VMI Cadet in U.S. Army ROTC Top 10

VMI superintendent Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62 presented Cadet Troy Warcewicz with the Maj. Gen. Stephen Sewell Jr. ’60 Award at the Institute Awards ceremony in May. -- VMI File Photo by John Robertson.

LEXINGTON, Va., Sept. 29, 2011 – VMI Cadet Troy Warcewicz ’12 placed eighth out of more than 5,600 graduating cadets on the U.S. Army ROTC national Order of Merit List.

The list ranks all Army ROTC seniors across the nation, with the top 20 percent earning the designation of Distinguished Military Graduate. This year there are 1,129 Distinguished Military Graduates.

At VMI, Warcewicz is in the Institute Honors program. He is commander of Company C in the VMI Corps of Cadets and is class historian on the Corps General Counsel. He is also battalion commander of the Marshall-New Market Battalion, VMI’s Army ROTC unit.

“Three years ago I would never have thought I would be one of the top 10 cadets in the nation,” commented Warcewicz. “It’s a great feeling. I’m also glad that I am able to represent VMI as producing one of the top Army cadets in the nation.”

A cadet’s positioning on the merit list determines his or her priority for the limited number of active duty positions, and good positioning on the list increases a cadet’s chance being assigned to the branch of his or her choice.

Cadets are ranked on the Order of Merit List by grade-point average, athletic performance in the Army physical fitness test, college athletic participation, demonstration of leadership in college ROTC training, and performance at the Leader Development and Assessment Course at Joint Base Lewis-McChord at Tacoma, Wash.

Warcewicz is the son of Mark Warcewicz of Salisbury, Mass., and Susan Warcewicz of Haverhill, Mass.