Published on June 27, 2022  
2022 rotc

Six cadets were appointed as second lieutenants in the U.S. Air Force during the spring commissioning ceremony for the U.S. Air Force ROTC Detachment 012 on May 9 at Samford University. The detachment, located on Samford’s campus, trains cadets from colleges and universities throughout the Birmingham area.

Of the six cadets, two were Samford graduates. 

  • David Richard King ’22 was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and will begin his career as a Force Support officer at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. King graduated from Samford’s Howard College of Arts and Sciences with a degree in Global and Cultural Studies.
  • Jordan Wilson ’22 was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and will serve as an Aircraft Maintenance officer at Cannon Air Force Base out of Clovis, New Mexico. Wilson earned a degree in Business Management from Samford’s Brock School of Business.

In addition to the two Samford graduates, the detachment commissioned Benjamin Glass, a graduate of the University of Montevallo; and, Abigail Hudson, Samantha Klipsch and Aszah Preuc, all graduates of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

King family

There were special moments throughout the ceremony, including when David King was commissioned by his father, Col. Richard King Jr., who also served in the U.S. Air Force.

“Air Force ROTC means a lot to me, especially because my dad was in the military. He’s a former Force Support Officer in the Air Force as well, which is actually what I am about to do, so joining Air Force ROTC helped me to able to grow and understand him better even,” David King said. “I have been alongside some of the best people both here at Samford and from nearby universities. It has been an incredible experience.”

As is the tradition of the commissioning ceremony, each cadet took the oath of office, and then the newly appointed second lieutenants received the official pinning of their new gold rank insignias. In addition, the second lieutenants receive the Airman’s Coin, which is a tradition dating back to World War I.

Lieutenant Colonel Josh Payne, commander of ROTC Detachment 012, provided remarks during the event.

“The Air Force did a study, and they found that while we recruit airmen, we retain families. The support they get from their families often determines the length of their service. You contribute to their success,” Payne said.

To learn more about joining U.S. Air Force ROTC Detachment 012, go to samford.edu/departments/air-force-rotc. 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.