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Story and photos by Spc. Michelle Waters, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
[caption id="attachment_4025" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The Kentucky National Guard’s newest lieutenants raise their right hand and take the oath of office Nov. 6, at the Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center in Greenville, Ky. The second lieutenants are: Rudolph E. Richard, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 103rd Brigade Support Battalion, Thomas F. Ormsby, 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry and Nicholas D. Brophy, HHC 201st Engineers. "]
GREENVILLE, Ky. --
The Kentucky Army National Guard’s 238th Regiment (Combat Arms) graduated three new lieutenants from the Fall Accelerated Officer Candidate School at Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center Nov. 6.
The recent graduates include 2nd Lt. Nicholas D. Brophy, Headquarters and Headquarters Company 201st Engineers, 2nd Lt. Thomas F. Ormsby, 1st Battalion, 149 Infantry and 2nd Lt. Rudolph E. Richard, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 103rd Brigade Support Battalion.
“This course has really taught me the primary function of an officer is to lead Soldiers and planning an operation,” Brophy said.
[caption id="attachment_4030" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Laura Brophy, wife of 2nd Lt. Nicholas D. Brophy, pins her husband with the gold bar of second lieutenant Nov. 6, during a commissioning ceremony at the Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center in Greenville, Ky."]
The accelerated OCS program is a rigorous 57-day course conducted at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. Divided into three phases, and lead by Training Advising and Counseling officers, it focuses on physical training, classroom instruction on primary functions of Army leadership and operational planning and it is culminated with a Field Training Exercise where candidates put their acquired knowledge to the test.
“My favorite part of this job is witnessing Leadership development and having a captive audience,” said Capt. John Barder, TAC officer for the 238th Regiment.
“Soldiers commit to OCS because they want to be here. They want to be the best,” he said.
“When you are on the ground, you can see that in each one of them.”