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By Robin Nelson '22, Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets  - December 6th, 2024

Six-man Project Atlas Rucks team to depart Texas A&M University’s campus on Dec. 11 for hike through the Colorado mountains.

Six members of Texas A&M University’s Corps of Cadets will participate in a 1,000-mile, 10-day ruck march across Colorado this month.

The ruck march, a fundraiser for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, began as a service initiative known as Project Atlas Rucks in 2017 by members of the Corps’ Company H-1.

Following the Corps’ consolidation of Company H-1 at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 school year, Project Atlas did not occur in the fall 2022 semester. The efforts were revitalized in the fall of 2023 when eight cadets from Company P-2, several of whom were former members of Company H-1, revived the efforts. 

The term “ruck march” is in reference to the rucksack carried by the cadets that holds their clothing, food and water. 

This year’s team is a group of five seniors and one sophomore cadet: Nico Barerra of Sugar Land; Zack Hampton of Austin; Max Hulen of Charleston, South Carolina; Christian Lange of Austin; Zach Lehmann of Keller; and Matthew Reckleben of Tucson, Arizona. Four of the team’s members participated in last year’s ruck, which exceeded the project’s $15,000 fundraising goal by nearly $500.

“It’s such a great opportunity to take part in an event like this and to do what we can to give back to the heroes who sacrificed so much for our freedom and their families. It’s truly a blessing to continue this tradition that was started years ago,” said Lehmann, Project Atlas’ co-lead.

This year’s trip will begin in the early morning on Dec. 11, when the team will drive from Texas A&M’ to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. “We wanted to select an area that would challenge us with high elevation and cold weather during the ruck. Our route will pass through several landmarks, including Camp Hale national monument as well as the towns of Vail and Leadville,” Lehmann said.

The team has a goal to raise $15,000 for the SOWF over the course of the journey. Note as of 12/10/24: the team has raised their fundraising goal to $20,000

“These cadets have selflessly elected to spend the first part of their winter breaks serving a very worthy cause. They’re exemplifying the Core Values and leadership development that the Corps experience is rooted in. We’re proud of this year’s group for keeping such a special tradition going and we hope they know that the entire Corps is supporting them along their way,” said Lt. Gen. Chip Utterback, Commandant of the Corps of Cadets.

The team is scheduled to complete its 10-day ruck march on Dec. 22 in Buena Vista, Colorado.

To date, Project Atlas has raised a cumulative $89,436 for the SOWF, which benefits children of military special operators who have died or been injured while serving our nation. The foundation ensures that those children have access to comprehensive educational support, from primary to post-secondary school.

“This ruck is significant to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation because many of the fallen Special Operations personnel whose children we support were A&M graduates. This ruck event honors their sacrifice, while helping fund the education of their children,” said Sean Joseph Corrigan, executive vice president of the SOWF.

“The commitment, sacrifice, and effort that goes into the Project Atlas Ruck march align with what drives Special Operations Forces (SOF). The event honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice and pays tribute to the families who lost their SOF Operator. Texas A&M should take great pride in those who participate in this event. It is uniquely Aggie,” continued Corrigan said.

A link to give to the Project Atlas campaign can be accessed here.

Regular updates about this year’s Project Atlas Ruck march will be posted on the @aggiecorps Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and @projectatlasrucks on Instagram and Facebook. 

Update (12/16/24): The team has completed 500 miles of its cumulative 1000 mile journey. They have raised $13,992 of their $20,000 goal. 

Media Contact: Robin Nelson, Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets, [email protected]

By Robin Nelson '22, Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets  - November 7th, 2024

One of the Corps’ oldest traditions, gameday march-ins occur ahead of each home football game and feature an active duty reviewing officer. Brigadier General Craig McPike, deputy commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service and a former student at Texas A&M, returned to Aggieland to serve as the reviewing officer ahead of the game against Bowling Green.

As a student, McPike spent his time on campus as a member of Company E-1 in the Corps of Cadets, Texas A&M’s Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (AFROTC) and the 1989 Texas A&M Football team. While on the football team, McPike was a part of the 12th Man Kick-off Team, a unit comprised entirely of walk-on players.

