Six ECSU Students Commissioned as U.S. Army Officers
Robert Kelly-Goss
Posted On December 10, 2018
ECSU students commissioned as U.S. Army officers Friday, Dec. 7, were, left to right, 2nd Lt. Jonquin L. Elliott, 2nd Lt. Walter C. Burnette, 2nd Lt. David J. Drury, 2nd Lt. Chantalle X. Merricks, 2nd Lt. Darrius R. Turner, and 2nd Lt. Rayshawn R. Walker.
Elizabeth City State University has given the United States Army six new officers. On Friday, Dec. 7, 2018, the ECSU ROTC program saw the six new graduates receive their officers commissions in a ceremony attended by university staff, faculty, and family and friends.
Commissioned as officers were 2nd Lt. Walter C. Burnette, 2nd Lt. David J. Drury, 2nd Lt. Jonquin L. Elliott, 2nd Lt. Chantalle X. Merricks, 2nd Lt. Darrius R. Turner, and 2nd Lt. Rayshawn R. Walker. The new officers received their gold bars from family members, and their first salutes.
The morning ceremony, held in the Mickey L. Burnim Fine Arts Center, also included a keynote speaker, ECSU alum Col. Richard Allen Harrison.
Harrison, a 1994 ECSU graduate, is a Sunbury, North Carolina native. He holds two master degrees and is a graduate of the Army’s Command and General Staff College.
Col. Harrison has served as an artillery officer, the Pentagon, and as an executive officer at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.
His assignments include Deputy Commanding Officer for the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and later the Battalion Commander for 3-4 ADAR at Ft. Bragg. He served at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar and commanded the 69th ADA Brigade in Ft. Hood, Texas.
He was hand selected as the Senior Executive Assistant to the Director of Operations, J3, Joint Staff, in the Pentagon. He currently holds this position.
Col. Harris holds a number of military honors include the Bronze Star.
The morning was finished with congratulatory remarks from Interim Chancellor Karrie Dixon and ROTC Commander, Lt. Col. Judy C. Anthony.
