THE VIRGINIA TECH CORPS OF CADETS ALUMNI MAGAZINE CORPS REVIEW VOL. 31 NO. 1 SPRING 2021 Eleven Hokies are currently stationed at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, with Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Eleven, operating the P-8A Poseidon. The P-8A is a multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft serving as an anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and maritime reconnaissance platform. The P-8A squadrons within Wing Eleven deploy around the world in support of global operations. The alumni pictured are all P-8A pilots and Naval flight officers in the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft community. “It’s great to have so many Hokies in one place. The sense of community is truly unrivaled, and there always seems to be a strong Hokie presence everywhere we go in the military,” said Lt. Evan Forst ’15. Pictured, from left, are: n Lt. John Waters ’12, instructor pilot with Patrol Squadron 30 n Ens. Travis Bauer VT’18, student Naval flight officer with Patrol Squadron 30 n Lt. Kevin Willett ’13, instructor tactical coordinator and mission commander with Commander, Patrol Reconnaissance Wing Eleven n Lt. j.g. Gareth Burns ‘15, student pilot with Patrol Squadron 30 n Cmdr. Michael Steffens ’03, commanding officer with Patrol Squadron 26 n Lt. j.g. Josh Monteville ’18, student pilot with Patrol Squadron 30 n Lt. Evan Forst ’15, patrol plane pilot with Patrol Squadron 26 n Lt. James Paratore ’15, patrol plane pilot with Patrol Squadron 16 n Lt. j.g. Madison Foreman ’17, patrol plane pilot with Patrol Squadron 16 n Lt. j.g. Nikki Slaughter ’16, patrol plane pilot with Patrol Squadron 10 n Lt. Shellie (Aylor) Williams ’14, tactical coordinator and mission commander with Patrol Squadron 10 Spring 2021, Vol. 31, No. 1 CONTENTS ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 6 Christopher and Vickie Ireland ’91 12 Class of 2021 17 Jason Oberoi ’09 FEATURES 3 Mike Company Returns 18 Class Notes 40 Cadets for a Cause 41 Corps Marksmanship Team PHOTOS 10 Spring Events DEPARTMENTS 2 Commandant’s Column 4 Alumni Announcements 11 Recruiting Update 21 Quad Angle 24 Chairman’s Column 25 Museum Curator 26 Giving 28 Army ROTC News 30 Naval ROTC News 32 Air Force ROTC News 34 Honor Guard www.vtcc.vt.edu | CORPS REVIEW 1 FROM THE COMMANDANT WE’RE BUILDING MOMENTUM There’s a certain feeling of energy that normally appears in That’s also true for the families of the cadets and alumni of the spring. This year, it is deeper and wider than usual. Part the Corps. You each have your own stories to tell from this of it is that the hope of emergence from the pandemic’s trials pandemic. We are grateful that you have been in this with us, is being felt throughout the community — and most assuredly checking in, sharing a kind word, participating during Giving amongst our staff and cadets. Day, and offering support large and small. It mattered … thank After the loss of the 2020 spring semester and a return in you. the fall to a protocol-filled environment and the uncertainty of As we always do throughout the year, we have had spe- whether we could make it, we again have the sense that all is cial guests to share their stories with the cadets as part of the possible. Cutchins Leadership Lecture Series. Most recently, Col. Lee We finished the 2021 spring semester and graduated the Ellis, a former Vietnam prisoner of war and author of some of senior class in-person. Our rising seniors are ready to take the the books that we use in our classroom work, delivered a mes- lead this fall, and our rising juniors and sophomores are ready sage about honor to the regiment. His experience helped to put for more. the challenges we are facing today in perspective and reminded Then there’s the changing landscape of the Upper Quad as us that no matter what we face as individuals, or as a country, we prepare to break ground on the Corps Leadership and Mili- we must “return with honor.” tary Science building, followed by our third cadet residence Our Global Scholars program continues to grow as cadets hall. hunger for learning the leadership lessons of history. Because Construction trailers! Construction fences! People with of ongoing travel restrictions, we shifted our focus from Eu- safety vests and hard hats everywhere! We’ve seen them be- rope to the Pacific and will be taking two groups of cadets to fore. When they are working, we see the future rising before Pearl Harbor this month after a semester-long study of the our eyes. When they are gone, we have new places to live and events and decisions leading up to and beyond that fateful Dec. new places to inspire our efforts. 