South Dakota Military Academy Officer Candidate School graduation set for Saturday

STURGIS - Candidates from Class 49 of South Dakota's Officer Candidate School are set to graduate at 10 a.m. on 20 Aug. at the Sturgis Community Center in Sturgis. The ceremony will graduate 2nd Lt. Kevin Burkman from Springfield, 2nd Lt. Brian Webb from Baltic and 2nd Lt. David Larson of Beresford. 

The soon-to-be commissioned second lieutenants are among more than 600 candidates who participated in the Western Region Officer Candidate School during the past year. States assigned to the Western Region include: South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, Oregon, Hawaii, Alaska and the Territory of Guam. The 196th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) located at Fort Meade is the home to Phase I and Phase II of the commissioning program. Phase III, the final phase of the program, is held at Fort. Lewis, Wash. 

Burkman and Webb participated in the Traditional OCS Program at Fort Meade, attending monthly drills since they completed Phase I in June of 2004. Larson participated in the "fast-track" program, attending all three phases between June 18 and Aug. 13 of this year. All three recently completed Phase III on Aug.13 at Fort Lewis.

Burkman will be assigned as a military police officer with the 235th MP Company in Rapid City and Webb and Larson will be assigned as field artillery officers with the 147th Field Artillery Brigade in Sioux Falls.

For more information contact Maj. Tim Moran at 737-6455.