After graduating from Texas A&M and completing his time in AFROTC, McPike began a career of service in the United States Air Force. Over the course of his Air Force career, McPike has flown in various combat and combat support missions, accruing over 3,700 flying hours across different flight operations. Today, he serves as the Deputy Commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service.

McPike cites his time as a cadet and a member of the football team as the foundation for his success as an Air Force Officer.

“I am very thankful for the leadership opportunities that Texas A&M and the Corps of Cadets gave me throughout my time as a student. The leadership foundation that Texas A&M instilled in me was something that I was directly and efficiently able to translate into my career with the Air Force.”

The Journey to Texas A&M

After initially planning to attend the United States Air Force Academy and play for their football team, McPike was encouraged by his local congressman to explore Texas A&M and their Corps of Cadets.

“My congressman, Joe Barton, had himself attended Texas A&M and encouraged me to check out membership in the university’s cadet Corps. So I went home and visited with my high school counselor and he just so happened to know the head admissions counselor at Texas A&M,” McPike said.

“The counselor at Texas A&M immediately asked if I was interested in the Corps of Cadets and my question back was, ‘does that mean I get to potentially go into the Air Force?’. Of course he said, yes. So that’s where it all happened, that’s how my choice to attend Texas A&M came to be,” McPike continued.

McPike’s dreams of playing football at the collegiate level carried over onto this new path, impacting the Corps unit he chose to join.

“I played four years of varsity football and baseball in high school, and knew it was something I wanted to continue to pursue. The admissions counselors at the time recommended that I join Company E-1, the Athletic Company, because there’d be some more flexibility for me to pursue membership on those teams.”

A Unique Aggie Experience

After arriving on campus, McPike, a Civil Engineering major and freshman in Company E-1, tried out for both the baseball and football teams.

“I tried out for the baseball team in the fall of my freshman year, and they didn’t take any walk-ons that year. But, that spring, I made the upcoming football team and found myself a part of the 12th Man Kickoff Team,” McPike said.

“So my sophomore year, I was able to play for R.C. Slocum in his first year as head coach. Being in Company E-1 gave me the flexibility to miss the Corps’ evening formations and march-ins to Duncan Dining Hall for football practice. The company was comfortable with me doing that because being athletic is what we’re known for,” he continued.

The support of his Corps buddies throughout his time on the football team continues to be a stand out detail of McPike’s Aggie experience.

“After I made it, I wasn’t a starter but there was one moment against SMU that stands out to me. We were winning by quite a lot and the coaches had decided to send out the 12th Man Kick-off team, and that was my first time physically on the field,” McPike said.

“My buddies were just so proud of me following that experience. After the game, they came up and just expressed how excited they were for me. It's one thing to be on the team, but to get to actually go out there and run a play was so amazing,” he continued.

Following his time on the football team, McPike spent his junior and senior years in leadership positions within Company E-1.

“It all worked out really well because I was fortunate enough to be selected to serve as E-1’s First Sergeant my junior year and the Commanding Officer my senior year. In all, it was a great experience and I gained a lot of friends and leadership experience,” McPike explained.

“To be a company commander was a big responsibility, but it was also very rewarding. The chances I was given to lead here at Texas A&M inspired me to continue on and lead airmen in the future.”

For McPike, his experience as a cadet leader was summarized in one defining interaction.

“I just remember that, at the end of my senior year, one moment in particular gave me the assurance that I had done a good job as a leader. At Parents Weekend, we gave the reins to the junior class and they gave each of the seniors a Company E-1 t-shirt with a nickname on the back,” he continued.

“The nickname they gave me was ‘The Example’. That was a great assurance for me that I was the example that they needed to follow as rising commanders. It was also a great testament to the year we had spent together in E-1.”

Advice to Future Leaders

For those interested in pursuing membership in the Corps of Cadets, McPike says that the experience is worth it.

“If you’re interested in membership in the Corps of Cadets, take a hard look at what that looks like. I think it's an accomplishment that you’ll be really proud of, being able to join, get through all four years and wear those senior boots. There’s a lot of magic and emotions there in that experience that I can hardly explain,” McPike said.

