Blue Ridge Battalion News
Follow the latest news and exploits of cadets, faculty, and staff in Army ROTC at VMI.
![Portrait of E. Sean Lanier '94 with VMI logo and overlay](/media/content-assets/images/news/2020-2021/BOVMember_NewsHeadlineImage-400x266.jpg)
Gov. Ralph Northam ‘81 has appointed E. Sean Lanier ’94 to the VMI Board of Visitors. Lanier, a U.S. Army veteran, is the founder & executive director of Resolve Solutions Inc., an Alexandria, Virginia nonprofit that provides financial and educational college prep support to underserved populations.
![Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins with VMI logo](/media/content-assets/images/news/2020-2021/Wins_NewsHeadlineImage-400x266.png)
Retired Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins will serve as interim superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute following an affirmative vote by the VMI Board of Visitors Executive Committee. Maj. Gen. Wins is a 34-year veteran of the U.S. Army and a 1985 graduate of the Institute.
![Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III '62 bids farewell to the Corps of Cadets, and is presented flags signed by each class.](/media/content-assets/images/news/2020-2021/PeaysOldYell2021KN09-400x266.jpg)
Accepting an invitation to an event fully organized by cadets on the evening of Oct. 28, Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III '62 bid farewell to the Corps of Cadets. He was presented flags signed by each class, and was asked to lead the Corps in an Old Yell for the Class of 1962.
![Official Portrait of Vice President Pence](/media/content-assets/images/news/2020-2021/Vice-President-Pence-Official-Portrait_horizontal-400x285.jpg)
Virginia Military Institute is set to host a special guest speaker event featuring Vice President of the United States Mike Pence and Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy ’96 on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020.
![Headshot - Photo courtesy of Pritzker Military Museum & Library](/media/content-assets/images/news/2019-20/Glantz_PritzkerAward_horizontal-400x238.jpg)
VMI alumnus and military historian Col. David M. Glantz ‘63 is the 14th recipient of the prestigious Pritzker Military Museum & Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing.
![Photo of Don Wilkinson](/media/content-assets/images/news/2019-20/Wilkinson_48011[3]horz.jpg)
Donald “Donny” M. Wilkinson, VMI Class of 1961, who served the Institute loyally after graduation, passed away on April 13 at the age of 82.
![Army ROTC cadets take the commissioning oath in Cameron Hall this morning.](/media/content-assets/images/news/2017-18/JointComm2019KEN0108-400x266.jpg)
Cadets commissioned into the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force during VMI’s joint commissioning ceremony held in Cameron Hall May 15.
![Adam Josephson '19 receives the Tom Surdyke award from Tom Surdyke's father, Tim Surdyke.—Photo courtesy of the U.S. Military Academy.](/media/content-assets/images/news/2017-18/Josephson-1-400x266.jpg)
VMI's team placed high in functional fitness as Adam Josephson '19 was selected as best squad leader at this year's Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at West Point.
![Cadets participate in Army Combat Fitness Test field trials.](/media/content-assets/images/news/2017-18/ACFT-400x266.jpg)
VMI’s ROTC unit is the only in the nation to participate in field testing the Army Combat Fitness Test that will soon be required for every U.S. Army soldier.
![Cadets train on the VMI Parade Ground during fall 2018 field training exercises.](/media/content-assets/images/news/2017-18/FallFTXThurs2019KN046-400x266.jpg)
For the second time in three years, a VMI cadet—Alec Hoopes ’19—has been ranked number one in the nation by the U.S. Army Cadet Command.