Cadet Lindsey Danilack '14, of Montville, New Jersey, has been selected First Captain of the U.S. Military Academy’s Corps of Cadets for the 2013-14 academic year, achieving the highest position in the cadet chain of command. She will assume her duties on Aug. 12.
As First Captain, Danilack, a political science major, is responsible for the overall performance of the approximately 4,400-member Corps of Cadets. She follows in the footsteps of other notable First Captains such as John J. Pershing (Class of 1886), Douglas MacArthur (Class of 1903), William Westmoreland (Class of 1936), and Kristin Baker (Class of 1990).
The First Captain, a senior who is also called the Brigade Commander, is similar to a student body president. Her duties include implementing a class agenda and acting as a liaison between the Corps and the administration. In addition, Danilack is at the top of a pyramid of cadet commanders who make up the chain-of-command for the Corps of Cadets at West Point.
Women were first admitted to the Academy in 1976. Since then, Danilack is the fourth woman to serve as First Captain.