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 Two cadet military awards to be presented

           During the military dress parade Friday, Feb. 18, The Citadel, Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation and Society of the Cincinnati will present awards to two first-class cadets.

           Cadet Kyle David Packard of West Des Moines, Iowa, will receive the prestigious Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation award. Cadet Lt. Col. Olivia Perry-Smith of Littleton, Colo., will be presented with The Society of the Cincinnati Citadel Medal.

           The Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation presents its annual award to outstanding cadets of the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States. Cadets are recognized for excelling in athletics, academics and leadership in the Corps of Cadets and excelling by the standards set by the AMCSUS.

           A German major, Packard is a 2001 graduate of Valley High
School. He is scheduled to graduate from The Citadel in May. Upon his graduation, he will be commissioned into the U.S. Army as an infantry officer. Packard finished No. 1 among 350 students in his regiment at the Army's Leadership Development and Assessment Course last summer.

           While at The Citadel, Packard has excelled in his academics and military training. He currently serves as commander of 4th Battalion where Packard oversees more than 500 cadets. He is credited with instituting changes in 4th Battalion designed to improve the academic and military performance of the battalion. He is active in the Triathlon Club, Cordell Airborne Rangers and The Citadel Honors Program. Packard also is the recipient of the Army ROTC four-year scholarship, the Walter Ballard Clark Military Merit Award, General Hartzog Scholarship. He is Airborne and Air Assault qualified. He was a Citadel Summer Scholar to Germany and is a member of Delta Phi Alpha German Honor Society and Phi Kappa Phi for outstanding academic performance in his class.

           The prestigious The Society of the Cincinnati Citadel Medal is
given annually to the senior cadet officer who best exemplifies the combined qualities of a good soldier and a good citizen - characteristics of the patriots who fought to obtain America's freedom and which the Society pledges to perpetuate. These citizen-soldier characteristics are modeled after Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, a Roman farmer who became a successful general, and charter members of the Society of the Cincinnati, include George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Marquis de Lafayette.

           An English major with a minor in world history, Perry-Smith is the commander of 3rd Battalion where she oversees more than 500 cadets. She is a cadre Writing Center tutor and a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Alpha Theta and Sigma Tau Delta honor societies. She has received several honors and awards to include Gold Stars for academic excellence, Dean's List, President's List and Commandant's List and is the recipient of several scholarships. Her campus activities include Campus Crusade for Christ, Star of the West Citadel Summer Scholarships program, Presidential Aide and cadre.

           Perry-Smith and Packard are scheduled to graduate in May.

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