“Being an Aggie in itself is a brotherhood and a sisterhood like no other. The ring that we all wear is recognizable world wide. I’ve been all over the world and I’ve seen someone with an Aggie Ring and there’s just an instant bond. Then, to find out that they were in the cadet Corps is just an even bigger embracement of that bond.”

No matter what path you choose to take, McPike says there’s importance in doing the right thing and pushing yourself toward excellence.

“Make the right choices, even when no one is watching. The lessons I learned on the football field and in the Corps were that you get what you put into it, so if you’re working out and you don’t put in that last set or if you’re supposed to be running and you just jog through the finish line, we’re all going to know it on gameday,” he said.

“Just make sure that you’re always working as hard as you can because you’ll really be proud of yourself at the end of the day if you’ve left everything out there on the field.”

Within the Corps of Cadets, there are 41 different home units that students may join.  Each of these units, also referred to as “outfits”, are unique with their own personalities, traditions and special focuses. 

For Company A-2, their identity is strongly rooted in the Aggie Ring, with members of the unit known as the “Keepers of the Ring”. A-2’s tie to the iconic Aggie symbol is showcased through the unit’s distinctive Ring Day efforts. 

In the days before each Ring Day, A-2 cadets coordinate with The Association of Former Students to determine an evening for the unit to clean the Haynes Aggie Ring Statue. The statue, which has sat in the Association’s Haynes Ring Plaza since 2009, is central to each Ring Day, serving as a popular photo location for new ring recipients and a physical symbol of the Aggie Network. 

“Cleaning the ring is a unit wide effort, with each class year contributing to the process in their own way. We clean the statue to symbolically and physically support the student body during this important weekend for them,” Victoria Lord ‘25, Executive Officer of Company A-2, said. 

Each member of the outfit has a unique role in the cleaning of the statue, determined by their classification. 

“Typically we let the freshmen do the ‘fun stuff’ like actually cleaning the ring and scrubbing it down because as the newest members of A-2, they’re the most excited to clean it and should be inducted into our family whenever possible. The sophomores and juniors supervise and pitch in when they can, while the seniors have the exclusive privilege of cleaning the top of the ring,” Nicolas Brannstrom ‘25, Commanding Officer of Company A-2, explained.

“The sophomores and juniors in the operations and logistics chain contact the Association and plan a good time for us to go out, and it is the senior class’ responsibility to set a good tone and get everyone excited for the event,” Brannstrom continued.

For those in the unit who have received their rings, this unique act of service carries a more personal meaning.

“As someone who has earned their ring, it means a lot to see the statue all shined and beautiful, not to mention how happy it made my mom,” Robert Early ‘26, and A-2’s First Platoon Sergeant, said. 

Members of Company A-2 are also highly encouraged by outfit leadership to volunteer on Ring Day as their schedules permit. 

“Volunteers on Ring Day serve in a variety of roles. When we put our names on the volunteer sheet we’re told where to go and what to do. This past ring day Mia Palacios ‘27 and I were indoor ushers and crowd control, while Thomas Koch ‘28 and others were holding signs outside and ushering families into the building. We serve where we can and we always show up to celebrate cadets that we know who are getting their rings as well,” Brannstromm said. 

“We take pride in serving others on Ring Day because that’s just what good Aggies do: celebrate with our fellow Aggies whether we know them personally or not. We also get to see the fruits of our labor, seeing students take pictures with the ring that we just shined days before really puts our efforts into perspective,” he continued.

Though unique in its unit-specific traditions, Company A-2’s efforts play into the Corps’ identity as Texas A&M’s “Keepers of the Spirit” and “Guardians of Tradition”.

“When you join the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, you’re taking on a challenge by choice. There are countless other leadership organizations on this campus and countless ROTCs around the nation, but our dedication to tradition here make us one of a kind,” Early said. 

“The ring is a symbol of our values. Whenever I see the Aggie ring outside of College Station, I can’t help but feel like I’ve run into a family member. Making the largest ring on display looking its best is a great way to live the core values. We are lucky we are Aggies, as our essence is to serve others."