Emilyn Santos takes command of UOG鈥檚 ROTC battalion
Emilyn Santos takes command of UOG鈥檚 ROTC battalion
Emilyn Santos takes command of UOG鈥檚 ROTC battalion
1/20/2021
Cadet Emilyn Santos has been installed as the new commander for the battalion. She received the battalion鈥檚 colors from former Battalion Commander John Joseph Bautista in a small outdoors ceremony in December.
Santos graduated from Okkodo High School and is working toward her Master of Public Administration. Bautista graduated from Father Due帽as Memorial School and is majoring in business administration with a concentration in human resources. Both will graduate from UOG and commission as Army officers this May.
Santos鈥檚 new role as battalion commander is one example of the different leadership positions for which the ROTC cadets are selected during their time as students. Leading their peers in the program allows the cadets to put into practice the leadership lessons and theories they learn in the classroom.
鈥淪he is the right leader for our program right now,鈥� said Lt. Col. Thomas Anderson, professor of military science at the 91快播. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to see the ways that she will use her well-developed leadership skills to take the battalion to new heights this semester.鈥�
Upon relinquishing his command, Bautista thanked his wife and children for their support, and he acknowledged that the other cadets in the program were his inspiration for working hard to be a worthy commander.
鈥淏y the very fact that we were not afraid to make mistakes throughout the semester, to unpack them, and then learn from them 鈥� I believe we met the training objectives expected of us,鈥� he said.
Anderson said Bautista played an important leadership role last semester in encouraging the cadets to stay connected and resilient in the face of the current pandemic.
鈥淗e led from the front last semester,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淗e has a lot to be proud of, especially with his ability to keep his fellow cadets safe and mentally strong in an emotionally tense environment.鈥�
During the ceremony, Anderson encouraged Santos to continue to build upon the great camaraderie that already exists in the battalion.
Santos addressed her new battalion and the ROTC faculty at the ceremony, saying, 鈥淭o everyone [who has] helped me get to this point, what I offer in return is more of my hard work 鈥� to keep on keeping on.鈥�
Established in 1979, UOG鈥檚 ROTC program has been producing Army leaders for Guam and all of Micronesia as well as the United States for more than 40 years.