Columbia College Military Tribute Day '11 - Soldier Scholarship - Army, Navy, Marines & Air Force

Columbia College Military Tribute Day '11 - Soldier Scholarship - Army, Navy, Marines & Air Force

The college's fourth annual Military Recognition Day was held Thursday, May 26 in Dorsey Gym on the main campus of Columbia College.

The event recognized alumni, students, faculty and staff who have served or are currently serving in our country's armed forces.

"Columbia College has a strong record of educating military servicemembers and veterans," said Tery Donelson, assistant vice president for enrollment management at Columbia College. "We seek to honor and remember these men and women for their personal sacrifices on behalf of our great nation."

The day featured the presentation of the inaugural Ousley Family Veterans Service Center Scholarship in honor of Greg Ousley '97 and of the second Colonel Charles E. McGee Scholarship. Last year George Ousley Jr. '78, a Navy veteran, and his wife, Gayleen, dedicated the Ousley Family Veterans Service Center. The McGee scholarship is named after Tuskegee Airman and living national treasure Col. Charles E. McGee '78. Both the Ousley family and McGee were in attendance and spoke of their gratitude to veterans for their service and to Columbia College for a fine education. Adrienne Bott, a Navy veteran now serving at Fort Leonard Wood, accepted the Ousley Family Veterans Service Center Scholarship. Adam James, an Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom veteran and paramedic, was unable to be present for the ceremony. U.S. Navy veteran and president of the Columbia College Student Veterans Association Amber Barringer accepted on James' behalf.

The day also featured ROTC students and recent military commissionees raising a U.S. and a Columbia College flag that have previously flown over the college's Hancock Field campus, Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse, N.Y.

But it wasn't just military or veteran personnel involved in this year's Military Recognition Day. Columbia College faculty and staff rolled up their sleeves and contributed to Operation CARE PACKAGE, which provides care packages to two platoons in Iraq and Afghanistan that include at least one student or faculty member from Columbia College. The packages contain all the comforts of home including Girl Scout cookies, soap, a paperback, socks and chewing gum. The idea of sending the Girl Scout cookies originated with Adam Huckfeldt, a patient care tech and EMT with Boone Hospital, who wanted to send the sweets to a friend serving in Afghanistan and his entire Army unit. He asked coworkers to donate. They did, and he partnered with Columbia College to send the cookies to his friend's unit. The operation was mounted by the Military Recognition Day Committee in conjunction with the Veterans Services Committee.

Half of the college's Nationwide campuses are on military bases, and approximately one-quarter of its students are military, veterans or dependents. Columbia College first began educating servicemembers in 1973.

www.ccis.edu

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• national guard
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• military tribute
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• soldier