Fort Leavenworth, Kan., -- Former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. (ret) John "Jack" Keane, spoke to a group of nearly 400 military officers graduating from the Command and General Staff College today.

Keane, who served 37 years in the Army and is a 1976 CGSC alum, was the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army when he retired in 2003.

The ILE course is designed to develop war-fighting and leadership skills necessary for military officers to be proficient in full spectrum operations.

Nearly 400 students graduated at 9 a.m. in the Lewis and Clark Center, including 46 international, 292 Army, and 48 sister service officers.

• MAJ  Jessie L. Sjoberg, USMC, earned the General George C. Marshall Award, presented to the distinguished graduate in each regular class in recognition of scholarship and leadership.

• MAJ Kyle L. Solomon, Canada, earned the General Dwight D. Eisenhower Award, presented to the most outstanding international student for military scholarship.

• MAJ James R. Embry, AR, earned the General George S. Patton, Jr. Award, presented to the student who demonstrates the most distinguished performance as a Master Tactician.

• MAJ Norman B. Hodges IV, LG, earned the Major General James M. Wright award, presented to the class’ Distinguished Master Logistician.

• MAJ Richard T. Cranford, MP, earned the Birrer-Brooks Award for Outstanding Master of Military Arts and Science thesis. MAJ Cranford also earned the Arter-Darby Military History Writing Award which recognizes serious scholarship regarding the military profession.

• MAJ Jay H. Anson, SC, earned the General Douglas MacArthur Military Leadership Writing Award which recognizes outstanding writing on the subject of military leadership. Maj Anson also received the earned the Excellence in Joint Command, Control, Communications, Computer and Intelligence (JC4I) Writing Award and the earned the Excellence in Joint Service Warfare Studies Award, endowed by the Military Officer Association of America and presented to the student who contributes most significantly to the study, implementation and spirit of joint-service warfare.

• LTC Ghalib Alhaqbani, Saudi Arabia, earned the Major General Hans Schlup Award, presented in honor of excellence in International Relations.

• MAJ Charles D. Milliner, LG, earned the Homeland Security Studies Award, presented by the CGSC Foundation in recognition of excellence in homeland-security research.

• MAJ John G. Papalitsas, Australia, earned the Father Donald W. Smythe Military History Award, endowed by Armed Forces Insurance and presented for excellence in history studies.

• LTC Frederick Choo, Singapore, earned the Brigadier General Benjamin H. Grierson Award for Excellence in Strategic Studies.
• MAJ Sonja L Bruce (MP), MAJ Jesse Sjoberg (USMC) and MAJ Ariunbat Purevdoj (Mongolia), earned the Iron Major Award, presented in recognition of outstanding physical fitness.