St. Mary’s College of Maryland senior Justin Harty has been awarded the prestigious Commandant’s Trophy—the highest award bestowed on an officer candidate by the U.S. Marine Corps. Harty was selected for his exceptional academic performance, physical fitness, and demonstration of leadership in Officer Candidate School (OCS).
Major General Joseph L. Osterman will present Harty with the trophy during halftime at the men’s basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 1. The game will take place in the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics & Recreation Center Arena, starting at 4 p.m. The Commandant’s Trophy will then reside at St. Mary’s College for the next year.
Harty, who is team captain and defenseman on the Seahawk men’s lacrosse team, was also given the Leadership Award for having the highest leadership average of the Platoon Leaders Class program, which consists of over 400 officer candidates from around the country.
He recently sat down with the Lex Leader to talk about his experience as a Marine officer-in-training, his love of the Marine Corps, his family’s tradition of service and the great expectations he now faces. Watch the full interview here. And, read more about Harty’s achievement in this Burlington County Times article.