Illinois Soldiers Near the End of Accelerated OCS

Related Media

See end of story

FORT MEADE, S.D. (07/17/2012)(readMedia)-- Fourteen Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers have nearly completed the accelerated Officer Candidate School program at Fort Meade, S.D. The Soldiers traveled to Fort Meade June 1 and are expected to complete the course July 27. Upon returning to Illinois, the officer candidates will officially graduate and commission as second lieutenants Aug. 26 in Springfield.

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Andrew Turner, South Dakota Army National Guard/Illinois Army National Guard Officer Candidate Rebecca Davis of Springfield with the 129th Regional Training Institute in Springfield, motivates fellow officer candidates at the end of the 10-mile foot march in July at Accelerated Officer Candidate School at Fort Meade, S.D. Davis is a teacher at Springfield High School in her civilian life.

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Andrew Turner, South Dakota Army National Guard/ Illinois Army National Guard Officer Candidate Jennifer Hillyer of Peoria with the 129th Regional Training Institute in Springfield, mentally prepares to be pushed in the water on her final water survival test July 15 during Accelerated Officer Candidate School at Fort Meade, S.D. Once at the bottom, candidates must strip off their combat gear and swim to the surface.

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Andrew Turner, South Dakota Army National Guard/Officer Candidate David Stein with the North Dakota Army National Guard, motivates and paces Illinois Army National Guard Officer Candidate Rebecca Davis of Springfield with the 129th Regional Training Institute in Springfield, across the finish line during the two-mile run event for the physical fitness test at during Accelerated Officer Candidate School at Fort Meade, S.D., June 29. Davis, a teacher at Springfield High School, is one of the top physical fitness performers in her class.

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Andrew Turner, South Dakota Army National Guard/ Illinois Army National Guard Officer Candidate Patrick Clark of St. Louis with the 129th Regional Training Institute in Springfield, points to an area of the Little Bighorn Battlefield after finding it on a map at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument June 4 during Accelerated Officer Candidate School at Fort Meade, S.D. Students visited the Little Bighorn Battlefield as part of their professional education to become commissioned officers in the Army National Guard.