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WIU President Selected for U.S. Army Golden Knights Tandem Jump Experience

July 26, 2021

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MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – On Aug. 11, Western Illinois University's 12th President Guiyou Huang will go where no other WIU president … and no other Illinois public university president … has gone before: out the door of an airplane with a member of the U.S. Army Golden Knights from an altitude of 13,000 feet.

Earlier this year, Huang was nominated for the U.S. Army Golden Knights annual tandem jump by WIU Military Science Recruiting Operations Officer Larry Pickett, and was selected about a month ago for this honor. According to Pickett, each year, the U.S. Army Recruiting Command selects individuals from media and education to participate in the tandem jump, which is designed to raise further awareness for the U.S. Army, while also helping to promote the Chicago Air Show.

Huang will be tandem jumping with a member of the U.S. Army's Golden Knights on Aug. 11 from the Ottawa, IL Skydive Chicago facility.

"It'll be thrilling to have a quasi-military experience through tandem jumping with a Golden Knights skydiver," Huang said. "WIU has a proud 50-year record of training Army ROTC officers, and a rich history of providing outstanding academic opportunities to veterans and current members of the armed forces. This event on Aug. 11 will be another great way to enhance WIU's partnership with the military, as well as to promote the education of U.S. Army soldiers."

Pickett added that education is important to the U.S. Army and its soldiers, and this is one way to assist the U.S. Army in telling its story to educational institutions and the public alike.

"By having educators participate in the tandem jump, these administrators and faculty members can glean more information on how we can assist in keeping students in college by serving in the Army Reserve, attending school by using the G.I. Bill, or by participating in the ROTC program, depending on the students' needs," Pickett explained. "President Huang was selected as a well-respected member of the community and in education. According to a recent survey, 17-34 year olds know little to nothing about the Army. We feel that the experience our president will have on Aug. 11, not only being able to take part in a tandem jump with one of our soldiers, but also learning more about what the Army has to offer, will help WIU further promote our wonderful Military Science and ROTC programs and the U.S. Army."

WIU's new Military Science Department Chair LTC Carl Oborski, along with Pickett and a few WIU ROTC cadets, will accompany Huang and his family to the Aug. 11 event. Video and photos will be posted on WIU's Facebook page following the event.

Western's military science department produces an average of 16 new commissions a year to active and reserve duty. More than 1,170 cadets have been commissioned through WIU ROTC since 1970. Throughout the years, the WIU ROTC program has been recognized as the best public university ROTC program in the nation, and has received the MacArthur Award, which recognized Western's Bulldog Battalion as the best program in the 14-state Second Region headquartered at Ft. Knox, KY; and being named the overall ROTC program in the Midwest.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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