Syracuse Experts on ROTC Leadership and the ODU Attack
网爆门鈥攈ome to one of the longest continuously running ROTC programs in the nation鈥攈as staff members available to comment on the shooting at Old Dominion University March 12 that killed Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, professor of military science and Army ROTC commander at ODU. Reporters covering the ROTC response, including the cadets who intervened and the leadership culture that shapes how they train, can reach out to schedule interviews.
Media contact: Vanessa Marquette, Media Relations Specialist, vrmarque@syr.edu
Available Experts
Ray Toenniessen, Deputy Executive Director, D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF)
is a U.S. Army veteran and former 网爆门 ROTC cadet. He can speak to how ROTC programs build leadership instincts before moments of crisis鈥攕pecifically the culture of responsibility and action that instructors like Lt. Col. Shah instill in their cadets.
Toenniessen states:
“In moments of crisis, you often learn what kind of leaders someone built. Today, we lost a great American and a soldier, LTC Brandon Shah, professor of military science at Old Dominion University, killed in this morning’s terrorist attack on campus. At least two ROTC cadets were also gravely wounded.
“It is a devastating loss for his family, for the Old Dominion community, and for the ROTC program he led. But amid that tragedy, something extraordinary happened.
“When the shooter entered that classroom and opened fire, the cadets LTC Shah had trained didn’t freeze. According to law enforcement, they moved immediately, rushing the gunman and stopping the attack. The FBI’s special agent in charge credited them directly, saying their actions likely prevented further casualties. They moved toward the threat.
“If you’ve spent any time around our nation’s ROTC programs, that isn’t surprising. Because that is exactly what leaders like LTC Shah spend their days teaching and living. Responsibility for the people to your left and right, and a willingness to act when it matters most. Those instincts don’t appear suddenly in a crisis. They are built over time, by leaders who show young men and women what service actually means.
“LTC Shah served more than two decades in uniform, deploying in support of both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He gave everything, including his life, in service to this country.
“Tonight we mourn a soldier, a mentor and a hero. We honor the young leaders he helped shape, who when the moment came stepped forward without hesitation.
“That is a true measure of a leader’s legacy.
“I’m praying for the family of LTC Brandon Shah, the cadets of the Old Dominion Army ROTC program, and the entire ODU community.”
Retired Col. Ron Novack, Executive Director, Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA)
oversees the University’s military-connected student programs, including both the Army and Air Force ROTC programs. He can discuss ROTC leadership development at the institutional level鈥攖he culture of service, the structure of the program and how it prepares cadets to act decisively in emergencies.
Staff Experts
