Will McAdams and Aaron Kinsey were chosen as Corps of Cadets commander and deputy commander, respectively, for the 2003-2004 school year at the Sam Houston Sanders Corps Center on Friday.
“I consider the candidates to be some of the finest young men and women I have ever met,” said Corps Commandant Lt. Gen. John Van Alstyne. “The candidates were outstanding and it was not an easy job for this (selection) panel.”
The two cadets were chosen among 27 candidates by an 18-member panel comprised of military officers and current cadet leaders.
McAdams, a cadet in Company E-1 and a junior political science major, currently serves as sergeant major of the Corps and will become the highest ranking cadet in the 2,000-member organization, which is the largest military officer training institution outside of the U.S. armed service academies.
McAdams is enrolled in Army ROTC and is seeking a commission as a second lieutenant in the Army after graduation.
McAdams said he is thankful for the trust the Corps staff and the senior cadets have given him throughout his cadet career.
“I will work ceaselessly to further the cause of the Corps,” he said. “And I will also work to provide leaders for our military and our country.”
Kinsey, a cadet in Squadron 2 and a junior accounting major, is currently the Corps public relations sergeant. He is enrolled in Air Force ROTC and will pursue a commission in the Air Force following graduation.
“I am taken out of breath by this announcement,” he said. “I trust in Will and I to lead the Corps and take it in the direction Lt. Gen. Van Alstyne has set.”
As deputy commander, Kinsey will help McAdams lead the Corps and will act as commander in McAdams’ absence.
“Next year will be a big year for the Corps and I am looking forward to it,” McAdams said. “The University is changing every day and the Corps will make every effort to change with it.”