Seven ROTC cadets from Class of 2026 commissioned as Army officers

Members of the Green Terror Battalion were commissioned as Army officers at 10 a.m. on May 22, in a ceremony in Baker Memorial Chapel. Cadets from Mount St. Mary’s University and Hood College were commissioned in separate ceremonies.

McDaniel President Julia Jasken shared opening remarks, thanking veterans in the audience, and congratulating the seven new Army officers while sharing her confidence that they will go on to do great things.

“You are leaving McDaniel College with not only a liberal arts education but also the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to lead and serve in the U.S. Armed Forces,” President Jasken said. “The leadership and discipline instilled through ROTC combined with your creativity, resilience, and ability to embrace an ever-changing world will take you far in life.” 

The keynote speaker for the ceremony was retired Col. Andrew R. Dziengeleski ’96, an associate professor at the College of Strategic Security Cooperation at the Defense Security Cooperation University.

Dziengeleski retired as a colonel from the U.S. Army after over 26 years of service, including 23 ½ years on active duty. He has worked in multiple three- and four-star headquarters, including the Joint Staff, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Joint Command, Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan, and the National Guard Bureau. He was the Chief of Force Management, Operations Directorate, Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan from 2005-06. In 2011, when he worked in the ISAF Joint Command Future Plans section, he was the lead planner for the first drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. He also served as a strategic plans officer for the Chief, National Guard Bureau in the Chief’s Action Group from 2012-14. In addition, he served as the PACOM/TRANSCOM Plans Officer and Chief of the Global Posture Branch in the Joint Staff, J5, from 2014-17 and concluded his career as the Chief, Strategic Initiatives Group for the Director, Army National Guard in 2022.

Dziengeleski received a Bachelor of Arts in History from McDaniel College in 1996. He went on to earn a Master of Arts (High Honors) in Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict from American Military University in 2009, a Master of Military Arts and Science in Theater Operations from the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies in 2010, and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College in 2019.

Dziengeleski has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with one oak leaf device) and the Meritorious Service Medal (with two oak leaf devices). He has also been awarded the Joint Staff Identification Badge; the Headquarters, Department of the Army Identification Badge; and the National Guard Bureau Identification Badge. 

He emphasized to the cadets that they were about to embark on an adventure and that they had the power to make it a great journey. As he reflected on his own Commissioning, Dziengeleski shared some points that he wished he knew when he was in their position. "Make the best of your assignment," he told them. "Whether it's through your job, the friends you meet, or the things you do, make the best of it, because this time really runs fast — a lot faster thank you think." He went on to encourage them to take advantage of every opportunity; to remember the strong commitment, will, and desire it took to get to this point; and to shape their own individual experiences, wherever their service may take them. "Be the best you can be," he said, "work as hard as you can, work as smart as you can, and get ready for a whole lot of fun."

Dziengeleski closed his remarks by thanking the cadets for their service. "It means a great deal to me personally to know that we have people like you who are willing to go through the program, put the uniform on, take the adventure, and see where it goes," he said to them. "It's the start of a new career, a new life, and a new adventure. You bought the ticket — now it's time to take the ride."

Cainan I. Schmidt of Hampstead, North Carolina, was recognized with the Lieutenant General (R) Otto Guenther Leadership Award, which annually goes to the commissioning cadet who best exemplifies the character, morals, leadership, and lifelong dedication demonstrated by the late Otto Guenther, a 1963 alum and former chair of McDaniel’s Board of Trustees, both to the U.S. Army and to his alma mater.

The following McDaniel seniors took the oath of office and received commissions as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army: