Mercyhurst photo: Seniors Lindsey Bostwick, Adam King and Matt Terrigno are the top three ROTC graduates this year.

The ROTC program at Mercyhurst University is one of the most intense and hard-working programs on campus. This hard work and dedication has led the program to receive a top honor in the form of the 2012 General Douglas MacArthur Award.

Mercyhurst’s ROTC program is a part of a program called the “Pride of PA” Battalion, which also includes ROTC programs from other local colleges and universities such as Gannon University and Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The “Pride of PA” Battalion is commanded by Professor of Military Science Lt. Col. Bradley Nadig. The General Douglas MacArthur Award was given to this whole program in general.

Ninety-five cadets make up the whole “Pride of PA” Battalion. Thirteen cadets will graduate from the program this year. Mercyhurst will graduate six out of these 13 cadets. Adam King, Matt Terrigno and Lindsey Bostwick are the top three cadets graduating this year. These three graduating cadets have placed in the top 20th percentile of the country’s senior ROTC programs and will be recognized as Distinguished Military Graduates.

Other graduating officers will be Intelligence Studies major Dillon Lynch, Sports Medicine major Cameron Kunkel, and Intelligence Studies major Alyssa Ciehanoski.

This is the first time that this very competitive award has been given to the “Pride of PA” Battalion. Only eight out of 273 nationwide ROTC programs ever receive the honor of this award.

The award is given to a program based on criteria which includes administrative support, performance of military and academic performance. The receiver of the award is chosen by the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation and the U.S. Army Cadet Command.

“It is a great honor that our battalion as a whole earned this, being one of eight programs across the nation to receive the prestigious General Douglas MacArthur Award,” junior Gus Martin said.

The “Pride of PA” Battalion was up against some pretty prestigious universities in the United States when being chosen for the General Douglas MacArthur Award. Some of these other institutions included Princeton University and Harvard University.

“Without the hard work and dedication from all of the members and staff of our battalion as a whole, this award would not have been made possible, which stands for the highest ideals for which our country was founded upon,” Martin said.

If you would like to know more about the “Pride of PA” Battalion, or the ROTC program at Mercyhurst in general, please contact Lt. Col. Bradley Nadig at (814) 871-7523 or nadig001@prideofpa.com.