LEARN LEADERSHIP FROM THE BEST
LTC Lowell Hilty, Professor of Military Science
LTC Lowell (Eron) Hilty assumed duties as the Professor of Military Science in January 2025. He commissioned onto 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 Bravo Co., 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2 IBCT, 3rd Infantry Division stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. After command he completed a master’s degree and served as a project manager with Army Corps of Engineers at the Sacramento District Headquarters. As a major he served in the Engineer Cell and G35 Section of the 4th Infantry Division before battalion S3 and XO roles with the 52nd BEB, 2 SBCT at Fort Carson, Colorado. Most recently he is coming from Hohenfels, Germany, where he served as an Engineer Observer Controller/Trainer at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center.
LTC Hilty earned the Basic Parachute Badge and Ranger tab. He deployed once to Mosul, Iraq and once to Kandahar, Afghanistan. LTC Hilty currently lives in Morgantown with his wife, Ashley, and their three boys Elam, Oren and Ellis. E-mail: lowell.hilty@mail.wvu.edu
MAJ Leon Geiger, Assistant Professor of Military Science
MAJ Leon Geiger assumed duties as an Acting Assistant Professor of Military Science in May 2024. He commissioned onto active duty through ROTC at Lehigh University, Allentown, PA, and graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Alvernia University in 2013 as an ROTC Scholarship recipient. Previously, He served as Platoon Leader, 139th MP Company; Platoon Leader and Executive Officer, 546th MP Company, 385th MP BN, Fort Stewart, Georgia; Plans Officer (Forward) and Assistant S3, 3rd Group (CID), Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia; and Plans Officer, 519th MP BN Company Commander, 258th Military Police Company, Fort Johnson, Louisiana. His deployments include Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, with duty in Jordan and Afghanistan and as the Crisis Response Force at the Southwest Border of the United States. He also holds a master’s in leadership from Alvernia University and a master’s in business and organizational security management from Webster’s University. MAJ Geiger lives in Morgantown with his wife, Caitlyn Floyd Geiger, and their three sons. E-mail: leon.geiger@mail.wvu.edu
MSG William O'Neal assumed responsibility as the Senior Military Science Instructor in Fall 2023. A native of nearby Mount Pleasant, Pa., he initially enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1996 as a Motor Transport Operator (88M), but transitioned to active duty on September 21st, 2000, earning the 19K MOS as an armored vehicle crewman at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he earned the Armored Vehicle Crewman MOS (19K).
His career has covered a number of armor assignments both stateside and overseas including: tank driver, tank gunner, tank commander (1-13 AR), observer-coach trainer (OC-T, 1-34 AR), platoon sergeant (DDHB, 1ID), battalion master gunner (1-64 AR), battalion operations OC-T (1 ABCT), brigade master gunner, culminating in two first sergeants billets (3-69 AR & 1-64 AR) before arriving in Morgantown.
MSG O'Neal has four combat deployments, three times to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn, once to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and multiple deterrence deployments to Europe and Korea. MSG O'Neal's military education includes the Basic Airborne School, Warrior Leader Course, Advanced Leader Course, Army Instructor Training Course, M1A2 SEP Tank Commander's Course, Combatives levels I, II, and III, Senior Leader Course, Abrams Master Gunner Course, Commander/First Sergeant Course, and the Master Leader Course. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Upper Iowa University and is a recipient of the Oder of St. George.
MSG O'Neal's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (2 awards), the Meritorious Service Medal (4 awards), the Combat Action Badge, Basic Parachutist Badge and the Master Gunner Identification Badge among several others. E-mail: william.oneal@mail.wvu.edu
CPT Josh Crissey, APMS & Army National Guard Liaison
CPT Joshua Crissey is the Assistant Military Science Instructor for MS IVs and the S3/Operations Officer for the Mountaineer Battalion. He commissioned as an Armor Officer from West Virginia University with a B.S. in Exercise Physiology in August of 2017. He also earned an M.S. in Safety Management from WVU in Spring of 2019.
Following completion of Armor Basic Officer Leadership Course, CPT Crissey served as Scout Platoon Leader in the 1-150th Cavalry Squadron (WVANG) for 38 months during a deployment train-up cycle, National Training Center rotation, and deployment to Tower 22 along the Syrian DCZ in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Upon redeployment, CPT Crissey attended the Army Reconnaissance Course and entered the AGR program with the WVANG, serving as the 1-150th S4/Sustainment Officer for 18 months. He is married to Madison Crissey, a West Virginia University grad (2018), and a registered nurse at Ruby Memorial Hospital. E-mail: jjcrissey@mail.wvu.edu; Phone: (304) 293-7558
SFC John Skowyra, Military Science Instructor
SFC John Skowyra is a 20-year Army veteran and a native of Warren, Massachusetts. An Infantryman, SFC Skowyra has served with the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) as well as serving on detailed recruiting and drill sergeant assignments. He deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from October 2005 through March 2006 and January 2007 through March 2008, as well as deploying to Tunisia as a member of Task Force Currahee from September 2019 through March 2020.
SFC Skowyra’s awards and badges include the Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Senior Rated Jumpmaster Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge, Drill Sergeant Badge and Recruiter Badge among others. He is a graduate of the Senior Leaders Course, Advanced Leaders Course, and Warrior Leaders Course. SFC Skowyra earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Post University in 2018. He has been married to his wife Kendra since 2012. E-mail: john.skowyra@mail.wvu.edu
SSG Trisdon Bustamante, Military Science Instructor
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. Email: trisdon.bustamante@mail.wvu.edu
John Dowling, Recruiting Operations Officer (ROO)
John Dowling brings more than 39 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 .
Office: (304) 293-7546
Cell: (304) 894-6641
Email:
armyrotc@mail.wvu.edu
Chris Kinney, Senior Military Instructor
Sean Ruth, Military Science Instructor
Charlotte Marbury has more than 30 years of experience as a WVU employee
assigned to the Mountaineer Battalion. She plans and coordinates all special
events such as commissioning and award ceremonies. She also works closely with
the potential Cadets in scheduling DODMERB physicals and follow-up appointments.
Office: 304-293-7579
E-mail: charlotte.marbury@mail.wvu.edu
Henry Sherman, Human Resources Assistant (HRA)
Henry Sherman brings more than 25 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.
Office: 304-293-7561
E-mail: henry.sherman@mail.wvu.edu
Schuyler Humphrey, Logistics Technician (Logtech)
Schuyler Humphrey cames 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.
E-mail: schuyler.humphrey@mail.wvu.edu