Culture & Society

Cadets Turning Into World Travelers, Gaining Global Experiences

Increasingly more members of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University – especially those planning to become officers in the military – are living that “see the world” experience.
By Tura King, Texas A&M Marketing & Communications June 22, 2016

Aggies visit Israel and the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock in the Old Walled City of Jerusalem
Aggies visit Israel and the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock in the Old Walled City of Jerusalem

The Navy has long encouraged young men and women to sign up and “see the world.” Increasingly more members of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University – especially those planning to become officers in the military – are living that “see the world” experience, with an emphasis on strengthening their language, cultural and global geopolitical knowledge.

The Corps’ Global Leadership Initiatives (CGLI) program is expanding so as to have as many of its cadets as possible gain first-hand international experience. The program complements the university’s overall quest to encourage students to travel and study abroad. The idea being that these students will be better prepared to function effectively in a global environment.

“The Corps’ CGLI program fundamentally challenges the global competence of the Corps by increasing the number of cadets involved in a global leadership opportunity,” said Meredith Simpson, assistant commandant for academics and international programs.

Simpson adds that CGLI helps develop global citizens and produces leaders who are actively engaged in a wide spectrum of ideas, perspectives and cultures.

Already this summer, 84 cadets have taken advantage of the Corps international excursion program – one group went to Israel, another to Japan and still another had neighboring Mexico as its destination.

The Corps’ commandant, Brig. Gen. Joe Ramirez (U.S. Army Ret.) accompanied the cadets who went to Israel and was instrumental in arranging general insightful meetings for the cadets.

“These Corps excursions are designed to provide a detailed perspective of why those countries are strategically important to the United States, focusing on the four elements of national power – diplomacy, information, military and economics – while also examining the impacts of religion and culture,” Ramirez said. “It was a great excursion for all, and I know it’s been a valuable experience for our cadets.”

Another rapidly growing element of CGLI is the Corps International Exchange Program, which brings officers from other countries to Texas A&M. Two lieutenants from the German Armed Forces and one lieutenant from France studied at Texas A&M as members of the Corps of Cadets during the fall semester, while four Aggie cadets studied at Helmut Schmidt University (HSU) in Hamburg, Germany. This was followed during the spring semester when three cadets traveled to the Australian Defense Force Academy (ADFA) in Canberra, Australia, while the Corps of Cadets hosted six cadets from ADFA in the spring semester.

Simpson notes that currently 14 percent of Texas A&M cadets participate in one of the Corps’ international programs. The Corps plans to continue to expand this exciting, high impact program with additional excursions and exchange programs in the future, she adds.

These international programs help Texas A&M’s Corps of Cadets fulfill its stated purpose “to develop well-educated leaders of character who embody the values of honor, courage, integrity, discipline and selfless service, are academically successful, highly sought-after, and prepared for the global leadership challenges of the future.”

Media contact: Tura King, Texas A&M Division of Marketing & Communications.

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