LEARN LEADERSHIP FROM THE BEST
LTC Lowell Hilty, Professor of Military Science
E-mail: lowell.hilty@mail.wvu.edu
LTC Lowell Hilty became the Professor of Military Science in January 2025. He commissioned into Active Duty as an Engineer Officer in 2007 through the ROTC program at Youngstown State University in northeastern Ohio where he graduated with a B.E. in Civil Engineering. His previous assignments include Platoon Leader with the 643rd Engineer Company and Executive Officer 561st EN CO in the 84th EN BN stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. As a Captain he served on the USARPAC staff on Fort Shafter, Hawaii; S4, AS3, commanded the 984 EN CO with the 92nd EN BN and commanded B Co, 9 BEB, 2 IBCT, 3 ID stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. After command he completed a master’s degree and served as a Project Manager with USACE at the Sacramento District Headquarters. As a Major he served in the Engineer Cell and G35 Section of the 4 ID before battalion S3 and XO roles with the 52 BEB, 2 SBCT at Fort Carson, Colorado. Most recently he is coming from Hohenfels, Germany where he served as an Engineer OC/T at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center. He earned the Basic Parachute Bade, Ranger tab and has deployed once to Mosul, Iraq and once to Kandahar, Afghanistan. LTC Hilty currently lives in Morgantown with his wife, Ashley Hilty and their three boys Elam, Oren and Ellis.
MSG Kevin Dellinger, Senior Military Science Instructor
E-mail: kevin.dellinger@mail.wvu.edu
MSG K. Michael Dellinger brings more than 19 years of military experience to the WVU ROTC program as the Senior Military Science Instructor (SMSI). Originally from Strasburg, Virginia, he enlisted in the United States Military in July 2007. Throughout his military career, he has served in a variety of leadership and operational positions, including Dismount Scout, 25mm Gunner, MK19 Gunner, Section Leader, Platoon Sergeant, Operations Sergeant Major, Team Sergeant, and First Sergeant. His assignments include service with U.S. Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA), 1st Cavalry Division, 82nd Airborne Division, and the 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade (2SFAB).
MSG Dellinger has deployed in support of numerous operations, including Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Spartan Shield, Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Allies Refuge, and Operation European Assure, Deter, and Reinforce. He also served as part of a Maneuver Advisor Team supporting U.S. security cooperation efforts in Africa. His military education includes the Army Reconnaissance Course, Jumpmaster Course, Master Jumpmaster Course, and Combat Advisor Course.
John Dowling, Recruiting Operations Officer (ROO)
Office: (304) 293-7546 or Cell: (304) 894-6641
Email: armyrotc@mail.wvu.edu
John Dowling brings more than 41 years of military experience to the position as the Recruiting Operations Officer (ROO) where he has served since 2013. He is responsible for all facets of recruiting, enrollment-scholarship processing, and mission set management. A product of the Mountaineer Battalion and a 1989 West Virginia University graduate, Mr. Dowling retired as a colonel from the Army Reserve in 2018. Mr. Dowling has commanded units at the company and battalion level and has served as a primary, special and personal staff officer. He has been mobilized four times for contingency operations including overseas deployments to Bosnia (SFOR 12) and Kuwait (2012-13). Mr. Dowling earned a Master of Public Management degree from Carnegie Mellon University .
MAJ Kaelin Gilcrest, APMS
E-mail: kaelin.gilcrest@mail.wvu.edu
MAJ Kaelin Gilcrest serves as the Assistant Professor of Military Science for WVU ROTC. He commissioned into Active Duty as a Military Police Officer in 2011 from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. MAJ Gilcrest has served in a variety of positions in his 15 years of service. He served as a Platoon Leader, Plans Officer, and Operations Officer for the 93rd MP BN at Ft. Bliss, TX. He then deployed with the 1AD Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion to Amman, Jordan in 2015 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. MAJ Gilcrest then commanded the 40th and 902nd Military Police Detachments in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. After command, MAJ Gilcrest was assigned as a MP Team Chief OC/T and Battalion S3 for the 4-306th BDE Engineer Battalion at Ft. Stewart, GA. After graduating from the Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, KS, MAJ Gilcrest was assigned to the 14th Military Police BDE where he served as the BN XO for the 795th MP BN and BDE S3 for the 14th MP BDE. His last assignment prior to WVU ROTC was the Director of Emergency Services for US Army Garrison - Kwajalein Atoll located in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
CPT Dietrich Lutz, APMS
E-mail: dietrich.lutz@mail.wvu.edu
CPT Dietrich Lutz earned his commissioned through the United States Army Officer Candidate School in 2019 as a Quartermaster Officer after serving roughly 11 years in the Air Force Reserve. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Public Management, Leadership, and Policy from The Ohio State University in 2016. CPT Lutz's previous assignments include Distribution Platoon Leader and Executive Officer in Golf Forward Support Company, 3-69th Armored BN and BN S4, 3rd BSB, 1st BDE, 3rd ID, Fort Stewart, GA. He also served in the 101st Division Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY where he held roles as the Support Operations (SPO) Material Management Branch Chief, Commanded the 619th Quartermaster Company (Field Feeding) and served as the BN S3 OIC for the 101st DSTB. Throughout his career, CPT Lutz has deployed four times to the Middle East (Kandahar, Afghanistan; Balad, Iraq; Thumrait, Oman; Ali-al Salem, Kuwait) and twice on operational rotations (Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Grafenwoehr, Germany). CPT Lutz is a graduate of The Sabalauski Air Assault School and currently lives with his wife of 13 years, Kristen and has two children, Benjamin and Aubrey.
SSG Trisdon Bustamante, Military Science Instructor
Email: trisdon.bustamante@mail.wvu.edu
SSG Trisdon Bustamante is a native of High Point, North Carolina, and has served on active duty for 10 years. SSG Bustamante enlisted in August of 2015 into the Marines and joined the Army in August of 2020. He has served in multiple duty positions such as Armory Chief, Small Arms Repair Technician, CBRN NCO, Battalion Strength Manager, and Battalion S1 NCOIC. SSG Bustamante has deployed to the Philippines in support of Operation Pacific Eagle, and to Iraq for Operation Inherent Resolve. He is currently performing duties as the MS1 Instructor.
Chris Kinney, Senior Military Instructor
E-mail: christopher.kinney@mail.wvu.eduChris Kinney is a contractor serving as a senior military science instructor for the battalion. He retired as a major from the WV Army National Guard. He served both enlisted (engineer – active duty) and commissioned (infantry – active duty and National Guard). Chris served in the Special Operations Detachment – Europe, commanded the WV National Guard Officer Candidate School, commanded B/1-201st FA during deployment to Iraq, and has served in various staff positions, as a company executive officer, as a mortar platoon leader, and as a rifle platoon leader. Chris also has leadership experience in the FBI, where he worked for 10 years prior to joining the Mountaineer Battalion. Chris graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1996 with a degree in Mathematics. Chris and his wife, Diane, have two adult children and one grandchild. He was born and raised in Bridgeport, WV, and is a lifelong Mountaineer fan.
Sean Ruth, Military Science Instructor
E-mail: sean.ruth@mail.wvu.eduSean Ruth is a contractor serving as a military science instructor. He teaches Military Science 1 and 2 at Fairmont State and Waynesburg Universities. Sean retired from the West Virginia Army National Guard after serving 20 years with 2/19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in a variety of positions including the Parachute Maintenance Facility Section NCOIC, Jump Master, Special Forces Jump Master School Instructor, Oxygen Systems Specialist, and a Parachute Packing Inspector. He has two combat deployments. In 2005, Sean served as the Sensitive Site Exploitation Team Leader during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and in 2008 he served as the Air Operations sergeant. Before starting at the Battalion in Fall 2023, Sean spent the past four years instructing cadets at the Mountaineer Challenge Academy at Camp Dawson, Kingwood, WV. He is a Morgantown business owner, WVU alum and an avid Mountaineer fan.
Henry Sherman, Human Resources Assistant (HRA)
E-mail: henry.sherman@mail.wvu.edu
Henry Sherman brings more than 27 years of military experience to the program as a Human Resources Assistant. During his time in the Army, Mr. Sherman served as an Infantry Team Leader, Squad Leader, Recruiter, Recruiting Station Commander, Operations NCO, and Guidance Counselor. Mr. Sherman was deployed two times while serving, combat deployment to Iraq, and a humanitarian deployment to Haiti. His military education includes the Primary, Basic, and Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer Course, the Army Recruiting Course, the Recruiting Station Commanders Course, and the Guidance Counselors Course.Mr. Sherman’s past military assignments include Fort Bragg (82nd ABN Div), Fort Polk (JRTC), Fort Carson (4th IN Div), recruiting duties in New England, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg (Pa.- Operations NCO), Fresno, (CA - Guidance Counselor), and Atlanta Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS). His military awards include: Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Wings (68 jumps), Meritorious Service Medal (3 awards), Army Accommodation Medal (5 awards) & the Army Achievement Medal (7 awards). He is a WVU graduate and is currently working on a Masters in Corporate and Organizational Communications.
Schuyler Humphrey, Logistics Technician (Logtech)
E-mail: schuyler.humphrey@mail.wvu.edu
Schuyler Humphrey came to the Mountaineer Battalion from the National Park Service where he had served for two years in the maintenance department. He is a native of Fairmont, WV, and brings 10 years of military experience to the program having served in the United States Marine Corps as a supply technician. During his time in the Marine Corps, Mr. Humphrey was assigned to the Combat Service Support Detachment 36 (CSSD-36) in Iwakuni, Japan, as a supply tech, Headquarters Battalion (HQBN) 2nd Marine Division G-4 at Camp Lejeune, NC, and the Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy (SNCO Academy) at Camp Geiger, NC, as the Supply Chief. Mr. Humphrey was deployed two times for Operation Tandem Thrust - the premiere U.S.-Australia training exercise - in Shoalwater Bay, Queensland, Australia, and a combat deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005.
Charlotte Marbury, Administrative Secretary
E-mail: charlotte.marbury@mail.wvu.edu