06/09/2026
Three recent SUNY Cortland graduates followed up Commencement with special recognition of their service to the country as they were honored at a May 21 commissioning ceremony for new members of the U.S. armed forces.
The ceremony hosted at Cornell University saw the trio take oaths of office and exchange their first salutes as newly commissioned second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.
The university’s recent Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) graduates include:
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2nd Lt. Mamadou “Saliou” Diallo ’26, a biomedical sciences major from Brooklyn, N.Y.
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2nd Lt. Aaron Henry ’26, a physical education major from Warnerville, N.Y.
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2nd Lt. Conor Keating ’26, a selected studies major from Montour Falls, N.Y.
As students, they were members of the Army ROTC Excelsior Battalion housed at Cornell. In addition to regular college coursework and commitments, ROTC members devote several hours each week to ROTC activities, from physical training to military science lectures to field training exercises, as well as other experiences during university breaks.
The recent ceremony followed a formal military tradition where candidates officially are recognized as commissioned officers. Diallo will join the New York Army National Guard while Henry and Keating will enter active duty.
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From left in above photo: Conor Keating, Saliou Diallo, Aaron Henry