{"id":474427,"date":"2025-06-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=474427"},"modified":"2025-06-09T21:21:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T21:21:30","slug":"command-and-general-staff-college-graduates-950-in-year-of-armys-250th-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=474427","title":{"rendered":"Command and General Staff College graduates 950 in year of Army\u2019s 250th birthday"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Graduates, staff, faculty, family and friends in Eisenhower Auditorium at the 2025 Command and General Staff Officer Course Graduation Ceremony June 6, 2025, on Fort Leavenworth.
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\n Maj. Crystal Sampayo, U.S. Air Force, 2025 Command and General Staff Officer Course graduate, sings the national anthem at the beginning of the CGSOC graduation ceremony June 6, 2025, on Fort Leavenworth.
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\n Dr. Dave Cotter, Dean of Academics, Command and General Staff College, shakes Brig. Gen. Matthew Hardman’s, Deputy Commanding General (Maneuver), 1st Infantry Division, hand after bestowing an honorary master’s degree to Brig. Gen. Hardman during the 2025 Command and General Staff Officer Course Graduation Ceremony June 6, 2025, on Fort Leavenworth. Also show, far right, is Lt. Gen. Milford H. Beagle, Jr., Commandant, CGSC. Hardman was the guest speaker at the event and 2009 alumni of CGSOC.
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\n Brig. Gen. Matthew Hardman’s, Deputy Commanding General (Maneuver), 1st Infantry Division, provides remarks as the guest speaker at the 2025 Command and General Staff Officer Course Graduation Ceremony June 6, 2025, on Fort Leavenworth.
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\n Lt. Gen. Milford H. Beagle, Jr., Commandant, Command and General Staff College, makes opening remarks at the 2025 Command and General Staff Officer Course Graduation Ceremony June 6, 2025, on Fort Leavenworth.
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THE ARMY UNIVERSITY, FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas \u2013 Just a week before the Army celebrates 250 years of defending the nation, nearly 1,000 new leaders graduated from the Command and General Staff College\u2019s Command and General Staff Officer Course poised to be the next agile and decisive line of defense the force demands.<\/p>\n

In a ceremony June 6, 2025, 950 individuals representing nearly all branches of the armed forces, 92 international militaries, and three federal agencies completed the 10-month graduate level program effectively preparing them for the next 10 years of their careers.<\/p>\n

In total, 907 master\u2019s degrees were conferred to include Master of Military Art and Science and Master of Operational Studies.<\/p>\n

Guest speaker Brig. Gen. Matthew Hardman, Deputy Commanding General (Maneuver), 1st Infantry Division, spoke to the rigor of the course work that ranges from in-depth analysis of historical battles to contemporary wargames created to challenge the officers\u2019 division level tactical skills in multi-domain environments.<\/p>\n

Fifteen years earlier, Hardman sat where the class of 2025 sat, waiting to leave for his next assignment reflecting on how he has navigated his career since.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re all going to do great things for the people you lead, those with whom you serve and the organizations that you serve,\u201d he said. \u201cNone of us know which missions or tasks are truly in front of us. There are high expectations, though, on all of you, for your leadership and warfighting capability. But those expectations come from a place of profound respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hardman touched on several \u201ctropes\u201d of commencement speeches, highlighting their connection to this year\u2019s graduating class in the Army\u2019s historic place in time.<\/p>\n

First, the Army\u2019s victories of \u201cdeposing dictators and liberating countries.\u201d Those things are true.<\/p>\n

Those sitting in the audience are the Army\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we fight large-scale conflict, many of you will be commanding battalions in a couple years if not months. That\u2019s also true,\u201d Hardman said. \u201cIf we have to fight a large-scale war, a couple of you will write the plan that wins that war.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cVictory Plan\u201d the assisted in the formation of an Army capable of ending World War II, Hardman pointed out, was written by a major and graduate of CGSC; then Maj. Albert Wedemeyer.<\/p>\n

While the last 10 months taught the graduates how to plan such things as ending wars, career and life planning will change without their permission.<\/p>\n

Hardman encouraged the graduates to shift their focus from planning, to defining success for themselves, forgetting stereotypes or tropes of promotions and certain positions.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy own definition of success is to make the people I serve with and the organizations I serve in better,\u201d he said. \u201cFor me, that has been the quite reminder that no promotion, no position, no evaluation, for better or worse, is going to determine whether or not I\u2019ve been successful as a leader or as a person. At times that reminder has been incredibly humbling. In others, incredibly reassuring.\u201d<\/p>\n

