East Stroudsburg University will host its 16th annual Veterans Day Celebration Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. to recognize local veterans, servicemen and servicewomen in all branches of the armed services. The celebration will be in Beers Lecture Hall.

In addition, there will be a military observance adjacent to the “Julia” statue at the front campus circle. Julia was originally acquired by East Stroudsburg State Normal School alumni in 1919 to commemorate and honor the school’s servicemen and women who had died in World War I.

The keynote speaker for this year’s event is Lt. Col. Michael S. Gielbeda.

Gielbeda is the 111th Operations Support Squadron flight commander of the Communications section and Cyber Operations Officer at Biddle Air National Guard Base in Horsham.

He authored the first-ever deployment strategy for the Indo-Pacific theater, enhancing the future Defense Intelligence Agency Very Small Aperture terminal network capabilities to deliver communications services in degraded environments, while fortifying Pacific Air Forces’ ability to implement the commanders agile combat employment concept.

In his civilian capacity, Gielbeda served as a telecommunications and network engineer for MCI WorldCom between 1997 and 2002; and as a telecommunications network engineer and project manager for JetBlue Airways between 2004 and 2009. Between 2009 and 2018, he worked as a network engineer and project manager for AECOM.

Gielbeda is currently employed as a network engineer in Clifton, N.J.

The Veterans Day program will also include the armed forces medley, a wreath laying by ESU President Kenneth Long and Gielbeda, a three-volley salute by the Monroe County Joint Veterans Honor Guard, and the playing of taps.

A reception will be held following the program in the foyer of Zimbar-Liljenstein Hall.

For more information, contact June Pepe at 570-422-2812 or at veterans@esu.edu.