Texas A&M Cadet Buckley To Be Honored In Kyle Field Ceremonies As Tops In Marine Corps Class

Texas A&M Cadet Michael Buckley of Austin will be saluted in grand style during the Aggies-University of Tennessee game Saturday (Oct. 8) for being the highest-ranked graduate of his class at the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School at Quantico, VA, this past summer.

In addition to being a member of the Corps of Cadets, Buckley is enrolled in the Marine Corps’ Platoon Leaders Class (PLC), a program that, among other requirements, calls for participants to complete two rigorous six-week summer training sessions at Quantico.

General John M. Paxton (Ret), former Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, will come to Texas A&M to personally present the Commandant’s Trophy to Buckley, a junior geographic information science and technology major and member of Company H-1 in the Corps of Cadets.

General Paxton will also serve as the reviewing officer for the Corps’ march-in to Kyle Field prior to kick-off.

While the 2,500-member Corps of Cadets is always evident at Aggie football games at Kyle Field, it is rare for a cadet to be individually honored on such an occasion.

Brigadier General Joe E. Ramirez, Jr., Commandant of the Corps of Cadets, said such recognition of Cadet Buckley is well deserved, describing the winning of the trophy as “a very prestigious honor for a future Marine officer.”

Capt. Andrew Hotsko, the Marine Corps Officer Selection Officer for the region that includes College Station and whose duties include working with students participating in the PLC program, offered a sterling assessment of Buckley.

“Cadet Buckley impressed me the first day I met him with his professionalism and charisma,” Capt. Hotsko said. “He sets the standard and does a remarkable job leading and motivating his peers.”

Gen. Ramirez noted Buckley is the second Texas A&M cadet in the past three years to win the Commandant’s Trophy, for which competition includes evaluation on academic performance, physical fitness and leadership.

Gen. Paxton, Gen. Ramirez and Capt. Hotsko are expected to be joined in honoring Buckley in the on-field ceremonies by Texas A&M Vice President for Student Affairs Daniel Pugh and Professor of Naval Science Colonel James Bright.