Brigham Young University senior Jason Cabatingan has been named second out of more than 4,000 cadets on the Army ROTC National Order of Merit List. The placement reflects his outstanding performance in academics, leadership, extracurricular activities and physical training.
The National Order of Merit List is compiled every year and ranks all Army ROTC cadets after their junior year of college. Rankings determine service placement preference and the top 20 percent of cadets are honored as Distinguished Military Graduates.
“Cadet Cabatingan made a commitment to earn high grades and become the best leader he could be,” said Maj. Ted Leblow, military science department chair. “Being named one of the top cadets in the nation reflects well on him as an individual and on BYU’s Army ROTC as a whole.”
He also received the USAA Army National Scholarship during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The scholarship is awarded annually to one outstanding senior across the country in the Army ROTC.
Cabatingan has already served four years on active duty in the Army, including a year-long deployment in Iraq. He is Cadet Battalion Commander of BYU’s Army ROTC. Originally from Dublin, Calif., he intends to graduate in August 2008 with a degree in Latin American studies.
BYU’s other Army ROTC cadets also placed well. Twenty percent of BYU cadets placed in the top 10 percent of all cadets in the country. In total, nine BYU students qualified as Distinguished Military Graduates.
BYU’s Army ROTC is administered through the Marriott School of Management’s Department of Military Science. Established in 1968, BYU’s program is the largest Army ROTC at a campus other than the six federally designated senior military colleges. Cadets train throughout college to prepare for commissions as second lieutenants upon graduation.
Writer: David Garcie
