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Texas A&M Tops Army ROTC Teams at Sandhurst

April 30, 2024 by rnelson

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Release No. 23-030 April 29, 2024

Texas A&M again tops Army ROTC teams at Sandhurst competition

West Point, N.Y. – Following months of intense training and qualifying events, Texas A&M’s Army ROTC program took home the ROTC Cup after finishing as the top ROTC team during the 55th Sandhurst Military Skills Competition held at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, April 26-27.

The team, led this year by Texas A&M senior cadet Nicholas Nolan, was also crowned the Army ROTC champion at the event in 2023.

The two-day competition featured 48 teams from service academies, ROTC programs, and international militaries, all contending to be named the 2024 Sandhurst champion.

“I am so proud of the Aggies for coming out here and giving it their all,” said Maj. Gen. Antonio Munera, commanding general of U.S. Army Cadet Command. “The team’s performance on the international stage demonstrates their commitment to leadership excellence.”

The team overcame 15 other ROTC teams that also qualified for the event through one of eight regional Ranger Challenge competitions open to all 274 Army ROTC programs around the nation. The competition at West Point included long-distance movements over rough terrain, team fitness events, small boat movements, and marksmanship and medical skill challenges, among other rigorous tasks.

The Texas A&M team not only won the ROTC Cup, but their impressive performance placed them 4th out of 48 teams in the overall international competition – equaling their overall placement in last year’s event.

“What got us here was consistency in our training plan and a lot of dedication and hard work from our team, along with so many hours of volunteering from our coaches and cadre,” said Nolan, the team’s captain. “It’s an honor to represent Texas A&M…it’s a fantastic school, and we have the best of the best of the student body represented in the Corps of Cadets.”

For more information on the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition please visit: https://www.westpoint.edu/about/history-of-west-point/traditions-at-west-point/sandhurst

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Media wanting more information about this event or about Army ROTC in general should contact Mr. Ian Ives, U.S. Army Cadet Command’s media relations officer at (808) 367-5639 or [email protected]

About U.S. Army Cadet Command

U.S. Army Cadet Command partners with universities to recruit, educate, train and commission leaders of character for the Total Army and partners with high schools to develop accomplished, responsible citizens who value service to their communities.

Cadet Command is comprised of eight brigades, each organization effectively manned by specially selected and qualified professional cadre, staff and faculty fully prepared to educate and train the most diverse and talented cadets from across the nation to become better citizens, adaptive leaders, lifetime learners and agile thinkers and problem solvers, who are committed to the Army Ethos and Profession of Arms.

Offered on more than 900 college campuses and organized into 274 host programs, Army ROTC is the Army’s largest source for commissioned officers and produces more than 5,000 second lieutenants annually for the Active Duty, U.S. Army National Guard, and U.S. Army Reserve components. Each year, more than 27,000 college students are enrolled in Army ROTC, which is offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Cadets learn leadership, teamwork, tactical skills, and more while taking military science coursework, training over select weekends and summers, and participating in a number of extracurricular activities offered by the program.

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Texas A&M Names Josh Brewton ‘27 As Newest Handler For Reveille X

April 15, 2024 by rnelson

Cadet from Cedar Park, Texas, will serve as the primary caretaker for the university’s official mascot.

By Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Marketing & Communications

Cadet Josh Brewton was announced as Texas A&M’s newest mascot corporal on Friday as part of the university’s Family Weekend activities. Brewton will serve as the primary caretaker for Reveille X during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Brewton is a member of Company E-2 in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. Since 1959, Company E-2, known also as the Mascot Company, has had the distinct privilege of caring for Reveille, the official mascot of Texas A&M.

Over the course of the 2024-2025 school year, Brewton and the rest of E-2’s rising sophomore class will care for and accompany Reveille X to all of her appearances. As mascot corporal, Brewton will serve the university in a high-profile capacity, often speaking on Reveille’s behalf to media, faculty, staff and students and visitors.

Prior to his selection as mascot corporal, Brewton and the rest of E-2’s freshman class of 2027 underwent a semester-long tryout process. This process involved researching the tradition of Reveille and delivering a series of informative speeches on the previous nine Reveilles.

Media Contact: Scott Jackson, [email protected]

Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit Closes Out Dominant 12th Season

April 10, 2024 by rnelson

Following impressive national showings at both the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) National Championship and the Sig Sauer Relentless Warrior Championship, the Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit (CCMU) is among the most decorated collegiate marksmanship teams for the 2023-2024 season.

College Station, TX. APRIL 8th, 2024- The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit has once again claimed numerous awards on the national level. Founded in the fall of 2011, the team’s 12th season has solidified their status as one of the nation’s most decorated collegiate marksmanship teams.

In early March, the CCMU traveled to Talladega, Alabama to compete in the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) National Championship, with the team divided into two squads of four, designated Maroon and White. The CCMU’s Maroon team earned the first place title in two competition divisions after competing against several universities from around the nation, including the Virginia Military Institute. The White team placed fifth overall. In addition to the championship title, all four members of the Maroon team were ranked in the top ten individual shooters for both divisions. The team’s victory in Talladega marks their eighth national title at the event in the last decade.

Weeks after claiming the SASP Title, the same team of cadets traveled to Epping, New Hampshire to compete in the Sig Sauer Relentless Warrior Championship. This competition features a combat style 3-Gun match and is attended by all the United States Service Academies, Senior Military Colleges and the Canadian Royal Military Academy. Texas A&M’s CCMU placed second overall, and also claimed the Top Gun and High Lady Shooter awards, among other individual awards. In the eight years that CCMU has participated in this competition, the team has consistently placed within the top two teams.

