Army Reserve 2nd Lt. Tiffany J. Hekele has graduated from Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga., and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
During the 12 weeks of training, the officer candidate received “basic soldiering” instruction in leadership, professional ethics, soldier team development, combined arms tactics, weapons defense, combat water survival, squad drill, intelligence, field training exercises, day and night land navigation, confidence obstacle course, common core tasks, communications, staff and general military subjects, and physical fitness tests which include three, four and five-mile runs, and foot marches between 5-12 miles carrying rucksacks.
The candidate is tested on leadership skills and team work abilities required of a commissioned officer.  Students learned to utilize acquired skills to function in “leader and follower” positions in squad and platoon sized elements, and evaluated in various leadership garrison positions while in a stressful and demanding field environment.
Hekele is the daughter of Terry Hekele of Great Bend. A 1998 graduate of Hoisington High School, she received a master’s degree in 2002 from The University of Kansas.