To achieve personally defined success?<\/p>\n

\u201cJust do the thing,\u201d Hardman said. \u201cWe don\u2019t know the trials you will be given in the work and life ahead. And you likely won\u2019t fully know or appreciate in the moment if there\u2019s a why. But I would recommend that you do the work in front of you. Do the thing. Do it with alacrity. Maybe no one else will know, but when you look in the mirror, you will know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those \u201cthings\u201d include doing the everyday, mundane things consistently and accurately.<\/p>\n

\u201cTransactional or mundane tasks done well are transformative,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Hardman challenged the graduates to be present both in their formations and at home.<\/p>\n

Getting to work early but home for dinner, leaving the office, and giving undivided attention to those around to include family will help keep you focused, and moving toward their defined level of success, Hardman explained.<\/p>\n

While Hardman discussed the uncertainty in front of them, Lt. Gen. Milford H. Beagle, Jr., Commandant, CGSC, explained the \u201cbest year of their life\u201d has prepared them to take it head on.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach of you will leave here better than how you arrived 10 months ago,\u201d he said. \u201cYou leave here in a better place because you grew.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each year, the performance of a group of students in the classroom and beyond are recognized with a variety of awards.<\/p>\n

CGSOC Class of 2025 Award Winners <\/strong><\/p>\n

General George C. Marshall Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  • Maj. Samantha Domingue, ARNG <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    General Dwight D. Eisenhower Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    • Maj. Zakariae Tiddarine, Morrocco <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      General Colin L. Powell \u2013 Interagency Award for Excellence<\/strong><\/p>\n

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      • Ms. Elizabeth Holcombe, Dept. Of State <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        General Douglas MacArthur Military Leadership Writing Competition<\/strong><\/p>\n

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        • 1st Place \u2013 Maj. Lee Whee Sian, Dylan, Staff Group 12C<\/li>\n
        • 2nd Place \u2013 Maj. Benjamin Garlick, Staff Group 20A<\/li>\n
        • 3rd Place \u2013 Maj. Callum Knight, Staff Group 20A<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Arter-Darby Military History Writing Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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          • Maj. Phillip Savoie, Staff Group 20A<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Arter-Doniphan Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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            • Maj. Samantha Domingue, ARNG <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              General John J. Pershing Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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              • Maj. Daniel Sullivan, 10th Special Forces Group, Fort Carson, CO<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Iron Major (Male)<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                • Maj. John Bomsta, Staff Group 13C<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  Iron Major (Female)<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                  • Maj. Jordan Miller, Staff Group 9A<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association (AFCEA) Excellence in Information Warfare Writing Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                    • Maj. Joel Richardson, Staff Group 15D<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                      Lieutenant Colonel Boyd McCanna \u201cMac\u201d Harris Leadership Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                      • Maj. Mathew Jerrell, Staff Group 18C<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                        Birrer-Brookes Outstanding Thesis Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                        • Maj. Lee Whee Sian, Dylan, Staff Group 12C<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                          Major General Hans Schlup Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                          • Lt. Col. Emad Odeh Awwad Alwreikat, Jordan <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                            Major General James M. Wright Distinguished Master Sustainer Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                            • Winner \u2013 Maj. Joshua Moore, Staff Group 01B<\/li>\n
                            • Finalists \u2013 Maj. Lakesa Cobb, Staff Group 01C; Maj. Matthew Giersdorf, Staff Group 16D<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                              George S. Patton Distinguished Master Tactician Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                              • Winner \u2013 Maj. John Bolen, Staff Group 9D<\/li>\n
                              • Finalists \u2013 Maj. Phillip Savoie, Staff Group 20A; Maj. Stewart Tice, Staff Group 14B, Maj. Royce Lawrence, SG 06A<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                Homeland Security Studies Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                                • Lt. Cmdr. Adam Biggs, Staff Group 11C<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                  Excellence in Joint Service Warfare Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                                  • Maj. Hilary Schultz, Staff Group 21A<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                    Brigadier General Benjamin H. Grierson Award for Excellence in Strategic Studies<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                                    • Winner \u2013 Maj. Spencer Bates, Staff Group 20A<\/li>\n
                                    • Finalists \u2013 Maj. Callum Knight, Staff Group 20A; Maj. Zakariae Tiddarine, Staff Group 16A<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                      Father Donald M. Smythe Military History Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                                      • Maj. John Bolen, Staff Group 9D<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                        Lieutenant Colonel Ronald C. Ward Distinguished SOF Student Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

                                          \n
                                        • Maj. Benjamin Garlick<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                          1 \/ 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 Graduates, staff, faculty, family and friends in Eisenhower Auditorium at the 2025 Command and General Staff Officer Course Graduation Ceremony June 6, 2025, on Fort Leavenworth. (Photo Credit: Dan Neal, The Army University Public Affairs Office) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 \/ 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":474429,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-474427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=474427"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474427\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":474435,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474427\/revisions\/474435"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/474429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=474427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=474427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=474427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}