The heart of Liberty Battalion retires after 50 years
“Sheila has been the constant,” said Army Capt. Melanie Mance, assistant professor of military science at Northeastern and the battalion’s executive officer.
She may not have a dress uniform bedecked with medals or lead early morning workouts at Carter Field. But ask any cadet, officer or civilian the question of who’s in charge of Liberty Battalion, the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps hosted by Northeastern University, and you’ll get the same answer: Sheila Hutchins.
“Sheila is the Liberty Battalion,” said Tara Knighten, a Department of the Army civilian with 2nd “Freedom” Brigade Army ROTC, which oversees ROTC programs in much of the northeast, including New England.
For nearly 50 years, Hutchins has been the university’s staff assistant for Liberty Battalion, organizing a team of six Army officers, three civilians from the Department of the Army and about 115 cadets every year from Northeastern and other Boston-area universities.
Officers typically move on in two to three years and cadets eventually graduate and receive their commission, but, “Sheila has been the constant,” said Army Capt. Melanie Mance, assistant professor of military science at Northeastern and the battalion’s executive officer.
“She gives the best hugs, is the best person to bounce ideas off, and helps solve any problem,” Mance said. “She’s the reason I come into work as early as I do.”
A half-century of Hutchins’ service is now coming to an end, however, as she officially retires at the end of May.
“Over the course of your remarkable tenure, the Liberty Battalion has commissioned 1,243 cadets — each one a testament to your tireless commitment, your guidance, and your belief in the next generation of leaders,” Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun wrote in an official citation recognizing her achievements and presented to Hutchins at a retirement celebration in April.
Aoun noted that Hutchins has worked with 16 different professors of military science over the course of her 50 years, “bringing continuity, institutional knowledge, and steadfast dedication to a program that has defined Northeastern’s proud tradition of service to our nation.”
Her dedication is exemplified by grace and good humor, Army Lt. Col. Steve Fennessy, professor of military science at Northeastern and the battalion’s commander, told cadets and officers past and present, Hutchins’ family, and colleagues at the retirement celebration.
“We tend to be competitive in the service, and we go to Sheila for affirmation,” Fennessy said.
He recalled how he once asked Hutchins how he compared to his 15 predecessors.
“She said, ‘you’re somewhere in the top 16,’” Fennessy recalled.
Hutchins’ colleagues also noted that, as a civilian employed by the university, Hutchins has habits that are perhaps not typical of the army.
“She will never curse — but she will say ‘what a banana!’” Mance recalled, explaining that cadets are usually criticized in stronger language than Hutchins chooses.
Hutchins also has no qualms with questioning officers, which is widely frowned upon in the army.
“One thing that I’ll remember from Sheila is that the cadre [of officers] will goof something up every day — often an administrative action or something with cadet command,” Fennessy said. “So, we go back to Sheila … and her most common refrain is, ‘You should just try doing what I told you to do the first time.’”
Hutchins’ involvement with the ROTC dates back to her own time at Northeastern, when she served in the corps from 1973-1975. It’s also where she met her husband, Paul. She was ultimately medically disqualified, however, and went to work in the office in 1977. She said she considered the job “a continuation of the service” in the ROTC.
“My job is to serve the cadets and the people in the office to make their lives easier,” Hutchins said.
Cadet Brett Vara described Hutchins’ dedication.
He recalled emailing Hutchins “in a state of panic” after being told at a training exercise that a broken finger injury from a year earlier would prevent him from commissioning.
Less than 10 minutes later, he said he received a message from Hutchins saying, ‘It’s OK, we’ll figure it out.’
With that exchange, “My mindset went from complete and total panic to calm,” Vara said, calling Hutchins the “cornerstone” and a “fixture” of the battalion.
Vara will be commissioned in May.
Second Lt. Erica Vonn, a member of the 2025 Commission Class, credited Hutchins with helping her find dietitian programs following her graduation from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She is now enrolled in the U.S. Army-Baylor University Master’s Program in Nutrition.
“She is why I am now doing what I’m doing,” Vonn said.
But most importantly, Hutchins has taught cadets elements of leadership that they can’t learn just from the classroom, the gym or their basic training.
“What truly matters is that we produce leaders in character … leaders who treat others with respect, leaders who willingly shoulder more than their fair share of the task, and leaders who approach their work with a sense of duty, not for personal gain, but to help others and help the organization,” Fennessy said. “That perfectly encapsulates Sheila’s time in the organization.”
Reflecting on her time, “it doesn’t seem like it’s been 50 years,” Hutchins said. But then she thinks back to all the cadets she has watched come through the program, grow up and mature into adults. “It’s been a journey.”
