GVSU launches on-campus Army ROTC unit at Veterans Day event

ALLENDALE — Grand Valley State University formally expanded its military leadership footprint during its annual Veterans Day Luncheon, signing a landmark agreement with the Michigan Army National Guard and U.S. Army Cadet Command to establish an on-campus Army ROTC extension unit.

The announcement served as the centerpiece of an event that brought together veterans, active-duty service members, university trustees, local elected officials, and military leaders.

Alongside the ceremonial signing, attendees heard a keynote address on high-stakes leadership from retired Navy Captain J.J. Cummings, former commanding officer of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and the first technical advisor for the 2022 film "Top Gun: Maverick."

Removing barriers for future military leaders

For years, Grand Valley students pursuing an Army commission had to commute roughly an hour south to Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo for their primary training.

Under the new memorandum of agreement, GVSU has established a dedicated Department of Military Science and Leadership housed within the College of Education and Community Innovation, or CECI.

"What if a student could pursue a degree, develop as a leader, and prepare to serve without any unnecessary barriers between those ambitions?" GVSU President Philomena Mantella asked the audience. "Through collaboration today, we are turning that possibility into reality. This partnership reflects what we believe higher education should do — open doors, remove barriers, create meaningful opportunities for students to put their individual passion for learning and service into action."

The agreement builds on Grand Valley’s existing reputation for veteran support.

Last year, Military Times ranked the university first in Michigan and 11th in the nation on its "Best for Vets" list, and the university has earned gold-level recognition from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency for 11 consecutive years.

"Those honors are meaningful, but what matters most is the experience we create behind them," Mantella said. "We ensure that those who have served and those preparing to serve feel supported. They feel a sense of opportunities that are endless and a sense of belonging to thrive."

Provost Jennifer Drake noted that housing the new department within CECI aligns naturally with the college's existing focus on public service professions, including policing, social work, and education.

"All the programs in CECI focus on public service and community leadership," Drake said. "The college prepares teachers, police officers, social workers, and many other professionals who are committed to serving the greater good. This focus aligns with the ROTC's commitment to instill a service mindset in the cadets who take part."

Brigadier General Scott House of the Michigan Army National Guard emphasized the localized impact of bringing military science educators and mentorship directly to the Allendale campus.

"The Michigan National Guard has a unique responsibility. We serve our nation, but we also serve right here at home in the communities where we live, work, and raise our families," House said. "The skills these cadets develop won't just prepare them for military service. They'll strengthen the organizations they lead, the communities they serve, and the state we all call home."

Addressing the cadets in the room, House added: "Leadership is not defined by the rank you wear. It's defined by the responsibility you accept, the example you set, and the people you serve."

Lt. Colonel Evan Palmer, professor of military science at Western Michigan University, praised the university's reception of the new unit. "Grand Valley is opening its doors to this mission," Palmer said. "Today, we're signing more than an agreement. We're making a commitment to our students, to our soldiers, and the future of military service."

To commemorate the partnership, representatives from each institution signed three keepsake agreements using color-coded ceremonial pens: Palmer (red for valor), Mantella (white for integrity), Drake (gold for excellence), and House (blue for vigilance).

Lessons from the flight deck

Following the signing, Captain J.J. Cummings — a Top Gun graduate who logged 3,900 flight hours, 740 carrier landings, and 137 combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan — spoke to the crowd about humility, constitutional oaths, and the realities of crisis leadership.

Opening with self-deprecating humor, Cummings noted that despite his naval titles, "I go back to my house, I'm the guy that can't find the butter in the refrigerator."

Turning serious, he reflected on visiting the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids earlier that morning, noting that his former ship's motto, "Integrity at the Helm," mirrored the late president's willingness to make politically costly decisions for the good of the country.

He reminded the cadets in attendance that military service is anchored to an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution.

"You raise your right hand to support not a man or a king or a party," Cummings said. "You're doing it to raise your right hand for a piece of paper, a document. And when you do that, raise your right hand, you're committing to a life, a different life, a hard life, in faraway places doing dangerous things ... committing to a life of selfless sacrifice in service of others before self."

To illustrate the weight of command decisions under pressure, Cummings recounted a real-life 1997 emergency aboard the USS Nimitz in the Persian Gulf that later inspired the climactic barricade landing scene in "Top Gun: Maverick."

An F/A-18 Hornet approaching the carrier suffered a mechanical failure that left its nose landing gear stuck up while its main gear remained down. Unable to retract the gear, fly to a land runway in Kuwait, or extend its refueling probe, the pilot had just 10 minutes of fuel remaining before the jet would flame out.

With ejection over the water carrying severe risks, the ship's captain ordered the crew to rig a massive nylon emergency barricade across the flight deck — a process that normally takes eight minutes. As the clock ticked down, a tense debate erupted over the radio: The ship's captain wanted to leave two standard arresting wires rigged as a backup, directly violating naval aviation safety protocols.

"The junior O-4 was telling the captain of the ship — and by the way, the captain of the ship is the, I hate to say, 'king,' but whatever he says goes out there," Cummings said. "And the O-4, the major, he stuck to his guns: 'Sir, negative, that's a violation of the rules.' And eventually, the captain relented."

The crew rushed to raise the net, accidentally breaking a wrench and leaving off the protective metal deck ramps designed to prevent a plane's nose from sliding underneath. With roughly 20 seconds of fuel left, the pilot flew directly into the net and walked away unharmed — though Cummings noted that had the pilot landed cleanly on the deck as trained, the missing ramps likely would have caused a fatal crash.

"On that day, we were lucky and not good," he said. "Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, but that shouldn't be your going-in game plan."

Cummings left the Grand Valley cadets with three core takeaways from the ordeal: Do not rely on luck as a strategy, dare to speak up when protocol and safety are on the line, and stay humble enough to listen when you hold command.

"Stick to your guns, especially when you know you're right," Cummings told the cadets. "You're going to be pressed at times by senior leaders who are going to make the wrong decision. It's your duty. You're obliged. You have to say something. If not, then you're basically violating your oath as an officer to do what's right by your team, yourself, and the mission."

He urged the future officers to carry that lesson forward as they rise through the ranks: "When you become more senior and you wear the more senior uniforms, remember those days when you were a youngster talking to more senior. And it's OK to lose that rank and authority for a few minutes to listen to the people who are telling you something vital and potentially life-saving."

Addressing the Army ROTC cadets and Michigan National Guard leaders in the room, the retired Navy captain closed his remarks with a classic inter-service jab: "And lastly, I'll just say part of the most important thing to remember from today is this: Go Navy, beat Army."

Honoring every branch

The luncheon concluded with a musical tribute performed by the Michigan Army National Guard's 126th Army Band. As the band played the official anthems of each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces — beginning with the Coast Guard and Space Force, followed by the Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Army — veterans and service members stood to be recognized and applauded by the crowd.

University officials also invited attendees to continue the Veterans Day commemoration later in the evening at Grand Valley's downtown Pew Campus in Loosemore Auditorium, featuring a reception and program with additional music from the 126th Army Band and a full evening lecture from Captain Cummings.

— Sarah Leach is the executive editor of the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at sleach@ottawanewsnetwork.org. Follow her on Twitter @ONNLeach.