College of the Ozarks held a campus ceremony honoring the renewal of the Memorandum of Agreement between College of the Ozarks and the Missouri National Guard on Nov. 18. Current Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard, Major General Levon Cumpton, and College of the Ozarks President Brad Johnson were present to reaffirm the memorandum.

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — College of the Ozarks held a campus ceremony on Nov. 18 honoring the renewal of the Memorandum of Agreement between College of the Ozarks and the Missouri National Guard. This agreement establishes the authorizations and procedures governing the College of the Ozarks Bobcat Guard Officer Leadership Development (GOLD) Program.

Established in 2018, the College of the Ozarks GOLD Program is the latest of five Missouri Army National Guard (MOARNG) GOLD programs throughout the state. The Bobcat GOLD Program prepares eligible students to commission as Army officers in the MOARNG upon graduation.

The ceremony was held at the College of the Ozarks William S. Knight (WSK) Center for Patriotic Education. Attending the event were College of the Ozarks faculty, staff, and students. The current Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard, Major General Levon Cumpton, and College of the Ozarks President Brad Johnson were present to reaffirm the memorandum.

Johnson gave a welcome and formal greeting for the audience gathered in the WSK Center.

“The Bobcat GOLD program stands as a creative leadership and service partnership between College of the Ozarks and the Missouri National Guard,” Johnson said. “It is an honor and a delight on this 18th day of November 2022 to reiterate our commitment to the patriotic mission of the College and our partnership with the Missouri National Guard in a formal way through this ceremony.”

Cumpton reaffirmed the partnership between the Guard and the College and encouraged those in attendance.

“It’s a part of who we are, it’s a part of our American culture, to stand up for what is right,” Cumpton said. “We’re a freedom-loving nation and back to what College of the Ozarks represents, what’s right, I don’t think there is any better college to represent that. I’m so very proud of you. I’m proud to be a part of this. I’m proud of our young men and women who commit to defend our nation and support our state when called to duty.”