Remarks at Harvard ROTC Commissioning
 by LTC Timothy Hall, Director of Army ROTC at Harvard
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
23 May 2012

Secretary Mabus, President Faust, Lieutenant General Oelstrom, Brigadier General Ryan, Mr. Johnstone, distinguished guests, alumni, educators, administrators, students, Harvard class of 1961, friends and family members – welcome to the 2011 Harvard University Commissioning ceremony.

This has been an extraordinary year for Harvard and ROTC. This year has seen the return of a recognized on-campus presence of ROTC for the first time in about 40 years. The services have seen a rise in interest in ROTC at Harvard this year with an increase in students pursuing ROTC both with and without scholarships. We are optimistic about the future of ROTC at Harvard in the coming years. There are tremendous opportunities in leadership for Harvard students who are interested in service to the nation and who want to earn commissions as military officers, just like those on stage today.

Before I talk more about the ceremony we are about to conduct, I would like to recognize Captain Curt Stevens, Director of Naval ROTC for Harvard University and Visiting Professor of Naval Science at MIT. Captain Stevens culminates his 30 year career in naval service later this month with retirement from the Navy. Up to today, he is the only person who can say he had the title of director of Naval ROTC at Harvard. It has been my distinct pleasure to serve with him for the last 4 years at MIT and now at Harvard. I have tremendous personal and professional respect for him and I have been privileged to have both his mentorship and friendship. He is responsible for the smooth reintegration of Naval ROTC at Harvard. Our nation and Harvard owe him a debt of thanks for his dedicated service to his unit, our institutions, and most importantly to his students. Please join me in giving him a round of applause in recognition of his retirement.

Today’s commissioning ceremony marks the transition of these officer candidates in front of you from cadet or midshipmen into commissioned officers in the United States Army, the United States Navy, and the United States Air Force. These young men and women are about to take an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. This oath was established on June 1st, 1789, as the United States’ first law to ensure civil and military leaders’ allegiance to the country.

HARVARD HAS A LONG HISTORY OF EDUCATING THE NATION’S MILITARY LEADERS AND PROVIDING SUPPORT TO AMERICA’S ARMED FORCES. WE ARE TREMENDOUSLY PROUD OF THIS CONTINUING HERITAGE AND FOR THE OUTSTANDING MILITARY LEADERSHIP THAT HARVARD HAS PROVIDED OVER THE LAST 4 CENTURIES.

TODAY, HARVARD’S TRADITION OF SERVICE TO THE NATION CONTINUES THROUGH THESE FOUR VOLUNTEERS. THEY HAVE CHOSEN SERVICE TO OTHERS OVER SERVICE TO THEMSELVES, FULLY KNOWING THEY WILL LIKELY BE IN HARM’S WAY. THEY WILL BE THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE EVER GROWING ‘LONG CRIMSON LINE’. SINCE 1636, THOUSANDS OF HARVARD GRADUATES HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL TO MILITARY SERVICE, INCLUDING THOSE COMMISSIONING THROUGH THE RESERVE OFFICERS TRAINING CORPS INTO THE US ARMY, MARINE CORPS, NAVY, AND AIR FORCE. THESE FOUR YOUNG AND WOMEN WILL BRING GREAT HONOR UPON HARVARD AND WILL PROVIDE OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP TO THE NATION AND TO ITS MILITARY SERVICEMEMBERS AS SECOND LIEUTENANTS IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY AND THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, AND AS ENSIGN IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY.