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The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets is extremely fortunate to be guided by the examples of a unique group of commissioned officers and civillian personnel who help us to carry out the mission of the Corps. Each member of this diverse group brings a different and valuable perspective to the day to day operation of the Corps.

Please select a staff member from the list on the right side, or scroll down the page to learn more about them.

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Major General Jerrold P. Allen, USAF (Ret.)

Major General Jerrold P. Allen, USAF (Ret.) is Commandant of Cadets at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA.

General Allen was born in Palm Springs, CA, and graduated from high school in Brattleboro, VT. He earned a bachelor's degree in engineering management from the United States Air Force Academy in 1966, and a master's degree in business administration from Golden Gate University in 1974.

During his Air Force career, General Allen flew some 250 combat missions in Vietnam. He has commanded three wings: the 319th Bombardment Wing, 96th Wing, and 7th Wing. He also collaborated with three other officers in publishing a book on long-range planning. The general is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours in the B-52, OV-10, F-111, B-1B, and C-130. His military decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, and Air Medal with 13 oak clusters.

He was promoted to major general September 28, 1994 and served as Director of Plans and Policy at Headquarters U.S. European Command. He became Commandant of Cadets at Virginia Tech on 10 July 1999.

His wife, the former Joan Lou Grozier, is a graduate of Boston University. Their son Craig is an Air Force fighter pilot and their daughter Crystal is a professional ballet dancer.

Professional Affiliations:

Major General Allen is active in the leadership of the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States. He served as president of this organization during the 2006-07 academic year.

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Lieutenant Colonel William Stringer, USMC (Ret.)

Lieutenant Colonel William Stringer, USMC (Ret.) is Deputy Commandant of Cadets for First Battalion.
Lieutenant Colonel Stringer was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force in June 1972 after graduating from the U. S. Air Force Academy with a degree in International Affairs. Resigning his commission in the Air Force, he was recommissioned a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in April 1978.

Lieutenant Colonel Stringer has served in a variety of operational, staff, and command billets at the company, battalion, Marine Expeditionary Brigade, and Headquarters Marine Corps levels. His fleet Marine Force duty assignments have included Operations Officer, Executive Officer, and Battalion Commander of a motor transport battalion, Commanding Officer of a Combat Service Support Detachment, and Operations Officer for a conceptually new organization, Support Battalion, 3rd Force Service Support Group. Other assignments have included Staff Secretary, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade, and Ground Officer Assignment Monitor, Headquarters Marine Corps. Lieutenant Colonel Stringer retired from the Marine Corps in September 1997 after three years as a faculty member of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College where he twice received the Elihu Rose Award as the College's most outstanding educator. He is currently serving as a Deputy Commandant of Cadets for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and as an Adjunct Faculty Member of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College.

Lieutanant Colonel Stringer's personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (with gold star), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (with gold star), Navy Achievement Medal (with gold star), and several other service, expeditionary, and unit citations/medals.

Lieutenant Colonel Stringer is married to the former Jane Wendling of Dayton, Ohio. The Stringers have one daughter, Erin.

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Captain James Snyder, USN (Ret.)

Captain James S. Snyder, United States Navy (Ret) is Deputy Commandant of Second Battalion.

Captain James S. Snyder, a native of Pennsylvania and graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, received his commission via the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Scholarship Program. Following his commission and basic surface warfare training, he served principally on frigates and operational staffs in support of cruisers, destroyers and frigates. He commanded the Knox Class frigate USS AINSWORTH. He completed six deployments including Cold War operations against the Soviet Fleet in the Atlantic Ocean, North and Mediterranean Seas; maritime interdiction ops off Central America, Lebanon and Haiti; counter-drug ops in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific areas; and served on the Task Group Commander’s staff for the 1986 US strike on Libya.

Ashore, Captain Snyder was assigned as a recruiter in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and served four tours in Washington, DC - on the Joint Staff, the Navy Staff, and as the Navy Representative to the Congressional Commission on Military Training and Gender-Related Issues. Selected and assigned to major command, he served as Commanding Officer, Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare Training Center, San Diego, California. For his final assignment, Captain Snyder was the Professor of Naval Science and Commanding Officer of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at Virginia Tech. He is a graduate of the National War College and attained a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma.

Captain Snyder completed over 30 years of commissioned Naval Service, before retiring and joining the Commandant's Staff in September 2004.

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Lieutenant Colonel Charles Payne, USA (Ret.)

Colonel Charles T. Payne is Deputy Commandant of Cadets for Third Battalion.

Colonel Payne joined the U. S. Army in July 1973. Upon completion of Basic Training, Advanced Individual Training, and Airborne School, he reported to the 82nd Airborne Division as a private in December. During his seven years as an enlisted soldier, Colonel Payne served as a mortarman in the 1st and 3rd Battalions, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, as a gunner in H Company, 3rd Infantry (The Old Guard), and as a Drill Sergeant at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

Upon graduation and commissioning from Officer Candidate School in August 1980, and attendance at the Infantry Officer's Basic Course and Ranger School, Colonel Payne reported to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division, where he served as Heavy Mortar Platoon Leader, Rifle Platoon Leader, Battalion Mortar Officer, and Company Executive Officer. In November 1985, he was assigned to Europe and spent three years with the Berlin Brigade, where he served as Battalion S3 Air and Company Commander. After command, he attended graduate school for two years, whereupon he taught military history at the U. S. Military Academy from 1990 to 1993.

His next assignment was with the U. S. Army Special Operations Command, where he served as Deputy Chief of Current Operations. Afterward, Colonel Payne's next three years were spent in the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, where he served as Brigade Logistics Officer, Battalion Executive Officer, and Brigade Executive Officer. In 1997, he was assigned as the Professor of Military Science at Oklahoma State University. Colonel Payne's last active duty Army assignment was in the Pentagon, where he served on the Army staff as a resource analyst. He retired at the grade of LTC after 28 years of service in July 2001 and was selected as Deputy Commandant for the 3rd Battalion with duty beginning 1 July 2001.

Colonel Payne holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Sciences from Campbell University and a Master of Arts Degree in History from the University of Georgia.

His awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Ranger Tab, the Pathfinder Badge, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Colonel Payne has two children, Jason and Jennifer, and is married to the former Helen Fletcher of Wichita, Kansas.

Professional Affiliations:

Colonel Payne is an active member of the Society for Military History.

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Colonel "Rock" Roszak, USAF (Ret.)

Colonel Rock Roszak is a 1971 graduate of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and currently serves as Director for Corps Alumni Programs.

Colonel Roszak's hometown is Staunton, Virginia. He performed 27 years of active duty service in the United States Air Force. He received his navigator wings in 1972 and achieved a final rating of combat-ready Master Navigator, accumulating over 2,000 flight hours in a variety of aircraft, most notably in the B-52D/F/G, B-1B, and KC/C-135.

His assignments include a number of staff tours where he performed duties as special assistant to the USAF Chief of Staff and as the liaison officer for strategic aircraft programs to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. In 1991, Colonel Roszak entered the arms control arena in Washington, D.C. and spent two years leading the technical negotiations to assist the Former Soviet Union in dismantling their nuclear weapon launch systems. He spent his final four years of active duty as the commander of the Virginia Tech Air Force (VTAF) ROTC detachment. During his period as commander, the VTAF became the sixth largest AFROTC detachment in the country and led the nation in scholarships awarded to Air Force cadets.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters. He received his B.S. in Business Management from Virginia Tech in 1971 and a M.A. in General Studies from Texas Christian University in 1978. His professional military education credentials include Air Force Squadron Officer School in 1977, Air Command and Staff College in 1985, and the National War College in 1990.

Colonel Roszak is married to the former Patty Loveless of Arlington, Virginia, and alumna of Virginia Tech. They have two daughters: Amy, a 1995 Tech graduate; and Kelly, who graduated from Tech in 1998.

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Colonel Dave Miller, USA (Ret.)

Colonel Dave Miller, USA (Ret.) is the Deputy Commandant for Leader Development.

Col. Miller served over 26 years in the Regular Army, commanding at all levels through brigade, including a four year tour as commander of the Data Systems Unit of the White House Communications Agency.

His military education includes Armor Officer Basic, Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course, Command and General Staff Officer’s Course and The Army War College. Colonel Miller holds a Masters degree in Educational Technology from LSU, a Masters degree in Computer Resource Management from Webster University, and is currently working on a doctorate at Virginia Tech.

He has two grown children and three grandchildren from a previous marriage. He and his wife Suzanne live in Blacksburg with their two teenagers.

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Major Rewa Mariger, USN (Ret.)

Major Mariger, a graduate of Purdue University, served eight years in the U.S. Navy. She received her commission via the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Scholarship Program. Following her commissioning and basic surface warfare training, she served aboard the combat logistics steam ship, USS SHASTA (AE-33), as the Combat Information Center Officer. During the second half of her three year tour on SHASTA, she completed a six month deployment in the Arabian Gulf as the Auxiliaries and Electrical Officer and as the Intelligence Officer.

For her follow-on sea tour, Major Mariger was privileged to be hand picked to be one of the first women to serve aboard a Pacific Fleet cruiser, the USS PORT ROYAL (CG-73). She served as the Strike Officer, Public Affairs Officer, and Female Crew Integration Officer. She completed another six month deployment aboard PORT ROYAL, qualifying for Tactical Action Officer and serving as the Tomahawk Launch Area Coordinator for three Battle Groups during increased tensions with Iraq. Upon returning to Hawaii, she transferred to Commander Third Fleet’s staff to train deploying battle groups in Tomahawk tactics developed while on PORT ROYAL’s cruise, before reporting to shore duty as the Junior Class Advisor.

She attained a Master of Business Administration in Marketing and E-Commerce from Virginia Tech in 2001, and spent five years conducting research for the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute before joining the Commandant’s staff in March 2006.