The CCMU is one of 11 athletics teams offered through the Corps of Cadets. The team is one of the few Corps athletics teams that competes and achieves success nationally. This elite team is comprised of 27 members from across the country. Members undergo a rigorous training and try-out process before being hand selected for the team.

Dating to 1876, the Corps of Cadets is the oldest and largest student organization at Texas A&M University. Leveraging a military based cultural model throughout the four year leadership training program, the Corps prepares cadets to lead at the community, state, and national levels and produces some of the nation’s finest leaders in the public, private and military sectors. Texas A&M is one of the few schools to offer military commissions in all branches of service with the Corps remaining one of the largest uniformed bodies of students in the nation. Membership in the Corps carries no military obligation, with over half of current cadets not pursuing a military commission.

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Media contact: Robin Nelson, Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, 979-862-1922, [email protected].

Cadets Off The Quad: Ballet Folklorico Celestial

April 9, 2024 by rnelson

For many in the Corps of Cadets, their membership in the organization is just one of several ways they choose to develop themselves as well rounded leaders. With over 1,300 student organizations offered on Texas A&M’s campus, cadets can add to the Corps’ developmental experience in a variety of ways.

One cadet, Julianna Ramirez ‘25, a member of C-Battery in the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, has chosen to continue a long time passion of hers through an organization that her mother, Marciela Ramirez ‘96, helped establish during her own time at Texas A&M.

"I started dancing ballet folklorico when I was five years old. I chose to join the Ballet Folklorico Celestial organization at Texas A&M because I wanted to continue pursuing my passion for sharing my culture and I wanted to be a part of the organization that my mom helped shape as the President,” Ramirez explained.

Coming from Pearland, Texas, Ramirez says that her participation in Ballet Folklorico Celestial has helped make Aggieland feel more like home.

“When I first moved to College Station, I quickly realized that it looked very different from home. I missed dancing folklorico and I knew there was a group on campus. This was my way to get off of the Quad, meet people who have some of the same interests as me and a way for me to relax and do something that I love,” Ramirez said.

*Julianna's mother, Marciela Ramirez ‘96 (pictured in the third row), during her time in the Ballet Folklorico Celestial.*

Though similarities between the Corps and Ballet Folklorico Celestial may not be immediately discernible, membership in both organizations has reinforced skills that Ramirez will use even after college.

“One of the biggest things I have gained is the ability to manage my time. I’ve learned that there are two types of things, plastic things and glass things, and you have to juggle them. Sometimes it will cause more of a hassle to drop a glass thing that you need to do, versus dropping a plastic thing that you want to do more,” Ramirez said.

“Being a member of the Corps of Cadets and the Aggie Band is a large time commitment, but I also think that making time to do something you love is important. We always say that the Corps is a leadership lab, and it really is. It teaches you how to respond to different situations, with different people, with different stress levels,” she continued.

The Corps of Cadets provides students from all backgrounds the space and opportunity to develop as leaders, prepare for the future and pursue their passions. Through her involvement in both the Corps and Ballet Folklorico Celestial, Ramirez has crafted a Corps experience that is uniquely her own.

Story By: Robin Nelson '22

Corps Hosts 9th Annual Intentional Leadership Conference

March 1, 2024 by rnelson

Each spring, the Corps of Cadets’ Hollingsworth Center hosts the Intentional Leadership Conference (ILC). Open to all members of Texas A&M’s campus community and other visitors, the ILC seeks to grow participants’ understanding of ethical leadership through various panel discussions and keynote speakers.

Though only spanning two days, the ILC is an impactful experience for all participants. Through discussion and advice from industry leaders and trail blazers, those who attended this year’s conference were given a platform to ask questions and learn from some of the best.

In its 9th year, the 2024 ILC focused on “Transformational Leadership: Bridging the Gap for a Better Tomorrow”. One conference speaker, Mandy Scott ‘87, the first of two female members of the Ross Volunteer Company, elaborated on the meaning of transformational leadership in the “Leading Change” panel.

“People have been leading transformationally long before the term was coined. Transformational leadership is all about organizational collaboration toward a shared purpose and goal. It isn’t a top down thing, but rather, something that drives change through collaboration at every level,” Scott said.

Andrea Abat ‘89, one of the first female members of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, reinforced Scott’s idea of transformational leadership during the same panel discussion.

“Leadership is at the core of all change. Whether it’s in your home, in the military or in another industry, leadership should always focus around the L.O.V.E. acronym. True transformational leaders must look at how you are fostering Loyalty, Ownership, Values and Engagement amongst those around you,” Abat said.

At another session, “Leading by Example”, delegates heard from former cadets who were trailblazers throughout their Corps experience. Speaking on their previous experiences in the Corps and how it has translated to their current endeavors, panel presenters left lasting impressions on attendees.

“Attending the Lead by Example panel really gave me insight into what makes an impactful leader. The fact that transformational leaders are the chief servants of their organization was heavily emphasized throughout,” cadet Lucas Scroggins ‘24 said.

“I now recognize that transformational leaders are only successful when they remain connected to their organization and the members whose day-to-days they are ultimately shaping,” he continued.

Caring about others, a sentiment that was carried on throughout the entirety of the conference, was captured in the final keynote address from Texas A&M President, General (USAF, Retired) Mark A. Welsh III. President Welsh encouraged participants to grow past perceived leadership struggles and invest in those around you.

“To be a transformational leader, you can’t provide instability. You cannot waiver in your opinions. You cannot waiver in the face of a problem. You must provide stability to those around you,” Welsh explained.

The ILC provides a complementary leadership development opportunity to the classroom and leadership laboratory experiences provided through the Corps of Cadets. By extending an invitation to the broader campus community to attend the ILC, those outside of the Corps gained a glimpse of the education and training that prepares cadets to lead beyond graduation.

Story By: Robin Nelson ’22