News

Corps of Cadets to Conduct 46th Annual March to the Brazos

March 14, 2022 by amy.thompson

On April 23rd, 2,000 members of the Corps of Cadets and members of the Office of the Commandant’s staff will participate in the 18 mile round-trip march from the Quad, on Texas A&M’s campus, to the Texas A&M Beef Center just off of Highway 60/ Raymond Stotzer Parkway. The first major unit will step off from the Quad on the Texas A&M campus at 7 AM (an approximate location can be found here). The remaining major units will depart every 10 minutes afterward until all units have stepped off. The first major unit will arrive at the Beef Center at approximately 10 AM (an approximate location can be found here)

March to the Brazos is one of the Corps’ signature events, and in its 46th year, March to the Brazos is the single largest fundraising event the Corps conducts. Each year, the Corps of Cadets raises money for designated non-profit organizations.

For the 2021-2022 school year, the Corps of Cadets will raise funds to support 4 local non-profit organizations: Scotty's House, Habitat for Humanity, Twin City Mission and the Brazos Valley Food Bank.

Donations can be made in honor of a specific outfit. View the list of Corps outfits here. Follow the instructions below.

Scotty’s House/Air Force Outfits (Wings)

Select the “in honor of” pulldown box, and put the outfit in the “Please provide their name” box

Habitat for Humanity/Army Outfits (Brigades)

Select “I would like to dedicate this donation” and complete the required fields. Select “In Honor of” under Tribute Type and put outfit name in “Tribute name” box

Twin City Mission/Navy/Marine Outfits (Regiments)

Click the “In Honor” box and enter outfit name in “Dedication Name” box

Brazos Valley Food Bank/Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band

Select the outfit you would like to support via the drop down box

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Media Contact: Amy Thompson, Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, (580) 235-1053, amy.thompson@tamu.edu

March 10, 2022 by rnelson

Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Announces 2022-2023 Leadership

February 22, 2022 by amy.thompson

Thirteen students representing four states and ten Texas cities will assume senior leadership roles in the Corps of Cadets next year.

COLLEGE STATION, Feb. 22, 2022 – The largest, oldest, and most visible student organization at Texas A&M University— the Corps of Cadets—has selected their senior leadership for the 2022-2023 school year.

Three cadets were identified to fill the most senior leadership positions of Corps Commander, Deputy Corps Commander and Chief of Staff:

Corps Commander: Grayson Winchester, Fort Worth, TX.
Deputy Corps Commander: Daniel Proudman, Hopkinton, MA.
Chief of Staff: Chase Johnson. Allen, TX.

Cadets complete a thorough selection process that consists of an application and an interview with a panel of peers and staff. All applicants are evaluated on academic performance, performance in the Corps, success in previous leadership positions, peer/staff evaluations, and their leadership vision for the future.

Ten cadets were also selected to serve as Major Unit Commanders for the Corps’ ten major units:

1st Brigade Commander: Parker Teague, Huffman, TX.
2nd Brigade Commander: Jake Leible, College Station, TX.
3rd Brigade Commander: Bailey LaMotte, Belton, TX.
1st Regiment Commander: Ethan Hasty, Prosper, TX.
2nd Regiment Commander: Lauren Langenberg, Grapevine, TX.
3rd Regiment Commander: Ryan Applebee, Windsor, CO.
1st Wing Commander: Benjamin “Wyatt” Spangler, Liberty Hill, TX.
2nd Wing Commander: Joseph “Joey” Andruss, Victoria, TX.
3rd Wing Commander: Alexis “Lexi” Rickard, Chantilly, VA.
Aggie Band Commander: Cameron Paladino, Tahoka, TX.

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Media contact: Amy Thompson, Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets, 979-862-1922, amy.thompson@tamu.edu.

Company K-2 Raises Funds To Participate In Infinite Hero Challenge

February 22, 2022 by rnelson

In alignment with Texas A&M’s core value of selfless service, members of the Corps of Cadets are always searching for ways to give back to our university, our local community, our state, and our country. This year, Company K-2 has chosen to give back to our nation’s veterans by participating in this year’s Infinite Hero Honor Challenge as part of the Tough Mudder competition. To compete, K-2 must raise an initial amount of $5,000 which will be donated to the Infinite Hero Foundation.

“The Infinite Hero Challenge is a 10 hour endurance course created by the Infinite Hero Foundation and Tough Mudder. This event was established to raise funds for our veterans in need of family support, physical rehabilitation, and suicide prevention resources,” Alex Holden, Commanding Officer of Company K-2, said.

