Nine members of Princeton’s Class of 2026 became commissioned officers in the U.S. Army and Air Force on May 26 during a ceremony led by Brig. Gen. Grant S. Fawcett, a Class of 1996 alumnus who was commissioned through Princeton’s ROTC program.
Fawcett serves as the Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs (Europe, NATO and Russia) in the J-5 Directorate of the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. The ROTC Commissioning was held in the Faculty Room of Nassau Hall in the afternoon, following Princeton’s Commencement. The Class of 2026 includes two students who are the program’s first to be commissioned as officers in the U.S. Space Force.
Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber took note of the historic site of the commissioning ceremony within Nassau Hall, where James Madison lived and studied.
Eisgruber underscored the constitutional traditions connected with the building, which was liberated from the British by George Washington during the Battle of Princeton and housed the Continental Congress when Princeton served as the nation’s capital from June to November 1783.
“As a student of our country’s Constitution, I find myself inspired by a singular fact about this ceremony every time that I participate in it,” Eisgruber told the students who were about to be commissioned. “In a few minutes each of you will make a solemn promise to defend the Constitution of the United States — not our land, not our wealth, not even our people, but our Constitution.
“That remarkable fusion of constitutional authority and military duty is an audacious invention of this nation’s founders. It depends on a radical idea critical to the American tradition: namely, that military strength and constitutional democracy can reinforce one another, rather than conflict, as they often did in the past and still do in much of the world.”
Eisgruber lauded the newly commissioned officers as “worthy inheritors of the history and ideals that course through this building.”
“This University takes great pride in you and in what you have accomplished. We are proud of your learning. We are proud of your courage. We are proud of your commitment to our Constitution, to the United States Armed Forces, and to the intertwined traditions from which they emanate,” he said. “I am pleased to extend to you, on behalf of Princeton University, my best wishes for the future and my most heartfelt congratulations.”
The Princeton students in the Class of 2026 who commissioned Tuesday afternoon at Nassau Hall through the U.S. Army and Air Force ROTC programs are:
- Nathaniel Beggs, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army;
- Malyssa Grace Eddy, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Space Force;
- Annabelle Edwards, a second lieutenant in the Army;
- Tommy Feroce, a second lieutenant in the Army;
- Alex Fox, a second lieutenant in the Army;
- Micah Kittay, a second lieutenant in the Army;
- Colin Richard Massey, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force;
- Kevin Paul McAllister, a second lieutenant in the Space Force;
- Eamonn James Slattery, a second lieutenant in the Army.
Additionally, Maile Organek was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army earlier that day.
The group represented a range of majors, including sociology, ecology and evolutionary biology, mechanical and aerospace engineering, computer science, chemical and biological engineering and economics, as well as activities such as varsity and club athletics, Outdoor Action, the Aquinas Institute, the Princeton Christian Fellowship, OrangeHat Cybersecurity Collective, and the Princeton University Energy Association.
A noble calling of service and leadership
In his commissioning address, Fawcett underscored to the new officers the timeless importance of their service and leadership during an era of rapid technological change.
“You are joining a legacy of service greater than any individual, and you do so at a time of great consequence for our nation and for the world,” Fawcett said, noting that the emergence of drones and “affordable tech” is “fundamentally altering how we view war, conflict and peace.”
“Yet, despite this uncertainty, we can be sure of one thing: the American armed forces will always be built around people, and navigating this future requires leaders of character,” Fawcett said. “It demands the intellectual capacity to find simplicity in complex situations and the ability to inspire young Americans to accomplish difficult tasks with seemingly insurmountable odds.”
Fawcett encouraged this year’s officers to reflect on this moment at Princeton and, as they go forth from the University, to “continue to be a scholar — study history, understand the present, anticipate the future, and apply what you learn to the immediate problems you face.”
“There are many noble callings in life, but serving in the armed forces of the United States sits at the very top of the list,” Fawcett added. “You truly exemplify Princeton’s motto: ‘In the Nation’s Service and the Service of Humanity.’”
After taking their oath of office, the newly commissioned officers received their ranking pins and performed the traditional Silver Dollar Salute.
The ceremony was attended by families and friends, University administrators and military representatives, including retired Army Brig. Gen. Alan Davis; Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army Emeritus Robert J. Maguire; and retired Army Lt. Col. David Gunther, among others.
The afternoon was especially meaningful for family members who pinned ranks onto the graduates’ uniforms. Annabelle Edwards was pinned by family including her father, retired Army Lt. Col. Adam Edwards; her mother, Michelle Edwards; and her sister, Army Capt. Kate Edwards, using the second lieutenant bars from her grandfather, Thomas Edwards.
The newly commissioned officers with Brig. Gen. Grant S. Fawcett (right front center) after the ceremony in Nassau Hall, where six students were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army, one as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and two as second lieutenants in the U.S. Space Force.
