Texas A&M University Announces 2025 Campus Muster Speaker

The Aggie Muster Committee has named Lt. Gen. Michael L. Downs ’92 as the keynote speaker for the 2025 Campus Muster ceremony. The event will take place on Monday, April 21, at 7 p.m. in Reed Arena.

Downs earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Texas A&M University, where he was commissioned as a ROTC Distinguished Graduate in 1992. He was a member of Squadron 15 and the Ross Volunteer Company.

Downs is the associate director for military affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C. He serves as the military adviser to the CIA director and leads coordination and integration efforts between the CIA and the Department of Defense to maximize the United States’ global advantage.

Prior to his current position, Downs served as the vice director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. In that role, he synchronized the Joint Staff to enable strategic direction and ensured effective information flow across the military branches, combatant commands, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and interagency partners. His work provided timely recommendations to the defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in support of national security objectives.

He has participated in joint and combined operations in the Central Command, Indo-Pacific Command and Southern Command areas of responsibility. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. His staff assignments include headquarters tours at Air Force Special Operations Command, United States Forces Korea, Combined Forces Command, United Nations Command, Air Staff and Joint Staff. Muster Committee officials say Downs’ exemplary service perfectly embodies the Aggie Spirit.

Aggie Muster is one of Texas A&M’s most revered traditions, bringing Aggies together to reflect on their time at the university and honor fellow Aggies who have passed in the last year. Campus Muster is the largest of more than 200 ceremonies worldwide, uniting thousands of Aggies to celebrate the Aggie Family — past, present and future.

The 2025 ceremony will welcome honored family members and the Class of 1975 for its reunion. In addition to Downs’ address, the event will feature the Ross Volunteers and the Corps of Cadets buglers, along with remarks from the university and student body presidents, the chair of The Association of Former Students, and the Muster Committee.

Doors will open to the public at 5 p.m., and the ceremony will begin promptly at 7 p.m. The Muster Ceremony provides a moment to reflect on Aggie traditions and allows honored families to feel the embrace of the Aggie community.

Following the keynote speech, the “Roll Call for The Absent” will take place. This solemn reading of names ensures each Aggie is remembered. As each name is called, a loved one will respond with “Here,” signifying their spirit’s everlasting presence.

For more details on the Campus Muster ceremony, including the “Roll Call for The Absent,” visit The Association of Former Students’ website. Additional information about Downs and other Muster events is available at muster.tamu.edu.