116 U.S. Army National Guard officer candidates from 21 states, one U.S. territory, and the U.S. Army Reserve received their certificates of completion at the Officer Candidate School (OCS) Class 24-001 graduation ceremony held at Mount Rushmore near Keystone on July 26, 2024.
The ceremony represents the end of OCS, their first step in officer training and development, and the beginning of their careers as commissioned officers.
“Here you are, a community of the Army’s newest leaders. Your peers are an asset for learning and sharing experiences, as you will be exposed to different scenarios throughout your career. Lean on each other, share your experiences and keep in contact. It doesn’t end here,” said U.S. Army Col. Scott Linquist, commander of the South Dakota National Guard’s 196th Regional Training Institute.
The OCS program in South Dakota is one of two programs throughout the U.S. that offers all three phases of OCS in one location, allowing National Guard Soldiers to pursue the accelerated eight-week or a traditional option, which consists of 14 months of drill weekends and two, two-week training periods to complete the course.
“The challenges to your individual skills do not stop, and officer candidate school raises the bar of what you are expected to achieve,” said guest speaker U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Smiley, commander of the California Army National Guard.
OCS is taught in a high-stress environment, where candidates are tested academically and physically, both in the classroom and in field environments.
“It is this experience that provides a tremendous advantage to you and the Soldiers you will now lead,” said Smiley.
For the candidates to be successful throughout the program, they had to rely on each other’s strengths and maintain a high degree of cooperation between one another.
Five U.S. Army National Guard officer candidates were recognized for their exemplary achievements at a graduation ceremony from Officer Candidate School Class (OCS) of 24-001 held at Mount Rushmore near Keystone, July 26, 2024. (Left to Right) Third Honor Graduate; Officer Candidate Paul Rasche, Missouri National Guard, Second Honor Graduate; Officer Candidate hunter Schmidt, Montana National Guard, Distinguished Honor Graduate and Physical Fitness Excellence Award winner; Officer Candidate Anna Tincher, Texas National Guard, Leadership Excellence Award; Officer Candidate Aaron Steffen, Texas National Guard, and Academic Excellence Award; Officer Candidate Jonathan Beyleveld, Texas National Guard. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Breanne Donnell)
116 U.S. Army National Guard officer candidates from 21 states, one U.S. territory, and the U.S. Army Reserve received their certificated of completion at a graduation ceremony from Officer Candidate School Class (OCS) of 24-001 held at Mount Rushmore near Keystone, July 26, 2024. The ceremony represents the end of OCS, their first step in officer training and development, and the beginning of their careers as commissioned officers. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Breanne Donnell)
