Newly commissioned officers, 2nd Lt. Suanne Camacho, left and her husband 2nd Lt. Joshua Tumaquip stand with family at the University of Guam's ROTC Commissioning Ceremony held May 23 at the Father Duenas Memorial School Phoenix Center. 

As each second lieutenant took turns standing before a crowd of friends, family, and superiors, their faces bore a smile with pride knowing they were one of the thirteen to graduate from the University of Guam Spring 2015 class as commissioned officers.

Lt. Col. Jay Blakely expressed his excitement for a day that was long coming for the cadets.

“This is an awesome day,” he said. “We’ve already commissioned two so this is the final 13. It’s a big commissioning class for the University.”

Blakely said the students that sat on stage at Father Duenas Memorial School’s Phoenix Center on May 23 chose a rigorous journey by committing to the UOG Army ROTC program and being both cadet and student.

“They take ROTC classes every semester,” he said. “There’s a classroom portion, and there’s a hands on portion. For them it’s a huge commitment to be both a college student and an ROTC cadet at the same time. They have to put their feet to the fire to meet all the requirements of both a student and a cadet.” 

Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar, the guest speaker at the event, said years ago on that same day, she, too, was commissioned, remembering the wonderful feeling of throwing her cap in the air with excitement.

“It was surreal,” she said. “It was kind of a mixed feeling, you know, all the hard work that was put into leading up to that moment. ”

For the cadets that were commissioned that day, Bolivar said it was an honor to be one of the first to address them before they put their rank on.

For social work major, 2nd Lt. Suanne Camacho, the day held an even bigger impact as both she and her husband Joshua Tumaquip, another UOG ROTC cadet, were commissioned.

“It something unique,” she said. “I have not seen this happen before where a husband and wife put their boards on, but it was really exciting and a moment we will cherish forever.”

After commencement, 11 of the commissioned officers will go into active duty while the others will join the National Guard or Army Reserve. Camacho said her husband will go to Missouri first for training and then has orders to go to Hawaii. She’s headed to Texas first but is still waiting to hear where she’ll go afterward. She hopes to be assigned Hawaii so she can be closer to her husband.

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Spring 2015 UOG ROTC Commissioned Officers

Second Lieutenant Stephen Christopher Aguon
Academic Major:  Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Minor:  Military Science
Branch:  Field Artillery Corps
Basic Officer Leaders’ Course:  Fort Sill, Oklahoma
First Duty Assignment Location:  TBD

 

Second Lieutenant Leenord A. Amado
Academics:  Masters of Public Administration
Branch:  Quartermaster Corps
Basic Officer Leaders’ Course:  Fort Lee, Virginia
First Duty Assignment Location: Fort Hood, Texas

 

Second Lieutenant Kimberly Ann B. Aquino
Academic Major:  Bachelor of Business Administration with Human Resource
Management Concentration
Minor:  Military Science
Branch:  Adjutant General Corps
Basic Officer Leaders’ Course:  Fort Jackson, South Carolina
First Duty Assignment Location: Korea

 

Second Lieutenant Andrea Leanne David Araullo
Academic Major:  Bachelor of Science in Biology
Minor:  Military Science
Branch:  Medical Service Corps
Basic Officer Leaders’ Course:  Fort Sam Houston, Texas
First Duty Assignment Location: United States Army Reserve 

 

Second Lieutenant Jemilyn Denoso Arriola
Academic Major:  Bachelor of Business Administration with Finance and Economics Concentration
Bachelor of Business Administration with Human Resource Management Concentration
Branch:  Military Intelligence Corps
Basic Officer Leaders’ Course:  Fort Huachuca, Arizona
First Duty Assignment Location: Guam Army National Guard 

 

Second Lieutenant John Paolo S. Bigalbal
Academic Major:  Bachelor of Science in Health Science with Pre-Physical Therapy Concentration
Minor:  Military Science
Branch:  Medical Service Corps
Basic Officer Leaders’ Course:  Fort Sam Houston, Texas
First Duty Assignment Location: United States Army Reserve

Second Lieutenant Danny Chang Bungcayao, Jr.
Academics:  Masters of Public Administration
Branch:  Adjutant General Corps
Basic Officer Leaders’ Course:  Fort Jackson, South Carolina
First Duty Assignment Location: Korea 

 

Second Lieutenant Suanne Cenizal Camacho
Academic Major:  Bachelor of Social Work
Branch:  Medical Service Corps
Basic Officer Leaders’ Course:  Fort Sam Houston, Texas
First Duty Assignment Location:  TBD 

 

Second Lieutenant Alvin Medina Daproza
Academic Major:  Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Minor:  Public Administration
Branch:  Corps of Engineers
Basic Officer Leaders’ Course:  Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
First Duty Assignment Location: Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

 

Second Lieutenant Roger Boyer Dris, Jr.
Academic Major:  Bachelor of Science in Health Science with Exercise Science and Health Promotion Concentration
Minor:  Military Science
Branch:  Medical Service Corps
Basic Officer Leaders’ Course:  Fort Sam Houston, Texas
First Duty Assignment Location: TBD 

 

Second Lieutenant Cody Joseph Freeman
Academic Major:  Bachelors of Arts in Political Science
Minor:  Military Science
Branch:  Military Intelligence Corps
Basic Officer Leaders’ Course:  Fort Huachuca, Arizona
First Duty Assignment Location: Maryland Army National Guard

 

Second Lieutenant Joshua M. Tumaquip
Academic Major:  Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Minor:  Public Administration
Branch:  Military Police Corps
Basic Officer Leaders’ Course:  Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
First Duty Assignment Location: Schofield Barracks, Hawaii 

 

*Second Lieutenant Jennifer G. Uy
Academic Major:  Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Minor:  Military Science
Branch:  Medical Service Corps
Basic Officer Leaders’ Course:  Fort Sam Houston, Texas
First Duty Assignment Location: TBD 

 

* Distinguished Military Graduate (DMG) – Top 20% of Army Officers Commissioned for year

 

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