Sergeant First Class Jason Hennig, an instructor in EWU’s Reserve Officer Training Corps program, was named Greater Spokane Armed Forces Person of the Year during a ceremony at the Davenport Hotel earlier this week.
The award came as part of the 62nd annual Let Freedom Ring program organized by Greater Spokane Inc., an organization representing more than 925 businesses and organizations in the greater-Spokane region. The event, according to organizers, is intended to “honor local active duty, guard and reserve, members of the armed forces and first responders.”
Hennig was chosen from nominees serving in each branch of the armed services. Judges chose honorees based on the results of face-to-face interviews and a review of nominees’ professional and personal accomplishments.
Hennig’s selection was particularly noteworthy given that there were no Army nominees at all last year, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Stafford, chair of Eastern’s Military Science Department. “This year the Army won it over the Air Force for the first time in a very long time.”
Stafford also reported that EWU received a “big shout out” during the award presentation — this because Hennig’s nomination photo had the EWU flag in the background. When shown at the ceremony, Stafford said, “a lot of people in the audience shouted ‘Go Eags!’ We are really proud of SFC Hennig for his accomplishment and the positive recognition it has brought to our ROTC program and the university.”
The recognition from Greater Spokane Inc. was just the latest in what has been a banner year for Hennig. In February he was named 2018 U.S. Army Cadet Command Non-Commissioned Officer Instructor of the Year.
Cadet Command, the authority that oversees ROTC programs across the nation, recognizes just one non-commissioned officer from those serving in 274 ROTC battalions each year. Hennig was the first Eastern ROTC instructor to receive the accolade.
