Georgia Regents University (GRU) held its Spring Formal at the Jaguar Student Activities Center on the GRU Campus in Augusta, Ga., with over 300 in attendance.The Jaguar ROTC Battalion’s guests included Dr. Gretchen B. Caughman, the university’s executive vice president and provost; Maj. Gen. LaWarren Patterson, commanding general, U.S. Army Signal Center of Excellence; Command Sgt. Maj. Ron Pflieger, the center’s command sergeant major; and Brig. Gen. Jeff Foley, USA, Ret., GRU vice president for military and global outreach.The guest speaker was Maj. Gen. Byron S. Bagby, USA, Ret., vice president of The ROCKS, Inc., for ROTC Programs.The ROCKS began as a metropolitan Washington, D.C., organization with one chapter. It was incorporated in 1994 as a non-profit 501c(3) organization, comprised of active duty, reserve, retired, ROTC cadets, and former commissioned officers of the armed forces, widows and widowers of deceased members, and other uniformed services.The ROCKS has grown steadily to a membership of almost 1,200 members in over 20 chapters world-wide.The ROCKS National Board has established the following focal points:Be recognized as the premier mentoring and coaching organization supporting the Army.Revitalize its chapters by focusing on: Increased membership, mentoring and coaching.Providing mentoring and recruiting support to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.Maintaining strong relations with U.S. Army Cadet Command.Continuing strong scholarship programs.Aligning board members with chapters for support and assistance.Developing a strong relationship with the Army leadership.The Jaguar Battalion excelled by accumulating a number honors. Of the 10 cadets from the Jaguar Battalion who attended the Leader Development Assessment Course at Joint Base Lewis – McChord, Wash., five earned Distinguished Military Graduate honors. In 2012, the battalion was presented the Cadet Command’s distinguished award for quality recruitment.Capt. Pedro Rivera, assistant professor of military science, was named the command’s Instructor of the Year for 2013, receiving the Colonel Leo A. Codd Memorial Award.Also, Sgt. 1st Class Heriberto Reyes, an NCO training instructor in the Jaguar Battalion, was named the 2012 Cadet Command NCO of the Year. Reyes received the award after competing against NCOs from more than 270 schools across the nation.The GRU professor of military science, Lt. Col. Keith Cantrell, said, "The Jaguar Battalion’s success is in part because we have set our standards well above that which is acceptable to others. Plus, we’re blessed with a set of cadre who are tremendously talented and create an atmosphere where cadets want to perform exceptionally."