Commanding General, Reserve Affairs, United States Army Combined Arms Command, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in front of the Lewis and Clark Building of the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth. Fire on the Mountain and all over the Army!

App ROTC Alumni All over the Army! Captain Terell Hurdle (Class of 2017), Aide to the Deputy Commanding General of US Army Pacific, teams up with Brigadier General Ric Francis (Class of 1995), Director of the Fires Future Capability Directorate. Both were at the Future Studies Program on Carlisle Barracks, PA, in May. Fire on the Mountain and all over the Army!
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Twelve to Serve and LEAD! App ROTC Commissioned 12 Officers this morning. Chancellor Heather Norris opened the ceremony by speaking about the strength of the App ROTC program and relating her upbringing as a military child. The Second Lieutenants were pinned by their family members, and Lieutenant General (Retired) Bob Ashley spoke and administered the Oath of Office. LTG Ashley (’81) is the former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, an inductee into the ROTC Hall of Fame, and a Distinguished Appalachian State Alumni. He charged them to continue to self-develop and be stewards of the Profession of Arms—it is a unique and demanding profession. Additionally, he stressed the responsibility of taking care of their people. Finally, he congratulated them on their accomplishment and their willingness to step forward when duty calls.
Earlier that morning, in their final act as Cadets, the Seniors, LTC Jones, and MSG Sinnott ran Howard’s K**b.
The Commissioned Officers: 2LT Jeb Blackman, commissioned as a Signal Officer on Active Duty. 2LT John Brion, commissioned as a Field Artillery Officer on Active Duty, 2LT Steven Cannon, commissioned as an Infantry Officer on Active Duty. 2LT Lily Christensen, commissioned as a Field Artillery Officer on Active Duty, 2LT Timothy Dwyer, commissioned as an Infantry Officer on Active Duty, 2LT Connor Eads, commissioned as a Field Artillery Officer on Active Duty, 2LT Connor Iden, commissioned as a Logistics Officer on Active Duty, 2LT Grayson Jordan, commissioned as an Aviation Officer in the North Carolina Army National Guard, 2LT Tyler Keefe, commissioned as a Field Artillery Officer on Active Duty, 2LT Chloe Lemos, commissioned as a Logistics Officer on Active Duty, 2LT Lauren Marsh, commissioned as a Field Artillery Officer on Active Duty, 2LT Elijah Price, commissioned as an Armor Officer on Active Duty. Serve and Lead Well!
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Wrapping up the semester with good Physical Training. Tuesday, the Battalion conducted a challenging teams competition prior to witnessing the contracting ceremony for Sophomore Will Johnson. Other Cadets were recognized for achievement, and the program also acknowledged the support we received this semester from an exemplary medical health team consisting of a sports psychologist, nutritionists, and strength and training coaches. Not quite done… the Seniors celebrated the last day of classes on Wednesday with a wet and spirited combat PT session.

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Army ROTC at MerleFest 2026. Music, Moments, and Memories. ROTC Cadets and Cadre from App State and the University of South Carolina promoted Army ROTC and its Opportunities to local high school students and festival attendees. MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock, and many other styles. The festival hosts numerous artists, performing on 12 stages, during the course of the four-day event. Cadets were able to make stage announcements, do some impromptu “picking,” and some Alumni swung by.

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Honor Through Action and Competition with a Cause!! Another strong showing in a grueling competition! Annually, the Appalachian State ROTC Cadets travel to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to take part in the Mountain Man Memorial March. The event honors Gold Star families, the sacrifices they have endured, and the ultimate sacrifice our service members have made. The Mountain Man Memorial March also serves as a way for Cadets to show what they are made of and put forth their best during the half or full-marathon ruck march-- either as a five-member team or as individuals. Each participant in the Full and Half event competes in military boots and pants and carries a 35-pound rucksack. There is also the opportunity for 10K, half-marathon, and marathon runners. This year, the event hosted over 900 competitors and several military and ROTC teams. Appalachian State brought five teams total (three men's teams and two women's teams) and many individual racers. Over 45 App ROTC members attended as competitors or support personnel, helping the teams during the race. An App State male full marathon team has taken home first place for the past 10 years that the event has been conducted in person. This year, App State teams took second and fourth place in the male full marathon event and fielded an inspired female team that finished strong. App’s male half-marathon team also secured second in that competition, and the female team competed well. The Professor of Military Science, LTC Jones, won the individual full marathon race. Fire on the Mountain!

The teams march in Honor of the Program’s Fallen, including Cadet Hasbrouck, an Appalachian State ROTC Cadet who passed away during the Mountain Man Memorial March on April 21st, 2012. Cadet Hasbrouck's mother, Patricia Hasbrouck, has made an appearance each year to support App State in her son's remembrance. The Cadets were able to meet with Ms. Hasbrouck before and after the race.

Call 828 262 2994 or go to https://rotc.appstate.edu/ to find out more about App State ROTC

Learning to Lead in a New Environment. This past weekend, App State Cadets joined forces with those from Wake Forest and NC A&T to conduct the annual Joint Field Training Exercise (JFTX) at Camp Butner. The Cadets practiced their marksmanship, performed tactical lanes, and learned how to effectively communicate with new team members. The JFTX is the best simulation of Cadet Summer Training the Cadets will have, and it increases their confidence and composure under pressure. LTC Jones conducted the contracting oath with Sophomore Jacob Church at the end of the exercise. Call 828 262 2994 or go to https://rotc.appstate.edu/ to find out more about App State ROTC.

ROTC Residential Learning Community (RLC) at Hawksnest on Friday Night. Grabbing a couple of runs with friends. The learning community is a collective of ROTC students who live on the first floor of Thunder Hill.