USM ARMY ROTC Hosts USAACE, Rucker Deputy Commanding General

Wed, 03/23/2022 - 09:45am | By: Ivonne Kawas

Pictured left to right: MAJ Eric Whetstone, BG Stanley Budraitis, Dean Chris Winstead, LTC Walker Nordan, MSG Edwin Williams.

Brigadier General Stanley Budraitis, a native of Petal, Miss. and the Deputy Commanding General of the US Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Aviation School at Fort Rucker, Ala., was welcomed by The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) – Golden Eagle Battalion – earlier this month on the Hattiesburg campus.

A Mississippi National Guardsman and an Army Aviator with more than 25 years of service and over 2,000 flight hours, BG Budraitis is leading the charge for leader development for the U.S. Army.

BG Budraitis addressed USM’s Army ROTC cadets during class-time and Leadership Lab. He got to relay his Army story, including how much the Army has given back to him and his family over the years, and the key tenants of leaders that make them and their teams successful.

“As USM’s Army ROTC develops tomorrow’s leaders, it is essential for us to expose our cadets to successful leaders who live up to Army values and display key tenants that they can strive to emulate,” said LTC E. Walker Nordan Jr., Director of the Department of Military Science and Leadership and ROTC. “BG Budraitis shared life-long lessons that will help prepare our cadets for military success.”

BG Budraitis also had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Chris Winstead, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, to discuss support for Army ROTC, as well as increases in mission accomplishments. In addition, he visited the new Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families, where he met with MG(R) Jeff Hammond to discuss Veteran outreach, services offered at the new Center, and Veteran population at Southern Miss.

“We were honored to have General Budraitis visit campus and share his expertise and experience with our students. Our ROTC units are a vibrant and vital part of our Southern Miss community. To have an officer of General Budraitis’ stature invest his time with our Army ROTC cadets was greatly appreciated,” said Dr. Winstead.

Most importantly, BG Budraitis spread his pride in being part of an organization of service, as he stated in closing during his address to the cadets, “there is no greater feeling than being an American Soldier.”

Among BG Budraitis’ previous assignments include: Senior National Guard Advisor to the Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., and previously, he served as Commander of the 1108th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group.

BG Budraitis holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from William Carey University and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the United States Army War College. He is a graduate of the Aviation Officer Basic Course, Aviation Officer Advanced Course, the United States Army Combined Arms Service Staff School, the United States Army Command and General Staff Officer Course, and the United States Army War College.

Learn more about Southern Miss Army ROTC and scholarship opportunities.