Forty troopers graduated from the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) Training Academy on March 21 after completing 28 weeks of rigorous training. The graduates were scheduled to report to their assigned posts on March 23.
According to an Ohio State Highway Patrol news release, Trooper Seth M. Them of Bellville, Ohio, was among the 40 graduates. He was assigned to the Mt. Gilead Post in the Cambridge District, which encompasses Knox, Licking, Morrow, Delaware, Madison, Franklin, Pickaway, Fairfield, and Perry Counties.
The news release said that graduates like Them will spend their first 70 working days in a field training period under the supervision of a veteran officer. The new graduates were distributed across 28 of OSHP's 59 posts.
The release further detailed that the graduates completed courses in crash investigation, criminal and traffic law, detection of impaired drivers, firearms training, physical fitness, self-defense, and emergency vehicle operations. Trooper Madison H. Myles from the Athens Post was selected as class speaker and expressed gratitude to the academy and cadet family members for their support during training.
Four graduates received special honors for outstanding performance in various fields of study at the academy. These included overall performance and top driving performance by Trooper Ronald R. Morgan IV from Glanville Post; top academic performance by Trooper Derek G. Basinger from Lisbon Post; top firearms performance by Trooper Ethan L. Barrett from Lisbon Post; and top physical fitness performance by Trooper Devin M. Bousquet from Chillicothe Post.
Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson and Col. Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent, delivered remarks during the graduation ceremony according to the news release. Ohio Department of Veterans Services Director Deborah Ashenhurst gave the commencement address to the 175th Academy Class. The oath of office was administered by Fairfield County Court of Common Pleas Judge David A. Trammer.
