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The sense of history, sacrifice and forward-looking joy was palpable in the Chappie James Museum last week as three Tuskegee students, Kendrick Bynum Jr., Kendarius Ivey, and Israel Daniel were commissioned as officers of the United States Army. The 2025 Fall Commissioning Ceremony, led by Lt. Col. Derek Mapp, Professor of Military Science, welcomed Kendrick, a Business Administration major from Huntsville, Alabama and Kendarius, a Political Science major from Tuskegee, into their new rank as Second Lieutenants in the U. S. Army.
Wendell F. Lopez ‘93, U.S. Army LTC (ret.) and Tuskegee’s Vice President for Business and Fiscal Affairs and Chief Financial Officer, joined the celebration as guest speaker with a unique understanding of the moment. Lopez was commissioned through the Tuskegee University Army ROTC “Golden Tiger Battalion” in 1992. He served over 23 years in the U.S. Army Reserves and spent a three-year active-duty deployment as a staff comptroller, supporting the Joint Special Operations Task Force – Philippines, a critical operation under Operation Enduring Freedom following the events of September 11.
“I was commissioned in this very room,” Lopez said, visibly moved by the memory. “This is a full-circle moment for me and I congratulate both Kendrick and Kendarius on the time, dedication and tremendous accomplishment represented today.”
Lopez went on to offer the cadets some sage advice on the leadership roles they will undertake, urging them to understand the relationship between leadership, humility and power.
“Power is best expressed through humility,” he said. “It is granted, above all, out of respect, not position by the people you will lead. And remember that it is influence, not authority, that makes a great leader.”
The ceremony included an official oath of office, followed by a pinning ceremony and a traditional first salute.
Loved ones are chosen to attach the new metal to the officers’ uniforms during the pinning ceremony.
“As my family pinned my rank, I felt the full weight of the journey behind that moment,” said Kendarius, whose mother and father joined him to do the honors. “I thought about the years of hard work and prior service as an enlisted Army Engineer and the people I lost along the way, the restless nights spent working full time after band practice, the early mornings at PT, and the many lessons and sacrifices that shaped who I am today.”
For Kendrick, the moment was almost dream-like.
“I could barely believe I was commissioning. I kept thinking about the journey—from being a private in basic training, staring at the officers in my unit and wishing I could stand where they stood, to finally stepping into that role myself,” said Kendrick who was joined by his mother and grandmother for his pinning. His first assignment as a Second Lieutenant will be at Ft. Lee in Virginia.
Both officers noted that one of the easier parts of their journey to this moment was the decision to attend Tuskegee University.
“Tuskegee University carries a legacy you can feel the moment you step on campus, said Kendrick. “Knowing I could be part of something that meaningful… there was no way I could turn that down.”
Kendarius’s decision could be considered predestined.
“As a son of this community and the son of a Tuskegee alumnus, choosing Tuskegee University was an easy decision,” said Kendarius, whose first assignment as Second Lieutenant will be at Ft. Leonard-Wood in Mississippi. “Tuskegee’s legacy of excellence and service practically produced my commitment to service, community, and lifelong learning.”
Israel, a Katy, Texas native, was commissioned in a separate, smaller ceremony later that day in the same museum – after a mishap caused by a clerical error delayed but did not deter him.
The evening before commissioning during final uniform inspections, Israel was notified, incorrectly, that his military physical had come back as disqualified. “I was devastated,” Israel shared but after reviewing the paperwork, it was clear there was an error in this decision and that he had, indeed, passed his physical.
“With such last-minute notice we weren't sure if I would be able to commission the next day but the following morning my cadre did everything they could – from memos to phone calls we were working against the clock.” The correction required intervention from a Brigade Commander, no small task with so little time. They got it done but, unfortunately, not in time for Israel to stand shoulder to shoulder with Kendarius and Kendrick. Even so, he was there in the audience cheering them on.
“I still wanted to attend my brothers’ ceremony,” he said.
“I was grateful as I believe it was nothing but God that my parents were able to pin me after we've been waiting for four and a half years for that moment.”
The TU ROTC program began in 1918, just after World War I, and has continued to produce military officers, in all branches of the Armed Forces, since that time. Tuskegee is the only HBCU offering ROTC programs for all branches of the U.S. military. TU ROTC graduated and produced the first African-American four-star general, General Daniel “Chappie” James.
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