Missouri National Guard promotes Ratcliff to major

Maj. Scot Ratcliff's new rank is pinned on his uniform by his wife Denise at a recent ceremony at the armory in Cape Girardeau.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Missouri National Guardsman Scot Ratcliff of Cape Girardeau has been promoted to the rank of major during a recent pinning ceremony at the 1140th Engineer Battalion's Headquarters Company in Cape Girardeau.

"This is a big goal I have been working towards," said Ratcliff, the 1140th's full-time administrative officer.

Ratcliff was promoted from the company grade rank of captain to the field grade rank of major on Aug. 4. The promotion was especially gratifying for Ratcliff, he said, considering there are only two slots for the rank of major in the Headquarters Company.

"It's quite an honor to be considered and selected," Ratcliff said. "I worked hard to ensure my military education requirements were met so when the opportunity came, I would be ready."

The major position is as the operations officer for the battalion, meaning that as part of his Guard weekend drill duties will be to plan orders and operations for the 1140th Engineer Battalion.

Ratcliff has an 18-year military career that includes deployment to Iraq from 2004-2005 as commander of the 1140th's Company C in Sikeston.

Ratcliff, 37, was pinned by his wife, Denise, at a ceremony at the Cape Girardeau armory last month.

"It takes a great support network at home for me to be able to do what I do here," Ratcliff said. "She's definitely the backbone of that network."

Ratcliff has four children, Justin, 18, Colleen, 16, Ethan, 10, and Isaac, 6.

Ratcliff is originally from the Farmington, Mo., area, graduating from high school there and attending Mineral Area Regional College in Park Hills, and then Southeast Missouri State University earning a bachelor's in health management and a minor in athletic training.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.

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For more information about this release, please contact Scott Moyers at 573-339-6237 or at scott.moyers1@us.army.mil

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