BROOKINGS — South Dakota State University welcomes two new leaders to its ROTC programs this fall. Lt. Col. Gary Priest joins as commander of Air Force ROTC Detachment 780, and Lt. Col. Heath Abraham as professor of military science for Army ROTC.
Military instruction has been part of SDSU since 1884, producing distinguished leaders including Gen. Omar Bradley, who famously called SDSU Army ROTC “the West Point of the Plains,” and Gen. William DePuy, whose 36-year career spanned three wars. Air Force ROTC Detachment 780, with its first commissioned class in 1948, continues this tradition by preparing exceptional leaders for the U.S. Air and Space Forces.
Priest, originally from western Michigan, joined SDState’s Air Force ROTC program in July. He commissioned through Air Force ROTC Detachment 390 at the University of Michigan in 2007 and has since served in a variety of communications, command and control roles. Most recently, he was the deputy director of communication at Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
Priest has deployed multiple times in support of operations across the Middle East and Indo-Pacific. He also served as battlestaff communications officer aboard the E-4B “Nightwatch” aircraft, accruing more than 400 flight hours. Prior to his current position, the lieutenant colonel was the deputy director of communication at Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
Being around young men and women who want to learn leadership and are motivated to serve has been a highlight of his assignment.
“Our cadets bring with them life experiences that prime them to be high spirited problem solvers,” he said. “The upper Midwest is known for its friendly, civic-minded communities, and growing up in and around our rural communities gives our cadets both practical skills and resilience when the going gets tough. This is a winning combination when your mission is to build leaders of character for the Air and Space Forces.”
Abraham, a South Dakota native, began his military career in 1997, enlisting in the South Dakota Army National Guard’s 153rd Engineer Battalion while still in high school.
After commissioning through the South Dakota State University ROTC program in 2003, he went on to serve in multiple leadership roles, including platoon leader during Operation Iraqi Freedom, company commander during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and later as operations officer for the 196th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade during a deployment to Africa. During this deployment, Abraham served as the deputy J-3 of operations for the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. Abraham returned from the deployment and was selected to command the 153rd Engineer Battalion in Huron.
Throughout his service, Abraham has received numerous honors, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge. In addition to his military career, he served as a police officer with the Madison Police Department, was a member of the Lake County and Madison SWAT team and served as a university safety and resource officer at Dakota State University.
Reflecting on returning to SDSU, Abraham said seeing the growth of campus and the ROTC program has been exciting.
“Having the opportunity to share with these great young men and women the importance and value of this training as they go forward with a career in the military or after they have left the service is a special time any senior officer must capitalize on,” Abraham said. “As a student, I truly enjoyed my time here at SDSU. To have come from this university’s Army ROTC program and now return as the professor of military science feels as if I’ve come full circle and is truly an honor.”
