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  • March To 3,000

Squadron 21

Joey Andruss ’23

April 20, 2023 by rnelson

Cadet Joey Andruss '23 smiles in front of a blue studio background.

Hometown: Victoria, Texas

Major: Civil Engineering

Outfit: Squadron 21/2nd Wing Staff

Joey Andruss ’23 currently serves the Corps of Cadets as the 2nd Wing Major Unit Commander. Within the Corps, Joey is also a Ross Volunteer and member of the Catholics on the Quad organization. 

Off the Quad, Joey is an active in the American Society of Civil Engineers, as well as the American Society of Military Engineers. 

“The Corps has done more for me than I could ever explain, but there are three major things that I’ll take away from my time in the Corps. First, the Corps taught me how to manage people and how to effectively lead a large organization to be successful and accomplish goals. Second, it taught me the importance of building relationships and being able to cultivate lasting friendships from those relationships. Lastly, the Corps provided me the opportunity to have a unique and developmental Aggie experience that most students never will experience, and I’m truly grateful for that,” Joey said of his time in the Corps of Cadets. 

After graduating from Texas A&M, Joey plans to commission into the United States Air Force, where he hopes to serve as a Civil Engineer. After his time in the Air Force, Joey plans to obtain his Professional Engineering License and open his own engineering firm.

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Filed Under: 2023, Cadet Profiles Tagged With: Air Force, Air Force ROTC, Cadet Leadership, Corps of Cadets, Leadership, Off The Quad Involvement, Ross Volunteer Company, Squadron 21, Squadron 21 Hellcats, Texas A&M, Texas A&M Corps of, Texas A&M Corps of Cadets

Squadron 21 Participates In Bataan Memorial Death March

March 23, 2023 by rnelson

Soon after their attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces began their invasion of the Philippines. Having just entered World War II and recognizing the importance of having troops in the Philippines, the U.S. combined forces with Philippine troops in defense of the crucial lands.

These brave soldiers fought in a malaria-infested region and survived on insufficient amounts of food and a severe lack of medical supplies. The soldiers retreated to the Philippine Peninsula when Japanese forces were reinforced and overwhelmed the U.S.-Filipino force. After 9 months of intense fighting despite harsh conditions and a great lack of supplies, approximately 75,000 United States and Filipino troops were surrendered by U.S. Major General Edward King Jr. to Japanese forces.

Captive soldiers were forced to march 65 miles across the Bataan Peninsula, an event that became known as the Bataan Death March. During this march, thousands died. Those who survived were forced to face the harsh conditions of prisoner of war camps. Once a part of these POW camps, those imprisoned would not see freedom again until 1945, when U.S.-Filipino forces reclaimed the territory.

This year, in honor of this tragic event, Squadron 21 sent a team of six cadets to participate in the Bataan Memorial Death March in White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. A major piece of Squadron 21’s identity is their commitment to recognizing our nation’s Prisoners of War and those deemed Missing in Action.

“It is important to Squadron 21 that we remember the sacrifices of all POWs and MIAs. Our outfit was founded as a living memorial of First Lieutenant Victor Hugo Thompson III ‘64, a former member of Hellcat 9, the predecessor to Squadron 21. However, there are thousands of other POWs/MIAs whose stories are never told. It is important for us to do events like the Bataan Memorial Death March to honor the heroism of these men,” Shaun Boothe ‘23, Commanding Officer of Squadron 21 said.

For one member of Squadron 21, the Bataan Death March in particular is significant to his own family’s history.

“Part of my family heritage is the story of Major John S. Coleman, Jr, Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College class of 1927,” William Walder ‘24 said.

“He left his wife and two kids to go serve his country in the Philippines. He was in command of the 27th Material Squadron with the Army Air Corps. After he was captured, he survived the brutal Bataan Death March, and then spent the next three and a half years doing hard labor in POW camps. He kept a shorthand journal throughout the war at great risk, and used it later on in his life to write a book about his experiences, called ‘Bataan and Beyond, Memories of an American POW’.”

“The opportunity to pay homage to an important part of Aggie and personal heritage connects me to the past in a far greater way than reading history. A large number of the officers in the Philippines were from TAMC, as they were reserve officers. We often talk of the muster at Corregidor, honoring the brave Aggies that fought in those dark hours. I am able to also honor those less remembered Aggies on the peninsula,” Walder went on to say.

Though this is Squadron 21’s first year participating in the memorial march, the outfit intends to keep this tradition alive for years to come.

