As the U.S. Army celebrates its 247th birthday on June 14, one of its newest Second Lieutenant’s prepares for his first assignment as an officer.
Glasgow, Kentucky, native Christian Loos graduated from the University of Louisville in May 2022 as a Distinguished Military Graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Learning degree. He was commissioned into the Adjutant General Corps and is preparing to head to the Adjutant General Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
During his time at UofL, Loos was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society and was a routine volunteer in the UofL and Fort Knox communities. He was recognized along with a fellow U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet after they provided first response and aid to victims in a multiple vehicle collision during their morning commute to campus. Another special memory from his time at UofL was being chosen as one of three individuals to represent the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps during a special campus-wide commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Christian said his favorite UofL moment was being recognized as Salute to Service honoree on-field at a football game with his wife and children.
Prior to commissioning, Loos was an active-duty Sergeant First Class. He earned his degree and commission via U.S. Army Cadet Command’s Green-to-Gold program, in which eligible active-duty enlisted soldiers earn a baccalaureate degree or a two-year graduate degree and earn a commission as an Army officer.
Loos served as a Cavalry Scout at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Camp Casey, Republic of Korea, and Fort Lewis, Washington. He also temporarily served as an Army Recruiter at the U.S. Army’s only Special Categories Recruiting Station. While stationed in the Republic of Korea, Christian served on a forward station in close vicinity to the Demilitarized Zone and assisted in the demobilization of the 7th Cavalry regiment.
Christian served in multiple positions of leadership, including Platoon Sergeant, and was a distinguished Honor Graduate from multiple levels of Army Non-Commissioned Officer professional development. His favorite Army experiences were “training and mentoring soldiers” when operating as the Senior Scout and Vehicle Commander within a Stryker Platoon out of Fort Lewis, Washington.
Among the many awards Loos earned during his enlisted career were the prestigious title of Excellence in Armor. He also earned multiple Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medals, and Army Good Conduct Medals, as well as the Korean Defense Service Medal; the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal; the Recruiter Gold Badge and the Drivers Badge.
Loos said he chose to pursue his degree at UofL to enable his family to be close to extended family for a while. He intends to use the skills and experience he gained in his degree program to help build effective teams during his Army career. He has plans to pursue a master’s degree.
Christian lauded the support provided to military-connected students at UofL, especially the support provided from Kristen Roy and Carissa Gentry in the Office of Military and Veteran Student Services, as well as his “outstanding academic adviser” from the College of Education and Human Development, Chelsea Wicks. He also cited two dedicated faculty from the Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Learning program, Roger Buskill, and Kristie Ennis, and the outstanding cadre of the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps unit, particularly Captain Dakota Walker.
