Oles responds to questions about next year's corps

On Tuesday, April 8, the announcement of the president's choice for the next regimental commander of the Corps of Cadets was made during the annual promotion parade. Cadet Wilbur Oles, 21, of Delhi, NY, a junior history and education major and a USMC ROTC scholarship student, was awarded the position of the highest-ranking cadet for the 2003-04 academic year.

Guidon: Why did you take the job of regimental commander?

Oles: It's been in the back of my mind since I was a freshman, seeing David Cedarleaf up there, being in charge. You come to a leadership institution, you want as much leadership as you can get. Throughout my time here, I've been close to my class and to the corps in general. I like to get to know my people, and I had an outpouring of support from them when officer boards came up. You've got to strive for what you want to do. When you strive to do something, you've got to set your aspirations high.

Guidon: What do you hope to learn by being the regimental commander?

Oles: Well, obviously leadership. That's the whole reason I came here, to be a leader and to go into the United States Marine Corps upon graduation. Regimental commander offers, in my book, one of the best leadership opportunities you are going to get at Norwich. You can get leadership by leading five people, or you can try and lead a entire regiment. Plus it's just the idea of getting to work through all those company commanders, too.

Guidon: Do you see any place for improvement in the corps for next year?

Oles: I've already talked with my executive officer. He's already sent me a memorandum on some of his and my views on the corps coming into the positions, and we share some of the same ideas. In terms of corporals, I think that they didn't get the year that they wanted. In terms of leadership and the corps, I don't think they got what they needed. In terms of freshmen training, in terms of standardization. I know that a lot of them wished that they had been able to do simple things like the climbing wall. Logistics get in the way of those things. We can work through that and try to figure out something so that they are getting more of a leadership and militaristic training. Norwich is not Airborne or Air Assault school. We don't have the facilities to actually do that kind of stuff. But I talked with freshmen, and they just feel that they didn't get the full load because all they hear is the stories from us.

Guidon: Any apprehension/hopes surrounding the new commandant in your mind?

Oles: I feel pretty optimistic about it. Coming in, he's going to be new and fresh. I'm going to be new and fresh. With him coming in August 1, I'm going to know more, probably, than he will. So the best thing I think I can do is help bring him up to speed, try and get him on the same page, or at least try and get him to understand where the regiment and my views stand. We're basically going to hit the ground running. I know that he won't get here until August, but you want to get everyone on the same page and just start right up and go right into the year.

Guidon: What is your message to the members of the cadet corps?

Oles: Don't forget why you came here. Many people come here with different ideas of what they want and what they're going to get. Overall, though, Norwich is an academic and leadership institution. You came here to get a commission. You came here to get an education. People do have different views, but whatever they are, I think leadership is the underlying value behind all that. If you're striving in academics, you're leading by example. If you're a 1.7 student, you're not leading. If you're in ROTC, look for your billet. Find your leadership position, whether it's in academics or sports or whatever it is, and just strive. Persevere.

Guidon: Why do you love the corps?

Oles: It's definitely a love/hate relationship. There's many things that you go through every day that really drive you insane, the leadership challenge that Norwich offers. You get kids from all over, and you get kids with so many different views with so many different aspirations of what they want to do. And you have to lead them. And you have to follow them. You've got so many people trying to work together at the same time. The school has been around for a such a long time. There is a lot of pride. I know there's a lot of dissent sometimes, but I think overall people are pretty proud of Norwich. They whine and cry and hate what the administration does, but in the end they'll always go home and say 'I love where I go to school.' Deep down, everybody loves Norwich.

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