He moves through the Quad’s weathered redbrick buildings, under the shade line of a dozen trees, over the concrete sidewalk. Past the arches made of brick to the corner of C.P. Fountain Hall, where a group of freshman Corps recruits are in training. The new students stand at attention. Marching is today’s order, but like most things within the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, the command to train isn’t about marching in stride, said Corps Commander Jordan Reid ’09.
As the leader of a 132-year A&M tradition, Reid is looking for the result.
“Everything we do has a purpose,” he said.
As he spoke, a group of red-faced freshman ran past, splitting the air with their cadence. The Army-style jodie had an even beat.
“Everything is geared toward success,” he continued. Training produces leaders.
“Our goal is to have the most well prepared freshmen on campus,” Reid said. Freshmen are on his brain right now. It’s day four of the Corps of Cadets’ Freshmen Orientation Week. On day five, he’ll climb the stairs in front of Rudder Tower and address the Class of 2012 cadets as their commander. He’ll offer his wisdom and the promise that, with each year, the cadets will grow stronger in leadership, resilient in adversity and solid in ethics. Then he’ll ceremoniously remove his four-diamond brass from his right shoulder and toss it to the crowd of freshmen as a symbol of the pass-down nature of leadership. A similar talk Reid’s freshman year still rings in his ears: “Four years from now, one of you will be the corps commander,” Reid remembers his commander saying. “Four years from now one of you will step up.”
The statement is proven true every year. This year, it was proven true in him. So when Reid looks at the squadrons and outfits and batteries now green with freshmen, it’s easy for him to see what he so passionately tells the other student leaders in the corps. “When you look at a freshman, don’t see who they are now, but who they could be,” Reid said. “We train for excellence and we have solid leaders to carry out the plan.”
Four steps and four class years: “There’s followship, direct leadership, indirect leadership and executive leadership,” he rattled off. Everyone has a job.
Freshmen are trained in followship, being a member of a team and learning how to follow directions, Reid said. “Sophomores are the example, the demonstrators,” Reid said. “They are responsible for those freshmen.” Juniors teach the sophomores and help them understand their purpose, and senior executive leaders help set policy, he said. “It’s a bittersweet moment as seniors as it’s the last chance to really impact the group.”
Reid is an executive leader, in a way, the executive leader. “At the end of the day I’m responsible. I set the vision and focus,” he said, but points to his 23-member staff for recognition. He’s festooned with leadership, what with his weekly meetings with the general, Sundays with his staff and commanders, and other responsibilities to make sure the corps is connected with the student body. It would be easy for him to get wrapped up contemplating his position, but he doesn’t. “The overall purpose and effects of what you do (as corps commander) is not on an expressional level. I try not to think about what I’m doing, but think about how the corps can be made better today,” he said.
“At our core is training leaders,” Reid said. “There’s no purpose if they’re not serving.”
He says that’s true for him, too.
