Virginia State Police Welcomes 58 New Troopers to Serve

Media Release – January 20, 2022

RICHMOND – On Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, the Commonwealth will graduate its 135th generation of Virginia State Troopers. The 58 new troopers will be presented their diplomas during commencement exercises at 10 a.m. at the State Police Training Academy located at 7700 Midlothian Turnpike in North Chesterfield County. Governor Glenn Youngkin will speak at the graduation ceremony.

“Completing the training here at the Virginia State Police Training Academy is no easy feat, and when you add the challenges COVID has brought, the bar is raised even higher,” said Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent. “These 58 Trooper-trainees have put their heart and soul into becoming the very best troopers they can be. I am impressed with their resiliency and dedication during the last 27 weeks.”

The new troopers have received more than 1,300 hours of classroom and field instruction in more than 100 different subjects, including de-escalation techniques, strategies to assist people in mental health crisis, ethics and leadership, fair and impartial policing, constitutional law, emergency medical trauma care, and public and community relations. The members of the 135th Basic Session began their 27 weeks of academic, physical and practical training at the Academy July 6, 2021.

The soon-to-be graduates of the 135th Basic Session are from every corner of the Commonwealth, as well as Ohio, Oklahoma, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Vermont and the countries of Germany and Mongolia.

Upon graduation, the new troopers will report to their individual duty assignments across Virginia the week of Jan. 31. For their final phase of training, each trooper will spend an additional six weeks paired up with a Field Training Officer learning his or her new patrol area.

Media are welcome to attend.

135th BASIC GRADUATING CLASS

NameHometownAssignment
Alijia Danielle Monet AnnonHenricoHenrico
Justin Aaron ArmesStuartHenrico
Zachary Cole BaileyEwingFluvanna
Stone Lee BakerBoykinsSurry
Kennedy Jerome Barbour, Jr.WilliamsburgJames City
Jonathan Y. BazilLynchburg Charles City
Lucas Jeffrey BeallAccomackAccomack
William Brady BlankenshipPowhatan Culpeper
Johnathon Daniel BlitzRichmondHenrico
Michelle Lynn CarneyRoanokeCulpeper
Christopher John CaudillOld BridgePrince William
Mark Wade ChamberlainMount AiryHanover / Henrico
Jeffrey Michael DenseAlpine, New YorkFairfax
Austin Lee EdwardsPounding MillHenrico
Robert Lane FaulkenberryLane, OklahomaDinwiddie
Dimitrice John FinleyChesapeakeSpringfield
Justin Carl GrableLouisaClarke
Nathanael Scott Hall  ForestDinwiddie
Sarah Francis Halperin Hardwick, VermontNorfolk / Virginia Beach
Jonathan Wesley Hawk Emporia Sussex
Nicholas H. Henderson Cape May, New JerseyPrince William
Logan Allan HinnantFredericksburgPrince William
Nicole Noelle HobbsHiltonsFrederick
Emma Clare HodgePowhatanNorfolk / Virginia Beach
Alex Jamal Holley Newport NewsSpringfield
Matthew Samuel Honey FairfaxSpringfield
Luke J. Horvath Schenectady, New YorkCampbell
Logan James Houston QuintonMathews
Steven Rex HuffmanLouisaHanover / Henrico
Brian D. Hurlimann Rochester, New YorkStafford
Kenneth Ray Jamison DanvilleBedford
Scott Andrew Jeltema Bitburg, GermanySpringfield
Jeffrey Scott Keeney Virginia BeachNorfolk / Virginia Beach
Corey James Klak ChesapeakeNorfolk / Virginia Beach
Alexis Mykayla Kovach ChesterfieldHenrico
Sean Michael Laychak Springfield Prince William
Kortney M. Leazer RemingtonBedford
Joo No LeePlainview, New YorkSpringfield
Griffin Downey Martin BraceyCumberland
Kortney Evan Terrell McGhee New York, New YorkHighland
Michael Ryan MiddletonAshburnFairfax
Chance Allen Morris PowhatanSpringfield
Robert Dale Morris La CrosseHenrico
Samuel Patrick Norris PulaskiRoanoke
Alex Hoon Pak FairfaxFairfax
James Robert Davis Pettry Big Stone GapBedford
Andrew Schuyler Poff Shawsville Botetourt
Justin Alexander Ratowski Hunlock Creek, PennsylvaniaPrince William
Joshua Tyler Stahl Toronto, OhioHanover / Henrico
Malik Rashad Staton Clinton, MarylandPrince William
George Pendleton Stephenson, Jr. SeafordHanover / Henrico
Eli Steven Thies HarrisonburgHenrico
Gungaajargal Turek Ulaanbaatar, MongoliaJames City
Daniel Ryan Urban YorktownCumberland
Eric Grant Vitatoe HaysiGloucester
Alexander B. WallaceStauntonOrange
Matthew Dennis Weinholtz Buffalo, New YorkFairfax
Daniel Andrew Wood PowhatanHanover / Henrico

Regional Media Contacts

Find VSP on Facebook!