Events
Celebrating Virginia Women Veterans Week
March 18th - March 23rd is a week set aside each year to honor the service and sacrifices of our Women Veterans.
This week we honor Women Veterans like Deborah Sampson, the first woman to serve as a soldier in the United States Military. Deborah enlisted under the name "Robert Shurtliff" and served 3 years in the Continental Army. She was wounded twice in combat and even dug a musketball out of her own leg to prevent a doctor from discovering she was a woman.
We honor Women Veterans like Eileen Collins, a United States Airforce Veteran and the first woman to command a space shuttle mission in 1999.
We honor the 700,000 women that have served since the events of September 11th 2001.
Join us in honoring the valuable contribution of these women on Thursday March 21st in Russell Hall from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm There will be a pinning service provided by the Virginia Women Veterans Program to recognize all who have served.
Veterans Day Breakfast and Ceremony
Radford University students, faculty and staff joined with members of the Radford community in honoring those who served our country.
Our guest speakers were:
- Maj. Wendi McBride-Rentschler
Assistant Professor of Military Science and Detachment Officer in
charge of the Radford University Army ROTC
- Col. J.P. Jenks '83 (retired)
28-year veteran of the U.S. Army
Keynote Speaker
- Lt. Col. James H. Scott III
Commander of the Radford Army Ammunition Plant
MAJ. WENDI MCBRIDE-RENTSCHLER joined the U.S. Army 299th Forward Support Battalion as an automated logistical specialist in 1997. After attending Officer Candidate School, she was commissioned in the Quartermaster Corps in July 2004. She served in Operation Iraqi Freedom from September 2005 to August 2006. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Austin Peay state University and a Master of General Administration degree from Central Michigan University. She is currently assistant professor of Military Science at Radford University and detachment officer in charge of the Radford Army ROTC program.
COL. J.P. JENKS '83 retired from the U.S. Army in 2010 after 28 years of distinguished service, with posts in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Australia, Germany, Iraq, Italy and England, as well as throughout the United States. He has a Master of Science degree in strategic Intelligence from the Joint Defense Intelligence University. Currently a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service, he works in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the Department of state, where he directs music diplomacy efforts and numerous international student exchange programs in support of national foreign policy objectives.
LT. COL. JAMES H. SCOTT III, commander of the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 1992 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in May 1999. He has served tours of duty across the United States, the Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. Prior to assuming command as the 39th commander of the Radford Army Ammunition Plant in June 2017, he served as the chief of plans and strategy, 20th CBRNE Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.