75th Commandant Stresses Cadets

Brigadier General John Thomson ’86 assumed command of the United States Corps of Cadets on August 11, 2014 at a ceremony in Crest Hall. During his remarks to the audience after the passing of the colors, Thomson cited cadets as West Point’s “raison d’etre.” “I am excited to serve cadets as their 75th commandant,” Thomson said. Afterward, in an interview, Thomson said that he is looking forward to spending time with individual cadets in a variety of venues. His message to them will be simple and direct, emphasizing both values and standards: “Do what is right and do it excellently. Lead the way you want to be led and follow the way you’d want to be followed.” Before his assignment as Commandant, Thomson commanded at the battery level, battalion level and brigade level. He also served as a Tactical Officer at West Point in the mid to late nineties. Prior to returning to West Point, Thomson got input from the last five Commandants. “There was a common theme to their advice—have fun,” Thomson said. “If you are not having fun, then there are 4,400 cadets not having fun".