VPI BN: Silver Anniversary for Citizen-Leaders

By Ken Mallory ’06, Director of the Citizen-Leader Track/VPI Battalion

In just a few short months, the Citizen-Leader Track will mark twenty-five years of leader development specifically dedicated to the personal growth and advancement of cadets pursuing a professional path outside of uniformed service. Founded in 2000 by Cadet Ernest Cage ‘02, VPI Company was created for cadets who desired to learn and grow in the military-style learning environment but were not on a commissioning path.  

 Cage, who was a company first sergeant at the time (later becoming the regimental sergeant major), was approached by retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Jerrold P. Allen, the commandant of the Corps, with a mission: create an organization to provide more development, more leadership opportunities, and a standard of fitness for non-commissioning track cadets. This was a welcomed mission as Cage had just recently been released from Army ROTC due to a childhood medical issue. In an email recollection, Cage said, “Quite frankly, if you were not an ROTC cadet at the time, the most you could aspire for was a staff role within the Corps leadership structure. This was not a written rule, but just the way it was.”  Focusing primarily on developing a fitness regimen that first year, the positive impact was immediately noted amongst Citizen-Leader Track and ROTC cadets alike. “VPI Company members were hungry for leadership opportunities,” said Cage, and many competed for leadership in the company at the conclusion of its first semester. It also opened opportunities across the regiment that had otherwise been closed off.

The Citizen-Leader Track has come a long way since those early days nearly a quarter century ago. In 2010, the organization added a full-time deputy commandant, Lt. Col. Don Russell, to oversee daily operations, academic lessons, career mentorship, and cadet advising. As VPI Company, it hosted 115 cadets in its ranks. By 2013 the number more than doubled to over 230 cadets, almost 25% of the entire regiment! This put forth new challenges for staff and cadets alike, but also presented new opportunities. It was at the end of that academic year at the 2013 Change of Command parade that VPI Battalion was formally activated. Today, in 2024, the battalion is at its highest strength since 2019, standing at approximately 245 cadets. Many join the Corps of Cadets specifically for the Citizen-Leader Track curriculum; however, it still fulfills its mission to accept cadets transitioning from a commissioning path.  

VPI cadets have consistently been successful in forging their own paths. Ernest Cage achieved a medical waiver with the Virginia Tech Air Force ROTC detachment, and successfully commissioned and continues to serve today as an active-duty colonel and maintenance group commander at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. The Citizen-Leader Track provided him a way to stay in the fight after his initial disqualification and while his waiver process played out. The Spring 2023 regimental commander, Claire Seibel ’23 is a Citizen-Leader Track graduate. Now an ensign in the United States Navy, through Officer Candidate School, the Citizen-Leader Track allowed her an opportunity to participate in the Corps and hone her leader development skills.  

 The Citizen-Leader Track is much more than its original mandate and has expanded in its offerings to cadets. It has grown to include cadets pursuing commissions in the United States Marine Corps through the Platoon Leaders Course. In 2024, the battalion stood up a dedicated Coast Guard program for cadets participating in the Coast Guard Auxiliary University Program, which prepares cadets to become Coast Guard officers. Functional exercises like JOBEX arm cadets with vital professional skills by simulating the career search process. Forming partnerships with corporate, non-profit, uniformed, civilian, and service organizations has become a hallmark as well. The value of a Citizen-Leader Track cadet is tangible, and the desire to serve amongst its members is strong.  There are bright days ahead indeed, and as Cadet Cage discovered upon his graduation and commissioning, the sky truly is the limit!  “I am honored to have played a small role in developing such a key organization for our Corps. At its core, the VPI Company was always about setting the conditions for future leaders to excel in life – and it has delivered. I can’t wait to see what heights VPI Battalion will climb to next,” said Cage.