Participants in the Army ROTC program are now on the fast track for future employment with one of America’s premier transportation corporations.

At a Feb. 7 ceremony, Schneider National, Inc., became the first U.S. corporation to enter into an agreement establishing of a Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) program for Army officers.

“We modeled the ROTC PaYS program on the highly successful program that has already been in place for some time through [U.S. Army] Recruiting Command for enlisted soldiers,” Maj. Gen. W. Montague Winfield, commanding general of U.S. Army Cadet Command, said.

Adding, “This program benefits everyone concerned. Schneider National will have the opportunity to interview and potentially employ graduates of our program who have leadership skills that we have helped hone to a razor’s edge.

“And our graduates will have the opportunity to compete for great management positions within a corporation that has a proven record of success.

“It’s a win-win situation for everyone. Our partnership with Schneider National is just the beginning of where we hope to take the ROTC PaYS program”

The agreement through which Schneider National became the first corporation to enter into a PaYS agreement with the Army ROTC program was signed in a formal ceremony conducted at the Marina Hotel in Hampton, Va.

Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, commanding general, U.S. Army Accessions Command, was the senior Army leader present at the signing ceremony.

Representing Schneider National were Rob Reich, senior vice president of enterprise recruiting, and Jack Copeland, director of recruiting operations.

Also present from Schneider National was Kim Thill, leadership recruiting operations officer.

Both Reich and Copeland are veterans of military service.

Reich was commissioned through the Army ROTC program at Pennsylvania State University. Copeland retired from the U.S. Air Force before assuming his current position with Schneider National.

In remarks presented to an audience of nearly 150 men and women at the event, Winfield stressed that this partnership with Schneider National was to be the first of many that will be forged between Cadet Command and corporate America.

He also congratulated Cadet Gary Shouts, who was also present at the ceremony. Shouts, an ROTC student at Western Kentucky University, is the first Army ROTC Cadet to take advantage of this new program.

“He proudly cites the influence of his father, a retired Army chief warrant officer, as part of his motivation for participating in the Army ROTC program,” a Cadet Command official said.

Shouts’ two brothers earned their commissions after completing the Army ROTC program at Western Kentucky University.

According to Reich, Schneider National has long been associated with current and former members of the armed services.

Al Schneider, the founder of the firm, originally staffed the company with friends from the National Guard.

Reich said that his company seeks out those who have a military background as employees for many reasons to include the professionalism, maturity and leadership skills possessed by those who have served in the military.

More than 22 percent of the employees of the company are military veterans.

Attendees at the ceremony had a close look at “Ride of Pride” – a patriotically decorated truck owned by Schneider National brought to Hampton for the event.

Lowell Wilderman, a retired Navy veteran who has been an employee of Schneider National for 17 years, was the vehicle’s operator.

Additional information about the ROTC PaYS Program is available at: http://www.armypays.com.