Corps of Cadets
After your first year

Leadership development does not end after Rook Year; it’s only the beginning.

A cadet’s sophomore year is built upon the first-year skills of leading and following in a small-unit environment, and propels him or her toward the ranks of cadet non-commissioned officers (NCO) and officers.

The Sophomore Training Program encompasses a semester-long basic NCO course and two-week shadow program that enables sophomore cadets to learn directly from juniors who are NCOs in the regiment. In the spring semester, sophomores compete for promotion to cadet NCO positions for the following year.

Junior-year cadet NCOs are the primary trainers in the Corps of Cadets. Their leadership experience ranges from training squad-sized elements of 12 cadets to battalion-sized teams of 240. A junior’s ability to plan, execute and assess performance-based training distinguishes Norwich cadets from all but their federal service academy and Senior Military College peers.

Senior cadets compete for officer rank and lead at platoon, company, battalion and regimental levels. This is when the four-year progressive leadership and character development model is fully actualized and the true value of the Corps of Cadets lifestyle becomes evident. By then, cadets have earned the confidence to succeed as commissioned officers and leaders in the working world.