By James Stockton
Reporter
Air Force ROTC students finished a semester of training Wednesday with their Pass in Review ceremony.
The ceremony, held at Floyd Casey Stadium, was a graduation for the cadets upon on completion of another semester of training.
“We use the Pass In Review as a sort of pseudo-graduation parade as the cadets progress from one class to another at the end of the semester,” Maj. David Lamkin, associate professor of aerospace studies, said.
The detachment began the ceremony with military drills and marching, their last march taking the entire detachment around the field and past their commander, Col. Lester Ogawa.
In addition to the march, a promotion ceremony was held for the new cadet wing commander, Cadet Col. Shane Lockridge from Houston, and vice commander, Cadet Col. Andrea Nicole Moore from Junction City, Kan.
“This is really kind of a culmination of a year’s preparation,” Ogawa said. “I was very impressed with the way the cadets put this together.”
The second part of the ceremony was a chance for the students to be recognized for their hard work and training as various guests and officers presented cadets with awards.
While there were many awards, four acknowledged the top freshman, sophomore, junior and senior of the year.
Cadet 4th Class Elisse Day from Kennesaw, Ga., was awarded outstanding freshman of the year.
“This semester and last semester I worked really hard, stepping up to do leadership jobs whenever I could,” Day said.
The outstanding sophomore of the year was Cadet 3rd Class Jared Strickland from Waynesboro, Miss., and Cadet Cpt. Emily Trop from Plano was named outstanding junior of the year.
Not all of the students will return next year to build on their success at Baylor.
Senior of the year, Cadet Cpt. Dave Krigbaum from Tampa Bay, Fla, received the distinguished graduate award, the highest commendation Baylor can bestow upon cadets and one which follows the cadet into active duty.
“It’s different being a senior and seeing it all come to a close,” Krigbaum said. “It’s great to know I’ll be a second lieutenant with something to wear.”
Both Lamkin and Ogawa described the Pass In Review as a culmination event that serves as a transition for all AFROTC students and exemplifies the characteristics of the air force: integrity, service before self and excellence.
“Overall, the Pass In Review and awards ceremony is a capstone event for the entire AFROTC Cadet Wing as the seniors transition into service as commissioned Air Force officers and the underclassmen transition into the next level of training,” Lamkin said.
And as cadets and officers move on, the things they accomplished will be with each of them forever.
“We’re very proud of these cadets,” Ogawa said.