7, 1941. We will have new faces joining our staff. And of course, we As we look ahead to the fall semester, we are encouraged by are saying farewell for now to cadets we have watched grow the large number of Virginia Tech applicants indicating their into confident young leaders, and we prepare for new ones to interest in joining our Corps. arrive to follow in their boot steps. I hope that you enjoy this wonderful edition of your maga- It is hard to express how proud I am of our team. “All in” zine. You’ll get a sense from the articles of this building mo- takes on new meaning in a pandemic. They and their families, mentum. Hope. Energy. Perseverance. Leaders. all have been touched. It’s been personal. Yet they never dis- connected from the cadets and our important mission. In the military construct, we try to explain the ethos of fam- ily with phrases such as, “Take care of your troops.” Well, the cadets who have been through this together now understand what that means in a much deeper way, and our staff has been Maj. Gen. Randal D. Fullhart, U.S. Air Force (retired) there with them every step of the way. Commandant of Cadets 2 CORPS REVIEW | Spring 2021 The Corps Review is published two times a year by the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Alumni Inc. (VTCCA). J. Pearson ’87, Chairman, VTCCA Maj. Gen. Randal Fullhart, Commandant of Cadets Shay Barnhart, Communications Director and Editor Sandi R. Bliss, Chief Advancement Officer Additional photography: H. Pat Artis VT’71; Shay Barnhart; Samantha Riggin VT’16 Mike Company joined morning formation for the first time in five decades on May 3, the last day of spring classes. Comments and all material for the magazine should be mailed to Editor, Corps Review, VTCC Alumni Office (0213); 252 Lane Hall, Virginia Tech; 280 Alumni Mall; Blacksburg, VA 24061. MIKE COMPANY RETURNS Persons wishing to reprint any portion of the contents of Corps Review must contact the The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Tech Corps of Cadets. The cadet com- editor for permission. reactivated Mike Company during the pany of that era was the center of cadet © 2021, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State spring change of command parade. life. The company was the way you University Nine rising seniors and 17 rising identified yourself as a member of the Corps Review can be accessed online at juniors volunteered to form the cadet Corps, around which esprit was built www.vtcc.vt.edu/corpsreview leadership team for Mike Company, and lifelong friendships were formed.” Virginia Tech does not discriminate against which was inactivated in 1970 during Those bonds were celebrated dur- employees, students, or applicants on the a decline in enrollment that continued ing the Class of 1964’s 50th reunion, basis of age, color, disability, gender, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, for more than a decade. attended by nearly all of Mike Com- race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, Rising sophomores and incom- pany’s alumni, he said. or any other basis protected by law. Anyone ing first-year cadets will fill out the “After being inactivated in 1970, M having questions concerning any of those company through the normal company Company still lived as long as any one regulations should contact the Office of Equity assignment process. of us lived,” Jeffries said. “Now that and Access. Cadet Fritz Silva ’22 will be the Company M is being reactivated, may Front cover: The spring regimental staff was Mike Company commander this fall. that same spirit and tradition be con- (from left) Omar Djienbekov ’21, Angela Clay “I’m excited to see what my team tinued by a new generation.” ’21, Liam Kluesener ’21, Simon Eyob ’21, Jillian Skahill ’21, Alvin Sanders ’21, Tyler Stevenson and I will do for the future of Mike The last company reactivated was ’21, and Jack Ryal ’22. Photo by H. Pat Artis Company as well as what we can bring Lima Company in 2012, also spurred VT’71. back from the old Mike Company,” he by a steady growth in enrollment. Back cover: Cadet Dara Qualter ‘22 and said. This fall, the corps stood at 1,182 Growley II (call sign “Tank”) walk onto Worsham Affectionately called “Big Mike” by cadets, the largest regiment since 1968. Field in Lane Stadium. Photo by H. Pat Artis its alumni, Mike Company was central The goal is to reach 1,400 in the com- VT’71. to the cadet experience, said Lewis ing years, supported by construction Facebook: /VTCCA “Bud” Jeffries ’64. of a third cadet residence hall and the Twitter: @vtcorpsofccadets “M Company, for those of us that Corps Leadership and Military Science Instagram: @vtcorpsofcadets were in it 60 years ago, represented building. Linkedin: /company/virginiatechcorpsofcadets the very best traditions of the Virginia www.vtcc.vt.edu | CORPS REVIEW 3 ALUMNI ANNOUNCEMENTS DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS This year’s recipients of the Corps of Cadets’ Distin- PLANNING FOR REUNIONS AND guished Alumni Award are Reed Schweickert Jr.