More than 170 Virginia Military Institute cadets commissioned into the armed services in the annual Reserve Officers’ Training Corps joint commissioning ceremony at Cameron Hall May 15, 2024. The ceremony was livestreamed for family and friends who could not attend the event in person.
Gen. James C. Slife, U.S. Air Force vice chief of staff, offered the commissioning officer remarks and administered the oath of office to the cadets beginning their journey of military service in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps.
Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins ’85, superintendent, welcomed all in attendance and thanked the ROTC departments, faculty, staff, family members, and guests who supported and encouraged the cadets throughout their time at VMI. He noted that the ceremony fulfills one of the central purposes of VMI, which is the preparation and education of citizen-soldiers.
Wins congratulated each cadet on attaining their commission and told them the Institute could not be prouder. “The profession you have chosen will challenge you but don’t lose focus. Take heart, knowing you are following in the footsteps of many alumni who have gone before you to live a life of service to our nation. Our country is fortunate to have citizen-soldiers and leaders like yourselves. Good luck to each of you in the years ahead, and please stay in touch.”
When it came time for Slife to speak, he confessed that he came prepared with a written speech but felt the moment called for something different, so he chose to speak extemporaneously. He shared with the cadets three nuggets of advice as they began their careers. “The first one I offer you is to never forget that leadership is a burden to be borne, and not a crown to be worn. Leaders get themselves into trouble when they come to believe that it’s all about the leader, but it’s not. It’s about the led—those young men and women who choose to serve alongside you.
“Second, leadership is about becoming and not about being. … It’s all about becoming more excellent on a day-to-day basis. When you’re faced with a difficult decision or a challenging circumstance, don’t think about what somebody else would do in the situation. That’s unlimited utility. A more important question for you to ask yourself is, ‘If I was a perfect version of myself, what would I do?’ Whatever the answer is to that, do that thing. It’s about becoming a more perfect version of yourself.”
The last piece of advice he offered was to be worthy of the service of those around you. He then asked the commissioning cadets to stand, and he administered the oath of office.
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Marianne Hause VMI Communications & Marketing
Editor's Note: Story originally published by Virginia Military Institute.
