Two University ROTC instructors, Maj. John Prather of the U.S. Marine Corps and Capt. Jared Hoover of the U.S. Air Force, were honored Tuesday after receiving the Colonel Leo A. Codd Memorial Award.
The National Defense Industrial Association names nine people in the nation Most Outstanding ROTC Instructors of the Year. "Each winner receives a savings bond, certificate of recognition for outstanding performance and a complimentary three-year membership to the NDIA," according to the NDIA.
Prather and Hoover were nominated by Commander Timothy Kunkel and Col. Jon Wolfe, respectively.
"I'm surprised that two [University instructors] ended up at the top," Wolfe said. "There were probably over a thousand instructors that were eligible for it."
Wolfe said the decision to nominate Hoover was an easy one.
"Out of the folks that I've supervised out of my 27-year career, he stands head and shoulders over the peers," Wolfe said, also citing Hoover's sense of discipline and ability to lead.
Wolfe added that Hoover has contributed to the University cadet wing's success.
"We're ranked No. 1 of 38 detachments in our region in physical fitness ... He's a physical fitness fanatic. He has boosted our scores so we're No. 1," Wolfe said.
First-year College student Dan Sands, an Air Force ROTC student, said Hoover fully deserved his award.
"He's a really good communicator," Sands said. "He's constructive; he works with what you have to offer ... He's really concise, gets to the point, but the thing I would say most is that he really likes his job and what he does."
Hoover said the award is an indication of the quality of the detachment overall, which includes cadets at the University, James Madison University and Liberty University.
"It's more than just me," Hoover said. "It's all of the staff ... It's a reflection on the top quality cadets and the outstanding Air Force staff that we have here at the detachment, and it reflects all of their hard work in the training they do to prepare these cadets for active duty."
Third-year College student Harry Lesher, a Navy ROTC cadet, also described Prather's outstanding qualities as an instructor. "Just working with Maj. Prather has been a great experience," he said. "[Prather]'s taught me a lot about leadership and what it'll take to be a good officer in the Navy. He's ... very deserving of the award"
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