Congratulations, Major Crawford!

I’d like to thank Lieutenant Ben Van Meter for bringing Colton Crawford’s recent promotion to Major in the Military Science Department to our attention. This is a significant accomplishment for any Captain, as more than a third of them do not make it to the rank of Major and it often takes ten competitive years to accomplish. Crawford has been assigned to our Military Science Department for three years now. Major Crawford was previously assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division and the famed 75th Ranger Regiment.

With this promotion, Colton leaves the ranks of company grade officers (2nd Lieutenants, 1st Lieutenants, Captains) to become a field grade officer (Majors, Lieutenant Colonels, Colonels), who will have much greater levels of responsibility and expectations. Majors are the work horses of the officer ranks; their youthful vigor is paired with experience and maturity. Higher level commanders make decisions, but units move, operate, and find success based on the work of Majors.

Colton will now wear a gold oak leaf to represent his rank as Major. As far back as the Roman Empire, the oak leaf has represented authority and service to the state. The oak tree is the U.S. national tree, symbolizing that something of great and enduring strength can come from the humble acorn.

Congratulations, Major Crawford. You will be an inspiration for the cadets in our Reserve Officer Training Corps program and another example of the great faculty that we have in CAHSS and EWU.

Rob Friedman
Interim Dean
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences