Two Salve Regina cadets commissioned into U.S. Army, three students receive ROTC awards

The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) awarded their 2021 Cramer Sabers Battalion Awards in early May. This was followed by a graduation ceremony on Friday, May 21, when seventeen ROTC senior cadets were officially commissioned into the U.S. Army as second lieutenants (2LT). The Cramer Sabers Battalion includes cadets from Salve Regina, Roger Williams University and the University of Rhode Island.

During May, two Salve Regina senior cadets were commissioned into the U.S. Army as second lieutenants (2LT). Three Salve Regina cadets were also honored with Cramer Sabers Battalion Awards for their achievements.

The graduating cadets for 2021 were Sean Conran ’21 and Aidan Lynch ’21. Lynch was one of the students that also won an award. He won the Ranger Award for his incredible physical condition and leadership, and he served as the captain for the Ranger Challenge — a grueling physical competition put on by ROTC each year.

Ben Cortes ’22 (left)

The two other Salve Regina students who won awards were Ben Cortes ’22 and Grace Fishpaw ’24. Cortes won the Military Orders of World Wars Award for excelling in all military and scholastic aspects of the ROTC program. He was also selected to become the Cadet Battalion Commander, which is the highest ranking cadet.

“I hope that I can encourage others to work hard and be the best version of themselves, because they may not see results right away, but in time their hard work will be noticed and acknowledged,” said Cortes. “I will lead by example and strive to be my best so that the other cadets can incorporate these qualities into their lives so they can become future leaders in the battalion.”

Fishpaw won the Reserve Officer Association Award for demonstrated outstanding qualities of leadership, moral character and a high aptitude for military service.

“I want to help fellow cadets stay motivated and provide information for those interested in Army ROTC,” Fishpaw described. “This award has also driven me to get stronger this summer and further educate myself in military science so that I can set myself and others up for success.”

ROTC members at Salve Regina. Photo provided by Ben Cortes ’22.

The Reserve Officer Training Corps is a college program offered at more than 1,700 colleges and universities across the United States that prepares young adults to become officers in the U.S. Military.

Salve Regina’s ROTC program emphasizes the development of individual leadership ability and prepares students for future leadership roles in the Army. Professional military education skills such as written communications, human behavior, history, mathematical reasoning and other skills are fulfilled through a combination of Core Curriculum and military science courses.

For more information on Salve Regina’s ROTC program, go here.