The U.S. Military Academy has announced the names of the cadets from the Class of 2026 selected to lead the Corps of Cadets during the academic year, with CDT Jayram Suryanarayan of North Kingstown, R.I., selected as First Captain—the highest-ranking position in the Corps of Cadets. The brigade cadet leadership roles are the top positions in the Corps of Cadets charged with carrying out the responsibilities of leading the Corps. These cadets assumed their leadership duties on August 12, prior to the start of the fall academic session at the academy.
“These young men and women are proven leaders of character who have distinguished themselves among their peers,” said Commandant of Cadets, BG R.J. Garcia ’96. “They are dedicated to leading the Corps of Cadets and to the continued development of every cadet, building character, competence, and commitment to ensure they are ready to lead in defense of our nation.”
As First Captain, Suryanarayan serves as the Cadet Brigade Commander, responsible for the overall performance, discipline, and development of the Corps of Cadets. The First Captain leads through the Cadet Chain of Command and exemplifies the Army Values and West Point’s Motto, “Duty, Honor, Country.” Key duties include leading the Corps, enforcing standards, setting goals, and coordinating resources to support the Corps of Cadets.
“I am incredibly honored to be chosen for this position to lead the Corps of Cadets,” Suryanarayan said. “I am excited to build a team that holds each other accountable and to the standard we set for ourselves to be the best leaders and teammates we can be at the academy. A team that recognizes we strive to succeed in what we set out to achieve, and that if we fail, we continue to work together until we achieve victory together.”
Suryanarayan’s accomplishments at West Point include participation in company athletics and service as the patrolling cadet in charge of the Sapper Leader Course training. He successfully completed the Army’s Sapper Leader Course and Sabalauski Air Assault School, and he earned the Gold German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. He is a law and legal studies major at the Academy and also spent a semester in the Service Academy Exchange Program at the U.S. Naval Academy.
The Brigade leadership positions are:
First Captain/Brigade Commander Jayram Suryanarayan, North Kingstown, Rhode Island
Deputy Brigade Commander Jackson Mayo, Wahiawa, Hawaii
Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Annelise Agelopoulos, Denver, Colorado
Brigade Executive Officer Patrick Faherty, Indialantic, Florida
Brigade Honor Captain James Harris, Heber Springs, Arkansas
Brigade Adjutant Jack DeGroote, Dallas, Texas
Brigade Public Affairs and Intelligence Officer Mark Clemons, Panama City, Florida
Brigade Operations Officer Lia Stokes, Raleigh, North Carolina
Brigade Logistics Officer Alexa Maranto, Olivette, Minnesota
Brigade Information Systems Officer Miles Manney, Kansas City, Minnesota
Brigade Holistic Health and Fitness Integration Officer Brianna Izzo, Irvine, California
Read more about the Class of 2026 leadership positions and the selection of CDT Jayram Suryanarayan ’26 as First Captain.
The excerpts and image were taken from https://www.westpoint.edu.
