KINGSTON, R.I. — December 28, 1999 — The University of Rhode Island Military Science Department Winter 2000 Commissioning Ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 8 in the Galanti Lounge of the University Library. The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program at URI, known as the Cramer’s Sabers Battalion, is composed of students from URI, Roger Williams University in Bristol and Salve Regina University in Newport. The ceremony is conducted in accordance with a long-standing Army tradition during which newly commissioned officers are sworn into the service and have their gold second lieutenant’s bars pinned upon their uniforms. The five commissionees are senior members of ROTC. Receiving commissions from the University of Rhode Island are: Second Lieutenants John Breen (Military Police Corps) of Bronx, N.Y. Peter Dickerman (Signal Corps) of Warwick, R.I. Jeffery Scott (Transportation Corps) of Carolina, R.I. Brian Whitehead (Air Defense Artillery) of North Kingstown, R.I. Michael Grzybowski (Military Police Corps) of West Kingston, R.I. Master Sergeant Brian Briggs will present the traditional first salute to the new officers as they formally begin their careers as Army officers. The newly commissioned second lieutenants will return his or her salute and present him with a silver dollar. In related news… During the 1999-2000 school year, a record number of ROTC cadets will be commissioned (5 in January; 11 in May). This is the largest number of students to earn their commissions at URI in the last 10 years. Two of the five January commissionees have received scholarships valued at close to $50,000. An additional two commissionees received tuition money from the GI Bill and participation in the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP) with the Rhode Island Reserves. The Army ROTC program contributes $800,000 annually to URI in the form of scholarship tuition payments. Forty-seven percent of eligible cadets at URI receive ROTC scholarship benefits. The benefits consist of full tuition and mandatory fees, as well as an annual book allowance of $450 and monthly $200 stipend. -xxx- For More Information: Jan Sawyer, 401-874-2116