About OCS
Mission, History, and Management
Our Mission
To recognize and honor high school enlistees and their commitment to military service and to provide parents/guardians of enlistees with community support as their son or daughter transition into military service.
About OCS
Our Community Salutes (OCS) is a national, non-profit organization helping communities recognize, honor and support high school seniors who plan to enlist in the U.S. Armed Services after graduation.
OCS was founded in 2009 by educator and former U.S. Army officer, Dr. Kenneth Hartman, to provide enlistees and their parents with guidance, information, resources and community support from like-minded enlistees and parents as their son or daughter transition into military service.
Our Community Salutes includes community leaders, government officials, educators, businessmen, and veterans who feel strongly in the importance of community support and recognition of the patriotic young adults who will enlist in the military after graduation.
Our Community Salutes was founded in 2009 with our inaugural OCS of South Jersey community.
OCS is a 501c3 non-profit organization with a GuideStar Bronze Seal of Transparency.
How OCS Began
Founder Ken Hartman on how the idea for Our Community Salutes came about, and why the impact of OCS has been so meaningful for students, parents, and their community.
The General Colin L. Powell Memorial Service Award
The General Colin L. Powell Memorial Service Award, named after General Colin Powell, U.S. Army (Ret.), is a public service award that is presented to high school counselors in recognition of providing guidance, counseling and mentoring for students as they assess their accomplishments, talents, and interests as they move forward in their lives. The award is provided to guidance counselors in each local community, and represents all counselors within the school’s program whose service, compassion, and commitment serve as an example for all of us. Awardees are nominated by military recruiters in their community, and sponsored by USAA.
2026 General Colin L. Powell Memorial Service Award Recipients
Kathleen Gibbons, C Milton Wright High School, OCS of Baltimore, MD
Devearl Royster, Aberdeen High School, OCS of Baltimore, MD
Lee, A. Stuart Blount, Searcy High School, OCS of Central Arkansas
Bianca Pilewski, Watson Chapel High School, OCS of Central Arkansas
Grace M. Dellinger, Oakland Mills High School, OCS of Central Maryland
Vicky Thong, Middletown High School, OCS of Connecticut
Lisa Sweeney, Waterford High School, OCS of Connecticut
Alex Ramirez, Westminster High School, OCS of Denver, CO
Stephanie Busby, Palacios High School, OCS of Houston, TX
August Lee, Alvin High School, OCS of Houston, TX
Jasmine Thomas, Colleton County High School, OCS of Low Country, SC
Sara A. Ellis, Ashley Ridge High School, OCS of Lowcountry, SC
Amanda Waln, Nettleton High School, OCS of Northeast Arkansas
Ashtyn Edmonson, Jack Britt High School, OCS of Fayetteville, NC
Andrea “Renee” McCleod, Scotland County High School, OCS of Fayetteville, NC
Amanda Carl, Umatilla High School, OCS of Orlando, FL
Tracey Lawrence-Asby, Cocoa High School, OCS of Orlando, FL
Scott Zemba, Penn Hills Senior High School, OCS of Pittsburgh, PA
Marissa Foreman, Oceanside High School, OCS of San Diego, CA
Jessica Flores, Del Lago Academy, OCS of San Diego, CA
Riana Barber, Anclote High School, OCS of Tampa, FL
Kristine Lois Hensley, Wiregrass Ranch High School, OCS of Tampa, FL
Susan Martin, Churchville-Chili Senior High School, OCS of Western New York
Phil Huey, Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies, OCS of Northeast North Carolina, CA
Dr. Kenneth Hartman
Dr. Kenneth E. Hartman is an educational entrepreneur, having served nearly four-decades as a university president, professor, senior academic administrator, and consultant to for-profit companies and investors in the higher education sector.
Dr. Hartman currently serves as the Founder and President of “Our Community Salutes”, a national nonprofit organization that he founded in 2009 to honor and support graduating high school seniors who plan to enlist into the military following high school graduation. To date, OCS has honored over 350,000 high school senior enlistees and their family members at OCS Ceremonies across the country (including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands).
From 2020 to 2023, Dr. Hartman produced and broadcasted AMERICA SALUTES, a star-studded tribute to our nation’s high school enlistees that featured well-known celebrities, music artists, professional athletes, and senior military leaders. In 2022, actor Gary Sinise served as the celebrity host for AMERICA SALUTES 2022, that reached over 10 million people in 160-plus countries.
Dr. Hartman is the author of numerous books and scholarly publications, and is an active presenter at industry conferences. Additionally, Dr. Hartman has served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army, authored a nationally syndicated newspaper column, and could be seen for nearly a decade as the technology reporter for NBC News (WCAU-NBC10) in Philadelphia.
Dr. Hartman holds an undergraduate degree from The State University of New York at Geneseo, a master's degree from Michigan State University, and a doctorate degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Recent awards and recognition include:
National Intelligence Distinguish Public Service Medal
Legion of Honor Gold Medallion Award, Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation
Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Medal (Camden County, NJ)
Fox Nation Most Valuable Patriot Award
US Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award
Department of the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
New Jersey's Governor's Jefferson Medal for Public Service
George Washington Medal from the Freedoms Foundation
Bunker Lab's Humility and Honor Award
Penn Educator of the Year Award from The University of Pennsylvania
Excellence in Education Award from State University of NY at Geneseo
Awards
Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
Dr. Ken Hartman receives award from the U.S. Army Recruiting Command on behalf of OCS
15 May 2015
“For your outstanding and unwavering support of our service members, their families, and recent enlistees from 2009 to present. Your successful collaboration of the”Our Community Salutes” program in partnership with our military liaisons, provided quality community support to the military’s newest enlistees. Your unmatched patriotism embodies the core values of a patriot in a true humanitarian, which reflects great credit upon yourself, the United States Army Recruiting Command, and the United States Army.”
Allen W. Batschelet, Major General, USA, Commanding
Additional Awards Include:
2020 Jewish War Veterans of New Jersey, “2020 Group of the Year Award”
2019 Fisher Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award, U.S. Dept. of Defense
2018 New Jersey State Governor’s Jefferson Award for Public Service
2017 George Washington Medal (Freedoms Foundation)
2017 Humility and Honor Award (Bunker Labs)
2016 Outstanding Civilian Service, Association of the United States Army