Commissioning, Graduation to Take Place Dec. 20

Maj. Gen. Merdith W.B. “Bo” Temple

LEXINGTON, Va., Nov. 8, 2011 – Maj. Gen. Merdith W.B. “Bo” Temple will be the commissioning officer at VMI ROTC’s December commissioning ceremony, to take place Dec. 20, just before the December graduation ceremony. Brig. Gen. Wane Schneiter, dean of the faculty, will speak at graduation.

Eleven cadets – 10 Army and 1 Navy – are expected to commission in the ceremony, which will begin at 9 a.m. in Marshall Hall.

Since June, Temple, a 1975 VMI graduate, has been acting chief of engineers and acting commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, managing over 36,000 employees and more than $40 billion in programs annually. A Virginia native, he holds a master’s degree from Texas A&M University, and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College. His 36-year Army career includes service in Saudi Arabia during the Persian Gulf War and more recently in Baghdad, Iraq.

Thirty-eight cadets are expected to participate in the graduation ceremony, which will begin at 11 a.m. in Jackson Memorial Hall. Those planning to attend should be seated by 10:45. A reception in Moody Hall for graduates and their families will follow.