[237] Alumnus Ethridge to Speak Dec. 17 as Six MTSU ROTC Cadets Will Be Comissioned in Ceremony

Release date: Dec. 9, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Military Science contact: Lt. Col. T.K. Kast, 615-898-2470 or tkast@mtsu.edu

Alumnus Ethridge to Speak Dec. 17 as Six MTSU
ROTC Cadets Will Be Commissioned in Ceremony

(MURFREESBORO) — Col. Terry A. Ethridge, chief of staff for the Tennessee Army National Guard and an MTSU alumnus, will be the guest speaker for the Friday, Dec. 17, military science department’s fall commissioning ceremony.
The formal ceremony, which will begin at 10 a.m., will be held in Tucker Theater in Keathley University Center. It is open to the general public, MTSU community and family and friends of the six student cadets who also are degree candidates expected to graduate Saturday, Dec. 18, in Murphy Center.
In his position, Ethridge reports directly to the assistant adjutant general for Army matters and assists in the external affairs functions, including presenting and enforcing Army National Guard policies, plans and programs.
Ethridge, who is a Murfreesboro resident, presides over the Army National Guard staff and represents Army capabilities, requirements, policy, plans and programs in joint operations. Under the authority of the Army’s assistant adjutant general, the chief of staff also designates army personnel and army resources.
Before this assignment, Ethridge served as the deputy chief of staff for aviation and state aviation officer. In this position, he was responsible for the overall administration, supervision and training of 14 Army Aviation units statewide. The units included the UH-60 Blackhawk, the AH-64 Apache and the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior.
Ethridge was commissioned field artillery from MTSU’s ROTC program in 1978. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne School, and the Field Artillery Officer Basic and Cannon Battery Officer Courses.
Professor of military science Lt. Col. T.K. Kast will preside over the ceremony.
The fall semester commissionees include:
• 2nd Lt. Amanda Morgan, who is a business-administration major from Clarksville, Tenn. She will be commissioned reserve forces duty, Army National Guard. Morgan will be branched aviation and her National Guard unit will be Troop D, 1-230th ACS in Smyrna. She is the daughter of Lt. Col. Patrick and Beth Morgan of Clarksville;
• 2nd Lt. Nicholas Chapin, who is business-finance major from Williamsport, Tenn. He will be commissioned reserve forces duty, infantry branch, Army National Guard. He is the son of Paul and Kathleen Chapin of Williamsport;
• 2nd Lt. Jonathan Henry, who is an exercise-science major from Murfreesboro and formerly from Mounds, Ill. He will be commissioned active duty, aviation branch. He is married to Elizabeth Henry, and son of Brenda Moreland of Mounds and Paul Henry of Ocala, Fla.;
• 2nd Lt. Brandon Moore, who is a business-administration major from Smyrna. He will be commissioned reserve forces duty, Army National Guard. He will be branched quartermaster corps and his National Guard unit will be Detachment 1, Troop G, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Shelbyville. He is the son of Scott and Leslie Moore of Smyrna;
• 2nd Lt. Kenneth Smith, who is a political-science major from Murfreesboro. He will be commissioned reserve forces duty, Army Reserve. He will be branched transportation corps and his reserve unit will be 640th Army Support Group in Nashville. He is the son of Charles and Shirley Smith of Murfreesboro; and
• 2nd Lt. David Hubert, who is a liberal-studies major from Murrells Inlet, S.C. He will be commissioned active duty, Armor Branch. His basic officer leadership course assignment will be Fort Knox, Ky. He is the son of Rick Hubert of Murrells Inlet.

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Media welcomed.

Media note: A high-resolution jpeg photo of Col. Terry Ethridge is available. To obtain, please contact MTSU News & Public Affairs by calling 615-898-2919.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree — the only one in Tennessee — as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

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