Life as a Rook

A cadet's Norwich journey begins with Rook Training. This rigorous first semester experience takes students from different backgrounds, develops the basics of self-discipline, begins their exploration of who they want to become, turns them into cadets, and forms them into cohesive units. During the second semester, they will learn to lead themselves with less direct oversight, relying on the self-discipline developed during the Rook experience. This foundation allows them to become an integral part of the Corps and connects them through shared experiences with their fellow cadets and our alumni. The course of the year provides opportunities for the first-year cadets to understand and lead themselves, setting the building blocks of good leadership they will practice in subsequent years. This year includes two semesters of ROTC to complement the Corps of Cadets experience. 

The second-year experiences build on the foundational skills developed in the first year and focus cadets on leading and developing others. This year, cadets can be promoted to the rank of corporal and learn to be a bridge from the leader to the led. They witness first-hand the leadership and decision-making of their junior and senior leaders. They can use this experience to prepare themselves for the opportunities of their final years at Norwich. While the second-year cadets are challenged to lead others, they continue to grow personally through study, goal setting, and self-assessment, emphasizing development as a servant leader who helps individuals and units achieve their goals. Cadets also participate in two semesters of ROTC academic courses during their second year.

The third-year experiences allow cadets to apply their leadership knowledge and skills by leading small unit teams as cadet non-commissioned officers. In these roles, the cadets continue their development by leading small units to achieve individual and group tasks and feel the significance of being responsible for the actions of their units and subordinates. Inherent in these tasks, third-year cadets grow to understand their roles as mentors, developmental counselors, and training managers and become more confident in their communication skills and coordination abilities. Their journey takes on the challenges of further developing their physical health, mental resilience, and character refinement. Throughout this year, they are observed and mentored by the Commandant's Professional Staff and senior cadet leaders who provide guidance and evaluate their growth as leaders.

In their final year, cadets lead all aspects of the Corps of Cadets, setting the organizational climate and culture. In both command and staff positions, they create the goals they would like their units to achieve, develop and implement plans to achieve those goals, supervise progress, and evaluate performance. During this experience, they practice and hone the leadership skills and character traits that will enable their success as a graduate. Throughout the year, they draw on the advice and guidance of the Commandant's Professional Staff.