Major Mariger is married to Dr. S. Christian Mariger of Logan, Utah. The Marigers live in Blacksburg and are the proud parents of one daughter, Danya Collette.

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Lieutenant Colonel Gary Jackson, USA (Ret.)

Lieutenant Colonel Gary N. Jackson, USA (Ret), is currently serving as Assistant Director for Undergraduate Admissions for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.

Lieutenant Colonel Jackson was born June 12, 1956 in Richmond, VA, and was raised there through graduation from Manchester High School in 1974. He attended Virginia Tech, and was a member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, the Regimental Band, the Military Honorary Society of Scabbard and Blade, and the Baptist Student Union. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management in June 1978.

His professional military education includes the U. S. Army Engineer Officer Basic Course, 1979, the U. S. Army Engineer Officer Advanced Course, 1986, U. S. Army Command and Staff Service School, 1990, and the U. S. Army Command and General Staff College, 1994.

LTC Jackson earned his commission as second lieutenant following graduation from Virginia Tech in 1978. Following initial officer basic training, he went on to several assignments in Combat Engineering, Recruiting, ROTC, and Facility Engineering. LTC Jackson served in specific units such as the 548th Engineer Battalion, 63rd Engineer Company, and 20th Engineer Brigade at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Other units of assignment were the Richmond Recruiting Battalion, 972nd Engineer Battalion, Virginia Tech Army ROTC, 81st Regional Support Command, and the U. S. Army Reserve Command.

LTC Jackson retired after twenty two years of service, June of 2000, and resides in Blacksburg, VA with his wife and two daughters, Sarah and Rachel.

LTC Jackson has served the Office of Undergraduate Admissions since August, 2000. His significant military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Forces Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.

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Major George McNeill, USA (Ret.)

Major McNeill is the band director of the Highty-Tighties.

Major George McNeill, a retired member of the United States Army, comes to the Highty Tighties after 22 years of military service in the Army Band Program. Upon completion of AIT at the Naval School of Music in 1968, Major McNeill was assigned to the 324th US Army Band, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. In 1975, he was reassigned to the 296th Army Band in Camp Zama, Japan.

In 1979, he returned to the US to serve with the First US Army Band, Fort Meade, MD until his retirement in 1990. Major McNeill took over as band director for the Highty-Tighties in 1992 and has overseen the rise of the band in terms of numbers and musical quality.

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Leketa Miller

Mrs. Leketa Miller is currently serving as the Commandant's Executive Assistant. Recently nominated for the President's Award for Excellence, she has served the university with distinction for 20 years and has been a key member of the Commandant's staff for the past 10 years.

Major General Jerrold Allen states, "Mrs. Miller's strongest attribute is her absolute dedication to the university motto, "that I may serve." Mrs. Miller is the key to the success of important Corps operations. For example, university housing officials have praised her effective management of housing 750 cadets in three buildings. She is the expert in virtually everything we do; I have heard cadets say "If you want to do something right, see Mrs. Miller for help."

Mrs. Miller repeatedly makes the effort to serve all of her customers - the public, cadets, parents, staff, the university, and the Commonwealth - with excellence. "Clearly she is the most capable and most committed to service of the dozens of executive assistants with whom I have worked in my 40-year career" says Major General Jerrold Allen.

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Carol Beasley

Carol Beasley is the Executive Assistant for the Corps of Cadets Alumni Programs.

Ms. Beasley retired as an E-9 after twenty years in the Navy and Naval Reserves. As an outdoor enthusiast, she holds a Bachelor of Recreation degree from Mars Hill College and an Associate of Arts degree in Photography from Chowan College. She joined the Corps' staff in August 2003 after holding an administrative and web design position at the Virginia Tech Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

Her responsibilities include programming alumni events, developing and maintaining the Corps Alumni Website and database, and providing customer service and communication between alumni. She recently received an Office Software Skills Training Program Certificate for the completion of nine classes.

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Dr. Alice Turner

Dr. Alice Turner currently serves as the Executive Assistant of the Rice Center for Leader Development. Her responsibilities include: assistant advisor for approximately 750 students seeking the military leadership minor; and special events coordinator for the Leaders in Action program and the Cutchins Distinguished Lecture series. She has been acknowledged on several occasions for extraordinary contributions to the Rice Center for Leader Development.

Dr. Turner was born in Bluefield, WVA and is a graduate of Calvin Coolidge High School in Washington, DC. Through a HUD Fellowship she studied Personnel Administration at Tulsa University and later attended New River Community College and Radford University where she majored in English. She is a licensed minister and is currently attending Bethlehem Bible College and Seminary where she has earned a Doctor of Christian Education degree.

Dr. Turner has worked for the State of Virginia for approximately 19 years. After 15 years at Radford University in the Counselor Education Department, Dr. Turner came to Military Affairs in February 2002.  She is married to Rev. Jack L. Turner, and they have five adult children: Vonetta Moore, London Turner, Alicia Rudd, Capt. Juanita Fairchild, and SGT Scott Turner. They are blessed to have eight grandchildren.

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