“Most of the planning was conducted by Treacy Collier ‘25, who is the rising First Sergeant of Squadron 21. He isn’t even a participant of the march but took on the challenge to plan and coordinate this first time event. It is a demonstration of the servant leadership that we strive to teach in Squadron 21. We were able to receive a $1,700 grant from Quad Moms that covered registration fees, equipment and travel expenses. With more funding and awareness of the event in the future, our hope is to be able to send a much larger team in years to come,” Boothe said.

Squadron’s 21 participation in the Bataan Memorial Death March event is a reflection of the Corps of Cadets’ drive to honor the past while recognizing the contributions of those who gave so much.

Story By: Robin Nelson '22

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: Cadet Leadership, Corps of Cadets, News, Squadron 21, Squadron 21 Hellcats

William Dean ’23

February 15, 2023 by rnelson

William Dean '23 gives a gig em on the Quad

Hometown: Marlboro, New Jersey

Major: Architectural Engineering

Outfit: Squadron 21

Currently a member of Squadron 21, William Dean ’23 also serves as the 2022-2023 Commander of the NROTC Midshipmen Battalion. 

On the Quad, Will serves as a Ross Volunteer and is a member of the Corps Marathon team. 

Off the Quad, Will is a member of the Texas A&M chapter of the Architectural Engineering Institute and the Society of American Military Engineers. 

“The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets has provided me countless opportunities that I would not have been able to experience without the program. From going to Boston to compete in the Boston Marathon, to having the privilege to lead over 300 prospective Naval and Marine Corps Officers, the Corps of Cadets has allowed me to heighten my skills and prepare myself for multiple careers in the future,” Will said of his time in the Corps. 

After graduating from Texas A&M, Will plans to commission into the United States Navy and either serve as a Naval Aviator or as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer. After his time in the Navy, Will hopes to return to Aggieland to work for the Texas A&M Foundation. 

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Filed Under: 2023, Cadet Profiles Tagged With: Cadet Leadership, Corps of Cadets, Navy/Marine ROTC, NROTC, Off The Quad Involvement, Out Of State Cadets, Ross Volunteer Company, Squadron 21, Squadron 21 Hellcats, Texas A&M Corps of Cadets

Ivan Carrasco ’22

April 27, 2022 by rnelson

Ivan Carrasco '22

Hometown: Spring, Texas

Major: Computer Science

Outfit: Squadron 21

The current Commanding Officer of Squadron 21, Ivan Carrasco ’22 also previously served as the outfit’s First Sergeant. In addition to his leadership within the outfit, Ivan is a member of the Ross Volunteer Company.

Off the Quad, Ivan is a member of the Canterbury Episcopal Student Center and Texas A&M’s Defense Cyber Leadership Development Program.

“The Corps of Cadets has provided me with challenges that helped develop me into the man that I am today and has given me lifelong friends,” Ivan said of his experience with the Corps.

After graduating from Texas A&M, Ivan plans to commission into the United States Air Force as a Second Lieutenant, where he hopes to work as a Cyber Warfare Officer. 

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Filed Under: 2022, Cadet Profiles Tagged With: Air Force ROTC, Cadet Leadership, News, Ross Volunteer Company, Squadron 21, Squadron 21 Hellcats, Texas A&M Corps of Cadets

Kathryne Speen ’22

April 5, 2022 by rnelson

Kathryne Speen '22

Hometown: San Antonio, Texas

Major: Business Management (Pre-Law track)

Outfit: Squadron 21

A member of Squadron 21, Kathryne currently serves as the Finance Officer within the outfit, where she also previously served as a Platoon Sergeant. Off the Quad, Kathryne works as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Mary’s Catholic Center, and was a member of the Texas Aggies Fighting Alzheimer’s organization.

Kathryne was granted acceptance into the Air Force’s Judge Advocate General-Educational Delay program. This program is designed to produce Active Duty Judge Advocates from current ROTC cadets, and allows senior year cadets to apply for a commissioning delay in order to attend law school. Of hundreds of applicants nationwide, Kathryne was one of only three AFROTC cadets to be admitted into the program. 

Upon graduating from Texas A&M, Kathryne plans to attend law school at the University of Mississippi, where she would like to study International or Space law. 

View the video below to learn more about Kathryne’s journey with the Corps of Cadets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmR2vOjPiH0
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Filed Under: 2022, Cadet Profiles Tagged With: Air Force ROTC, Cadet Leadership, Leadership, Off The Quad Involvement, Squadron 21, Squadron 21 Hellcats, Texas A&M Corps of Cadets

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