PROVIDENCE — Maj. Michael P. Manning, a decorated veteran of the Iraq war, will be the commencement speaker during the Providence College graduation ceremony on May 18.

Manning, of South Kingstown, is deployed as the operations officer with Special Operations Detachment-Global in the Rhode Island Army National Guard.

He graduated from Providence College in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in history. As a commissioned officer, Manning has seen tours in Germany, Kosovo and, most recently, Iraq. As commander of the 173rd Infantry Company, Manning received the Bronze Star medal for his service in Iraq.

During his career, Manning also served as an instructor of military science at his alma mater, and later, first coordinator of the State Partnership Program in the National Guard, a program that builds relationships between Rhode Islanders and citizens of the Bahamas.

During the event, the university will award five other honorary degrees. Recipients will be Frank Caprio, chief judge of the Providence Municipal Court; Zygmunt J. Friedemann, a former Providence College political science professor and former state representative; the Rev. Gregory Ramkissoon, founder of Mustard Seed Communities; Fay Frank Rozovsky, an attorney and faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University who was one of the first women to attend PC; and Austin D. Sarat, senior adviser to the dean of the faculty at Amherst College in Massachusetts.

The ceremony will be at 11 a.m. at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence.