The U.S. Army Drill Team will perform at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 8 on the Rogers State University campus in conjunction with the Oklahoma Military Academy’s centennial celebration.
The performance, expected to last about 25 minutes, will be held in the Bushyhead Fieldhouse on the RSU Claremore campus. The event is free and area residents are encouraged to attend.
“Watching a top caliber, precision drill team perform up close is exhilarating and really showcases the discipline and mastery of the American soldier,” said retired Army Maj. Gen. Michael Kuehr, a member of the OMA class of 1968 and adjutant for this year’s OMA Alumni Association reunion. “We are honored that they will be performing as part of the centennial celebration of the Oklahoma Military Academy.”
The U.S. Army Drill Team is a precision drill platoon with the primary mission of showcasing the U.S. Army both nationally and internationally through breathtaking routines with bayonet-tipped 1903 Springfield rifles. The U.S. Army Drill Team performs for military, government, non-profit, and civilian organizations. Through their daring and complex performances the U.S. Army Drill Team acts as “good-will ambassadors” for the Army, supporting community relations and recruiting efforts on behalf of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and the U.S. Army.
Their appearance on the RSU campus is part of the OMA Alumni Association’s annual reunion and centennial celebration on June 7-8 on the RSU campus. OMA operated in Claremore from 1919 to 1971, when the school transitioned to a community college and later became the school today known as RSU.
OMA was recognized as “The West Point of the Southwest” with more than 10,000 men and women attending the school during its distinguished history. The OMA Alumni Association was formed to preserve the school’s legacy. OMA Alumni have been instrumental in providing support to RSU, including both scholarships and development of the Claremore campus.
In addition to the public performance by the drill team, the OMA Alumni Association also will be dedicating the OMA Legacy Plaza on the Claremore campus. The plaza will feature black granite stones laser-engraved with names of former cadets and others who want to honor OMA’s history. The site is adjacent to OMA’s KIA Memorial between Preparatory and Meyer halls.
Legacy stones may be purchased by individuals, organizations or businesses to honor OMA’s rich history. Proceeds from the sale benefit student scholarships for the Oklahoma National Guard’s Guard Officer Leadership Development (GOLD) program at RSU. The stones may be purchased through the OMA Alumni Association office.
“As part of the 100th anniversary of OMA’s founding, we wanted to establish the OMA Legacy Plaza that will allow all former cadets and friends of the institution to pay tribute to this special place that shaped the lives of so many,” said OMA Alumni Association President Randy Vierling, who was a member of the Class of 1963. “We want the plaza to honor OMA’s history, but also pay it forward to support RSU GOLD students who are carrying on OMA’s military legacy today.”
For more information on the drill team performance, the OMA Alumni reunion or to purchase a legacy stone, visit www.rsu.edu/OMA or call 918-343-6888 or 918-343-6889.