Kesha Williams
April 29, 2008
Two cadets in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at Elizabeth City State University will be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army on May 2 at 11 a.m. in room # 206 of the Ridley Student Center. Both cadets are natives of Elizabeth City. Alexander Bozkurt, is scheduled to join the 91st Military Police Detachment in Fort Drum, NY. Shawn Christensen, is scheduled to join the 11th Infantry Regiment in Fort Benning, Ga. The keynote speaker for the ceremony is LTC Edward Sobiesk attended Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota and was commissioned as an Armor officer through its ROTC Program in 1987. As an Armor officer, he served as a tank platoon leader, tank company executive officer, and scout platoon leader in the 2nd Armored Division at Ft Hood, Texas and as a squadron supply officer and cavalry troop commander in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fulda, Germany. As a member of the 2nd Armored Division, he deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. LTC Sobiesk transferred to the Information Systems Management functional area in 1994. As an automation officer, he served as the deputy director of systems support for Joint Forces Intelligence Command in Norfolk, Virginia and has taught Computer Science and Information Technology at the United Stated Military Academy at West Point, New York for seven years, where he is currently assigned as a permanent military faculty member. LTC Sobiesk has a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota. His military education includes: Joint Professional Military Education Phase II, Command and General Staff Officer Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Cavalry School Course, Armor Officer Advanced Course, Scout Platoon Leader Course, Armor Officer Basic Course, and Airborne School. Lt. Col. Vincent Ross, the commanding officer for the ROTC at the university, will administer the oath of office. For more information about the commissioning, call the ROTC Office at 335-3237.
