A Kewanee resident is one of 19 new Officers that graduated from the Illinois National Guard’s 129th Regiment Officer Candidate School at Heartland Community College Astroth Community Education Center in Normal on August 20, 2023. Jeremy Burhorn of Kewanee is a newly commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Illinois National Guard. “Your training and the OCS program has instilled in you the values of citizenship, selfless service, personal responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment,” Maj. Gen. Rodney Boyd, the Assistant Adjutant General – Army of the Illinois National Guard and Commander of the Illinois Army National Guard, told the graduating Soldiers. “Everything you have learned, and all that you have experienced has prepared you for future success.”
Colonel Shawn Nokes, Commander of the 129th Regiment, told the graduating Soldiers that “Your first job and the job of any good leader is to take care of your Soldiers. You serve them, they don’t serve you.” Nokes also told the graduates to have fun. “We are in a very serious business. It is important relieve some of the stress by having fun – joke around a little bit.”
Class 68 – 23 is the 68th class to graduate from the 129th’s Officer Candidate Program, which transforms enlisted noncommissioned officers and qualified civilians into U.S. Army officers. The future leaders complete more than 660 hours of classroom and field instruction, must meet the commissioning standards of the U.S. Army and be examined, and approved by a federal recognition board.
The newly commissioned second lieutenants are:
2nd Lt. Javier Barba of Oak Forest
2nd Lt. Floyd Bastien of Decatur
2nd Lt. Comlan Bocovo of Ames, Iowa
2nd Lt. Jeremy Burhorn of Kewanee
2nd Lt. Michael Callahan of Champaign
2nd Lt. Austin Hunt of Rockton
2nd Lt. William Johnson of Aurora
2nd Lt. Colin Kehoe of Machesney Park
2nd Lt. Tyler Mahan of Decatur
2nd Lt. Eliana Martinez of Springfield
2nd Lt. Tymon Maurer of Wheeling
2nd Lt. Daniel Medina of Racine, Wisconsin
2nd Lt. Ross Nations of Oak Park
2nd Lt. Salomon Ngapout of Joliet
2nd Lt. Ilie Suciu of Niles
2nd Lt. Batbold Sukhbaatar of Buffalo Grove
2nd Lt. Brandon Viken of Decatur
2nd Lt. Grecia Zabala of Rushville
2nd Lt. Rodrigo Zarco of Chicago
