Military leaders from the past few decades offered a salute May 1 to some of their potential successors, as Aiken's Military Officers Association of America chapter held its 49th annual awards banquet.
This year's gathering, held in Newberry Hall, included Junior ROTC students and educators from around Aiken County and also reached out to schools in Allendale, Edgefield, McCormick, Bamberg and Lexington counties.
Most of the honorees, in keeping with tradition, are juniors and plan one more year of JROTC involvement. Some mentioned looking toward a career in the military, and thanks went to God, parents, teachers and others who offered support in helping the teens navigate successfully so far.
Ken Beck, North Augusta High School's senior naval science instructor, noted that the MOAA awards process includes a variety of considerations. Criteria include high academic achievement, strong involvement in school/community service, solid moral character and leadership within the JRTOC unit. In Beck's case, that led to commendation for Madison Cabral, North Augusta's honoree.
Her peers from schools around Aiken County included Miriam Cianni, Aiken; Austin Metcalfe, Wagener-Salley; Emma Stone, South Aiken; Lindi Clingerman, Silver Bluff; and Sayde Moak, Midland Valley.
Representing schools from neighboring districts were Landon Bayorek, Strom Thurmond; Sydney McNally, McCormick; Xavian Walker, Denmark-Olar; Lillian Lybrand, Batesburg-Leesville; Timoni Howell, Barnwell; and Arianna Priester, Allendale-Fairfax.
Air Force veteran Tom Tilghman, in bringing the event to a close, said, "Thank you, cadets, and your instructors, for being here tonight. I thank all the members for attending ... and I think the cadets have shown ... us old folks that the future doesn't look all that bad."
The evening's guests also included Paul Howell, a constituent services aide for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Howell specializes in veteran and military affairs, and offered some tips for students looking to be considered for appointment to military academies.
This year's deadline, he said, is Nov. 1. The official application process opened May 1, and interviews are to be conducted in December and January. Nominations will be submitted Jan. 31, 2025, and candidates will be notified of their nomination in February. Notifications of appointment are to be from March through May of 2025. Details are available at paul_howell@lgraham.senate.gov.
MOAA is described on its website as "the nation's largest and most influential association of uniformed service officers and their surviving spouses" and as "an independent, nonprofit, politically nonpartisan organization." Air Force veteran Barbara McKnight is the Aiken chapter's current president.
