Nearly 20 years after he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Lance Englet returned to the same location – the UO’s Gerlinger Lounge – for a pinning ceremony to promote him to the rank of colonel.

Englet leads the UO's ROTC program, and graduated from the university in 1994.  He has been a lieutenant colonel since 2007. 

The March 7 pinning ceremony was presided over by Maj. Gen. Daniel Hokanson –adjutant general of the Oregon National Guard – and was attended by past and present members of the UO ROTC program, including Eslee Schick, a 1941 graduate. 

“I am truly grateful and look forward to serving the organization in whatever capacity needed,” Englet said during the ceremony. “I have been fortunate to be surrounded by dedicated, committed professionals focused on mission success."

There are more than 100 contracted cadets in the UO’s ROTC program for the 2013-14 academic year.  The program focuses on core competencies required for adaptive leadership after graduation. Upon graduation, cadets receive their commissions as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.

The program was officially established at the UO in 1919, and due to its long tradition, the UO has produced more general officers than any other nonmilitary ROTC school in the U.S.

“For the future, my role remains the same – to recruit, retain, train, develop, and commission the finest ROTC officers from the University of Oregon," Englet said. "I am committed to family, the organization and nation. In my heart I am and will always be a Duck.”

- by Sarah MacKenzie, UO Office of Public Affairs Communications intern