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Army gains a new 2nd lieutenant
From left, Northern Marianas College president Carmen Fernandez, Nikita Hofschneider, Board of Education vice chair Janice Tenorio, and Lt. Col. Jay A. Blakley on Friday at the Saipan Mayor’s Office. (Contributed Photo)
Nikita Hofschneider was officially sworn in last Friday as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
A commissioning ceremony was held for Hofschneider at the Saipan Mayor’s Office last Friday, March 24, 2017.
According to a Wikipedia definition, a commissioning ceremony is when a cadet becomes a commissioned officer. This ceremony marks the transition from trainee to leader for a cadet.
According to Hofschneider in an email interview, the most significant part of the ceremony is when each cadet takes the commissioning oath to swear to support and defend the Constitution, to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution, and to faithfully discharge the duties of her office.
“ This ceremony was significant because it marked many milestones for myself as a woman from the CNMI,” Hofschneider said.
Hofschneider is the first military officer in her family.
Hofschneider is extremely grateful to her parents because, according to her, “…they embodied and raised me with values that I have used throughout all the struggles and successes of my new profession”
According to Hofschneider, her achievement is more than just a milestone. “It also opens up paths for all those seeking inspiration on ways to [transform] dreams into reality,” she said.
Hofschneider was commissioned into the Army after majoring in Criminal Justice at the Northern Marianas College, obtaining a bachelor’s degree at the University of Guam and four years of rigorous military training through the University of Guam’s Army ROTC program.
Lt. Col. Jay A. Blakley, UOG’s Professor of Military Science, swore in Hofschneider. (Kimberly A. Bautista)
