Following a competitive selection process, the university announced on Feb. 4 that rising senior Corey Martin will be the next regimental commander of the Corps of Cadets for the upcoming academic year 2026–27.
The regimental commander is the highest rank and level of leadership that can be obtained in Norwich University’s Corps of Cadets. Since 1950, the position has been held by one senior each year.
In an announcement posted to the Corps of Cadets Instagram page, Martin was praised for his “discipline, integrity, and commitment to service.” In the same post, Brig. Gen. William McCollough said Martin stood out “in an extremely talented field of candidates,” adding that “he embodies our cardinal virtues and core values and has earned a reputation amongst his peers as a selfless leader who measures his success by the success of the cadets around him. The Corps next year is going to be in great hands.”
As the spring 2026 semester winds down, The Guidon sat down with the soon-to-be RCO to gain insight into who he is and what the next year of leadership may look like.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you to Norwich in the first place.
I was born and raised in Falmouth, Massachusetts. It’s on Cape Cod. It’s like the armpit of the Cape, if you picture it as an arm. I played sports my entire life. I grew up an athlete and I come from an athletic family. I played soccer and lacrosse, ran track, and did amateur boxing throughout high school. I thought about joining the military, and I wanted to enlist originally as an intelligence analyst in the army. But a family friend of mine had shown me the National Army ROTC scholarship, and I applied for it—not really thinking I would get it. But a few days before I decided to enlist, I received my scholarship to Norwich. It’s ironic, given that Norwich wasn’t at the top of my list of schools to attend, but I think the financial opportunity was once in a lifetime. It’s impossible to pass up on free school. So I made the decision to come here about halfway through my senior year. And for that entire summer, I focused on bettering myself physically and mentally to prepare for it. And I found my athletic background kind of prepared me for all the challenges of freshman year.
What made you want to go out for a regimental commander?
It honestly was never even a thought in my mind until this past fall. Ever since I got here as a rook, I really wanted to be the Bravo Company commander during my senior year—but I kind of pivoted in my thinking last year when I went out for first sergeant of Bravo Company. I set my standards a little bit higher, and looked a little more broadly in what I wanted to do here in the Corps. I think a key part of why I went out for regimental commander was I had this mindset of, ‘if not me, then who? Not trying to say I was always the best option for the job, but I believe I can bring a new perspective that a lot of people can’t.
I also got a ton of support from my peers and from my mentors here on campus. The biggest person that pushed me to go out for this position was Sergeant Major LeFebvre, who unfortunately passed a few weeks ago. But I remember him being one of my biggest supporters here on the Hill—someone who would be poking at me every day, asking “did you submit your application for regimental commander yet?” I was just so supported throughout the process. And I kept thinking, if I don’t get it, then who else would get it? You know, like, this is the job for me.
And now that it’s been announced, what are some of your first thoughts and ideas that you want to bring to the table as the next regimental commander?
First and foremost, I’d like to expand our mindsets and our horizons as students here. A lot of us just think about ourselves and our own future. We don’t often think about the school’s future and the people around us. A lot of the people here are, not selfish, but very close-minded. At the same time, several of the key principles embedded in our cadet’s creed and our guiding values are centered around open-mindedness, and I think many of us often forget that and leave that behind. I’d also like to see a lot more involvement in the Corps. From what I’ve seen, there’s a big drop-off after a cadet’s freshman and sophomore years. After that point, some cadets kind of get put in a moral dilemma of “if I don’t put myself in a hard situation, no one’s going to do it for me”. So, reinforcing these virtues of competitiveness, pride, and longevity within the Corps of Cadets are my three main goals.
What are some things you look forward to next year as a regimental commander?
I was a rook in Bravo Company, I worked in Alpha Company my sophomore year, and I came back to Bravo Company as first sergeant, so I have not seen the other corners of the UP. I have not worked in headquarters, I have not worked in second battalion. So going from that company to regimental level is super exciting, but also kind of daunting. It’s going to be a huge challenge, and I think just putting myself out there in the first place is something I look forward to. I mean, even in the process to get here it’s been a roller coaster of meeting new people with new perspectives, from different backgrounds, and I think just being around a different group of individuals who have the same kind of purpose and open-mindedness as I do is something that excites me a lot.
Is there anything else you’d like to say or add on
Yeah, I mean it’s a huge honor to even be a first sergeant in the Corps of Cadets. And it’s an even bigger honor to be the face of the Corps. I think I’m someone that’s extremely receptive to feedback, input, and opinions. I take them and I apply them somewhere I think they’re needed. If it’s an empty complaint, I will receive it, and I will keep moving. But if it’s genuine—you know, a concern or an idea that would increase the longevity of the open mindedness and pride in our corps—then I’m going to take it, nine times out of 10. So I encourage anyone that’s ever met me, that ever plans on meeting me, or doesn’t want to meet me, to just stop me and say hi at some point. Because as I said, I come from a small corner of the school, and I have not made a connection with the entire school, but I wish to kind of leave my mark here, more than others. And I encourage collaboration. I think it’s important. If you have an idea, if you have something that you want to see happen, you need to go tell somebody about it. You need to go make it happen because the best thing you can do is to leave your mark wherever you are. That’s just my advice for everybody.