Through their participation, members of K-2 hope to raise $10,000 for the Infinite Hero Foundation and earn a place as one of the challenge’s top performing teams.

“When we found out that Tough Mudder was sponsoring the Infinite Hero Challenge here in Brazos County this year, we knew that we couldn’t let this opportunity slip by us. We pride ourselves on our motto, “The Best in Every Way”, and we will continue to illustrate this by never backing down from a challenge. We hope that the funds we raise will not only help veterans in need, but also help support those in our community and shed more light on the charitable acts of the Infinite Hero Foundation,” Holden explained.

K-2’s participation in this challenge comes from a deep rooted company tradition of selfless service, Holden says.

“The majority of Company K-2 aspires to become United States Marines and Sailors after we graduate and commission. We all have a passion to serve our great country in the name of freedom, and we know that freedom isn’t free. We welcome any chance we are presented to give back to the men and women that have already given so much for our freedom.”

If you would like to donate to Company K-2’s fundraiser for the Infinite Hero Challenge, visit here. Any amount is greatly appreciated, and the Killers would like to send a huge thank you to those that have already donated.

Story by: Robin Nelson ’22

Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program Allows Cadets To Pursue Academic And Professional Goals

January 25, 2022 by rnelson

A unique scholarship opportunity for the Corps of Cadets is the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program, or TASSP for short. Created in 2009 by the 81st Texas Legislature, this program provides students with a huge incentive to join one of our nation’s service branches. Currently, over 250 cadets at Texas A&M receive this scholarship.

The TASSP scholarship is awarded based on academic and personal achievement. Any resident of Texas that has been accepted into or is currently attending a Texas university is eligible to receive this scholarship. A commitment to serve in the United States military is required to earn and continue receiving this scholarship, which is renewable for up to four years.

You must be nominated by the Texas Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, a state senator, or a state representative. Students can be a member of any class year, and do not need to be a ROTC scholarship recipient to apply. If recipients choose not to serve upon graduation, the scholarship is then converted to a loan that will need to be repaid.

“The Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program is for college students who are looking to join the military after graduation. It is fully funded by the state of Texas, and you can receive up to $10,000 a year depending on the annual state budget,” Kyle Nelson, a sophomore recipient of the TASSP scholarship, said.

In addition to providing students with up to $10,000 per year in funds, this scholarship can also be stacked onto a student’s existing ROTC scholarships.

“The TASSP scholarship has been a great help in that it covers almost everything that my Army ROTC scholarship does not. You can choose to spend it on either tuition and fees or on housing and meal plans, so it is very flexible,” Nelson said.

During the 2021 academic year, a majority of the TASSP scholarship’s funding went to members of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. Historically, Aggies make up the largest percentage of TASSP recipients.

Unfortunately, many representatives are left without students to nominate for the scholarship, and thousands of dollars go unawarded at the end of the nomination period.

“The application process is pretty simple. In order to apply for the scholarship, you can reach out to any of the state representatives and senators. All you need is a cover letter and a professional resume. My advice would be to apply with every single representative and senator. There is no limit to how many representatives you apply to and you aren’t restricted to your specific local legislator,” he said of the nomination process.

The TASSP scholarship provides an amazing opportunity for recipients to kick off their career in the armed forces, as additional educational funding opens the door for more professional development opportunities. Financial incentives aside, the requirements to maintain a TASSP award offer both financial and academic benefits.

First Lieutenant Carl Ivey, a graduate of Texas A&M and a former TASSP scholarship recipient, spoke of the ways in which the TASSP scholarship set him up for success.

“The TASSP allowed me to focus on my academics and not worry about financial issues. The TASSP also contained academic requirements that helped me stay disciplined and academically focused to keep my scholarship. The TASSP requires that you complete 4 years of ROTC courses regardless of your decision to pay back the loan or join the armed forces. Taking the courses and participating in the ROTC leadership labs allowed me to get ample training and leadership experience before commissioning on top of the training I received from the Corps of Cadets.”

For cadets not awarded the scholarship after their initial application, Ivey encourages them to continue to apply each time the opportunity becomes available.

“Keep applying. The first time I applied for a TASSP I did not receive it. I applied two more times and ultimately received a scholarship from one of our state senators. The TASSP also allows for repayment as a loan, so if you are hesitant to join the Federal Armed Forces, you can pay back the loan, or serve as a commissioned officer in the Texas State Guard, which is our state defense force,” Ivey said.

The TASSP scholarship is only one of the scholarship opportunities that is available to those that are considering military service. Learn more about the TASSP and its requirements by visiting the university’s website here.

Story by: Robin Nelson ’22