Aggies To Be Honored For Hurricane Ike Aid

The deputy surgeon general and chief operations officer of the U.S. Public Health Service, Rear Admiral Robert C. Williams, will visit Texas A&M University Monday (Feb. 16) to honor four Texas A&M University students, including three Corps of Cadets members, for their volunteer efforts during Hurricane Ike evacuations on campus last fall.

Admiral Williams, a 1976 Texas A&M graduate, will honor the cadets during a ceremony at half-time of the Texas A&M vs. University of Texas men’s basketball game that begins at 8 p.m.

Last fall, as Hurricane Ike approached the Gulf coast, more than 250 Category 4 and 5 critical-care patients were evacuated from the Beaumont area to Reed Arena on the Texas A&M campus. Texas A&M student and staff volunteers were a key element of the support system that helped the shelter provide for the evacuees.

The four students who will be recognized Monday night , all from the Class of 2009, are Jordan Reid, Corps of Cadets Commander; Syed Hussain, Corps Operations Officer; Cadet Matthew May and Mark Gold, Texas A&M student body president. Reid, Hussain and May also received the Corps Distinguished Humanitarian Award in December, given to cadets who go above and beyond the call of duty, making a significant difference in the lives of others.

Jordan Reid ’09, a senior political science major from Whitehouse, is the Corps Commander and a member of Company F-2. Reid’s exceptional leadership helped ensure the safety and well-being of Corps members during the storm and resulted in outstanding Corps support of the evacuees on the Texas A&M campus in the storm’s aftermath. Prior to the storm, he worked with commanders to prepare the Quad for the hurricane, developed and implemented a thorough plan for safety and accountability, and worked directly with the U.S. Public Health Service and other agencies to effectively coordinate volunteer efforts.

Syed Hussain ’09, a senior biomedical engineering major from Mont Belvieu, is the Corps Operations Officer and a member of Company N-1. Hussain played a critical role in planning and coordination of the various relief efforts for which the Corps of Cadets provided personnel. Working tirelessly and sleeping little over the weekend of Hurricane Ike, his contributions were critical to the success of the Easterwood Airfield operations and the organization of the evacuees at Reed Arena.

Matthew May ’09, a senior agricultural leadership and development major from Gatesville, Texas, is a member of A-Battery and the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. For the entire week after the hurricane hit, when May was not in class he was at Reed Arena doing whatever was needed and asked of him. Serving those in need at Reed nearly all day, every day, he volunteered on his own initiative, as there was no directive to serve. May’s commander stated, “That week, Matt truly showed what the Aggie Spirit is all about and what it means to be a good Aggie. He is an asset to this unit and the Corps of Cadets.”

In addition to bestowing special recognition upon Reid, Hussain, May and Gold, Admiral Williams will also award U.S. Public Health Service certificates and uniform ribbons to more than 600 cadets who served as volunteers during the Hurricane Ike relief effort. The cadets provided over 6,700 hours of service, including an essential 28 hours of offloading patients from the Texas Air National Guard C-130 aircraft that provided airlift for the patient evacuation.

Texas A&M’s Corps of Cadets is in its 132nd year of training leaders for service to the state and nation. In the Corps, cadets gain valuable leadership skills and experience to complement their academic education. While cadets earn commissions as military officers, membership in the Corps itself, carries no military obligation.