By Lori Leath Smith
The Northwest Military Officers Association (NWFMOA) Annual Scholarship and Awards Luncheon in May saw eight scholarships awarded totaling $25,500 to JROTC cadets at six of our communities’ local high schools and one $4,000 scholarship awarded to a local ROTC cadet at the University of South Florida.
NWFMOA board members Maj. Dave Parisot, USAF, Ret., and president of the Scholarship Fund, Lt. Col. George Colton, Lt. Col. Bob Allen, Lt. Col. Fred Westfall, Col. Karl Eschmann and Lt. Col. Charles Farmer establish the scholarship policies and procedures, review and score the applications, and interview the applicants in March and April each year.
“The MOAA Medal was crafted to recognize leadership and academic achievements of ROTC and JROTC cadets,” said Maj. Parisot. “It is presented annually to specially selected junior year students who are participating in ROTC or JROTC programs throughout our country and who exhibit high potential for military leadership. This award reflects the cadet’s superior accomplishments and support of his or her high school Junior ROTC program, high academic achievements and service to school and community. This award further reflects the high regard of each school’s JROTC instructors.”
“When you hear what they [these students] have done, you know our nation is in good hands,” said Brig. Gen. Fran Hendricks, chapter president.
Begun last year, NWFMOA continued its program of naming its scholarships in honor of deceased NWFMOA Chapter members. Following are this year’s JROTC scholarship recipients:
1. Cadet Col. Dawn Kerwin, Fort Walton Beach AFJROTC, received the Lt. Col. James “Jim” Heavener, USAF, Ret., and Mrs. Una Heavener Memorial Scholarship – $4,500.
2. Cadet Col. Mark Almazan, Fort Walton Beach AFJROTC, received the Dr. Howard Fisher, Lt. Col., USAFR, Ret., and Mrs. Irene Fisher Scholarship – $3,000.
3. Cadet Petty Officer First Class Jacob Herrera, Navarre NJROTC, received the Dr. Fred Westfall, Lt. Col., USAF, Ret., and Mrs. Janet Westfall Scholarship – $3,000.
4. Cadet Col. Paige Lettelleir, Choctawhatchee AFJROTC, received the Mrs. Chong Cha (Kim) Parisot Memorial Scholarship – $3,000.
5. Cadet Lt. Col. Maziah Davis, Crestview Army JROTC, received the Cdr. Olive Clyde Locke, USN, Ret., Memorial Scholarship – $3,000.
6. Cadet Maj. Jeremy Figueroa-Olmeda, Choctawhatchee AFJROTC, received the Col. Richard “Dick” Prater, USAF, Ret., Memorial Scholarship – $3,000.
7. Cadet Maj. Kelvin Lora, Baker School Army JROTC, received the Col. Jack Gardner, USA, Ret., Memorial Scholarship – $3,000.
8. Cadet 1st Lt. Alissa Easley, Niceville AFJROTC, received the Col. Donald Panzenhagen, USAF, Ret., Memorial Scholarship – $3,000.
9. Cadet Col. Kayla McCarthy, AFROTC, University of South Florida in Tampa criminology major, received the Col. Douglas L. ‘Doug’ Hardin, USAF, Ret., Memorial Scholarship – $4,000.
Three local high school seniors who have received appointments the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colo., were also honored and selected for the USAFA Class of 2027: Olivia Beard and Alexander Davidson, both Fort Walton Beach High School, and Therese Sherwin, Niceville High School.
Maj. Parisot also recognized two retiring JROTC Senior Instructors: Col. Mark Batcho, USAF, Ret., is retiring after seven years at Fort Walton Beach High School AFJROTC, and Maj. Scott Bates, USAF, is retiring after 11 years of leading the Choctawhatchee High School AFJROTC. During their tenures, these instructors have influenced more than 3,500 JROTC cadets.
NWFMOA is a local, non-profit organization of more than 200 local active, retired and separated officers, including warrant officers, who have served in one of the eight uniformed services: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force, Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The membership also includes surviving spouses who belong in an auxiliary member context.
In addition to scholarships, one of NWFMOA’s missions is to purchase gift cards at the base commissary to distribute to young enlisted families in grades E-4 and below to purchase food. NWFMOA partners with the Eglin and Hurlburt First Sergeant Councils, the 7th Special forces Group and the Military Family Readiness Centers at Hurlburt and Duke Field to distribute the gift cards to their neediest enlisted families. In the past three years, this local chapter has donated 610 commissary gift cards of $25 each, for a combined value of $15,250! The chapter also advocates for Wreaths Across America, Bob Hope Village, and other community outreach projects.
