Alik has been invited by the commanding officer of the Naval Station at Pearl Harbor and by Cornelius himself.
The commissioning ceremony is a reflection of the rich heritage and tradition of the Navy, and the ceremony will commission Cornelius as a chief warrant officer two — a mustang.
A mustang is an officer who has come up through the enlisted ranks and earned his commission by merit and through sustained performance.
During the ceremony, Cornelius will receive the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (Gold Stat in lieu of second award) for his meritorious service as port operations department leading chief petty officer at Pearl Harbor from Feb. 2007 to May 2009.
While in Hawaii, Alik will also have meetings with the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, Adm. Timothy J. Keating, and the FSM citizens serving in the U.S. armed forces who are based in Hawaii.
Alik will also tour some of the military sites.
These meetings and visits will be coordinated by the FSM Consulate Office in Honolulu, Hawaii and with the assistance of the U.S. Embassy in Pohnpei.
