Two UOG ROTC cadets become lieutenants

Two UOG ROTC cadets become lieutenants

Two UOG ROTC cadets become lieutenants


12/18/2021
ROTC Cadet Emmanuel Bulaklak
University of Guam ROTC Cadet Emmanuel Bulaklak commissioned as an officer through the UOG ROTC program during a private family ceremony on Dec. 18 at the Plaza de Espana in Hagåtña. 
ROTC Cadet Justin Cayading
University of Guam ROTC Cadet Justin Cayading commissioned as an officer through the UOG ROTC program during a private family ceremony on Dec. 18 at the Plaza de Espana in Hagåtña. (From left) Lt. Col. Thomas Anderson, professor of military science, UOG; Cayading; and Master Sgt. Rocky Duran, senior military science instructor, UOG.

In conjunction with their graduation from the University of Guam on Sunday, two cadets from the University of Guam’s ROTC program commissioned today as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. The private ceremony took place at the Plaza de Espana in Hagåtña.

The commissioning ceremony is the culmination of the ROTC program that the cadets undertook while studying at the University of Guam. 

The two cadets who earned their commission as U.S. Army second lieutenants are: 

  • Emmanuel Ron Yap Bulaklak
    Signal Corps Officer, Massachusetts Army National Guard
    Bachelor of Science in Biology
    2016 Graduate of Marianas High School in Saipan
  • Justin Ralph Gannaban Cayading
    Medical Service Corps Officer, Active Duty,
    Branch Detailed for Infantry Service Bachelor of Science in Health Science, Concentration in Pre-Physical Therapy 2014
    Graduate of Marianas High School in Saipan

The cadets developed their leadership skills in the ROTC classroom and field training environments, and the hallmark of the ROTC curriculum is the real-world application of the leadership instruction. The cadets also participated in military training courses in the continental United States to enhance their abilities to lead people in challenging environments. 

“Emmanuel and Justin are emblematic of the incredibly well-rounded leaders we have in our program, and they will make great officers,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Anderson, the professor of military science at the University of Guam. “Their problem-solving skills, honed in the rigorous STEM environments of the bio-med and health sciences programs at UOG, will give them a significant advantage over their officer peers, and I have no doubt that they will make lasting impacts as sons of the Mariana Islands.” 

The University of Guam ROTC program was established in October 1979 and is celebrating more than 40 years of producing dynamic leaders for the Mariana Islands, Micronesia, and the United States.