Matawan Native Earns Rank as Second Lieutenant in U.S. Army

Matawan native and Seton Hall graduate Stephen Jamandron joined his cadre of ROTC comissionees recently to officially mark their newly earned ranks as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army at the 2012 Department of Military Service commissioning ceremony.

One by one, each of the ten cadets was honorably saluted by various ranked Army officials. As Jamandron moved to the center of the stage, he was met a particularly important ranked official. His father, Sergeant (SFC) Edward Jamandron, remained professional as he shared with his son the first salute as second lieutenant.

“My father has been in the military for 20 years, so our family has a strong military background,” said Jamandron, whose next step will be the Basic Officer Leaders Course or BOLC in February 2013. From there he will travel to South Korea where he will be stationed for active duty.

Guest speakers at the ceremony included Brigadier General Jonathon A. Maddux from Picatinny Arsenal and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Dr. Jane Holl Lute.  Expressing strong sentiment, General Maddux stated: “Take assurance knowing that our army is in good hands.” 

Deputy Secretary Lute gave an equally inspiring, yet extremely personal anecdote of her own ROTC experiences, 36 years prior, in the same Seton Hall ROTC program. During the course of her career, she has commanded a company, taught at West Point, and served under two Presidents.  Yet she reiterated that it all started 36 years ago when she noticed an ROTC flyer that caught her attention at Montclair State.

“Leadership is not about authority, leadership is about taking responsibility,” said Dr. Lute. “It’s about taking that responsibility and making it your own.”

The ceremony marked the culmination of the past four years that the cadets dedicated to one unanimous goal.  

“It’s about legacy, I’m hoping that when they leave here, and they go somewhere, that they say, ‘Hey, I came from the Seton Hall ROTC program, and people respond, wow, you did a job well done,’ ” said Lieutenant Colonel Ed Diaz in a stern, yet proud tone to the comissionees.