Marshall Leadership and Awards Seminar Returns to VMI

After a hiatus, VMI welcomed the return of the George C. Marshall Leadership and Awards Seminar Feb. 23–24, 2026. Each year since 1978, the U.S. Army Cadet Command has recognized and awarded top-tier cadets from senior ROTC programs and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point by sending them to the seminar, originally held at VMI, the alma mater of Gen. George C. Marshall, Class of 1901. In addition to being the driving force behind moving the event back to VMI, the George C. Marshall Foundation led efforts to secure speakers and prepare discussion topics.

Cadets were nominated from their respective programs based on scholarship, leadership, physical fitness, and community involvement, and are designated George C. Marshall Award recipients for their respective years. This year, a total of 65 cadets were selected to attend. Regrettably, the blizzard that hit the East Coast prevented the nine cadets from West Point and other New England schools from traveling. The others came from all over the country, as far away as Hawaii, California, and Wyoming, and as close as Richmond, Williamsburg, and Lexington.

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Gary Brito lectures on George C. Marshall as a soldier in Gillis Theater Feb. 23.—VMI Photo by Kelly Nye.

Over the course of the 2-day conference, the award recipients learned of Marshall’s legacy as a soldier and diplomat. They heard from and engaged with professionals knowledgeable in the military, geopolitics, and history, including Col. Spencer Bakich, Ph.D., Department of International Studies and Political Science professor at VMI; Brig. Gen. Maurice Barnett, commanding general of the U.S. Army Cadet Command; retired Gen. Gary Brito, former commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and president of the Brito Group, LLC; Lt. Gen. Johnny Davis, commanding general of U.S. Army recruiting command; George Foresman ’84, former Department of Homeland Security undersecretary; Paul Levengood, Ph.D., George C. Marshall Foundation president; retired Col. Thomas Linn ’73, Naval War College professsor; retired Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, former ambassador of the United States to NATO; retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. John Paxton, former assistant commandant; Dr. Philip Potter, professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia; Col. Patrick Rhamey, Ph.D., international studies professor at VMI; Command Sgt. Maj. Darrell E. Walls,  U.S. Army Cadet Command command sergeant major; and Clyde Wang, Ph.D., Washington and Lee University assistant professor of politics.

The award recipients listened to speakers, attended a panel discussion, and engaged in small group breakout sessions that covered a wide range of topics, including how the military reflects a changing society; operating in a multinational environment; drones and their effects on warfare; the integration of artificial intelligence in warfare; and the Great Power competition in the South China Sea. They established a long reading list, gained advice to use as young officers, studied, engaged in intense physical training, networked with their peers, and formed new friendships.

A highlight for the award recipients was sharing dinner Feb. 23 with U.S. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine ’90, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Following the meal, Caine gave the keynote speech in Cameron Hall, which was attended by the entire VMI Corps of Cadets, along with many members of the faculty and staff.

Caine opened his speech simply and sincerely: “It is nice to be home. I cannot tell you how overjoyed my inner child is to be back here in Lexington. It’s just a very, very special place.” He immediately bonded with the Corps of Cadets by good-naturedly teasing their superintendent, Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87, reminding the Class of 2026 of the advice he offered them when he spoke to them at their Ring Figure in 2024, and congratulating the Class of 2029 for their recent Breakout from the Rat Line. He referred to both the VMI cadets and the visiting cadets as teammates.

He recalled how, when he was a cadet, he helped with the Marshall seminar when it was previously held on post. To the award recipients, he said, “It was striking to me then, and it’s striking to me now, how lucky we are to have you entering into the service. We are proud of you and grateful for you.” To all the cadets in the arena, he said, “Your path and service will not always be easy. You will be tested and challenged. You will be asked to make tough decisions. From time to time, you will find yourselves at a crossroads where you simply don’t know what to do … I encourage you at that point in time to ask yourself the question: ‘What would Marshall do?’ There are many leaders that I’ve learned from in my career, but there is only one George Marshall.”

Dr. Philip Potter and retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. John Paxton conduct a panel discussion in Gillis Theater Feb. 24.—VMI Photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.

Caine stated that leadership for Marshall was a passion and something he studied his entire career. “It all started and stopped with people—how to properly lead them, how to connect with them, how to care for them, and how to love them. Marshall was humble. It was never about him. It was about doing the right thing. It was always about the deed and never about the glory. He believed, as I do, that every day we have a responsibility to get out of bed and earn it, in a quiet, humble way.”

Caine confessed that after he graduated from VMI, he didn’t always wear his class ring. But as he started to grow in responsibility, he returned to wearing it again.

“Because it reminded me every time I looked at it, ‘What would Marshall do?’ The most precious thing you have as a leader is the people you are blessed to lead. People were everything to Marshall, so I became a people person. I encourage you to do the same thing. Relationships are essential in your path of service, in or out of the military. It means asking folks a simple yet beautiful question, ‘What’s your story?’ Sometimes they’ll tell you good things. But every once in a while, they’ll tell you when they need your help. Listen carefully to the answers to that question. Marshall was a master at this.”

Caine closed by asking the assembly to remember the members of the Joint Force doing the nation’s business, the deployed and their families, and most importantly, the fallen and their families. “They show us what courage looks like,” said Caine. “It is through all of them and Marshall that we find the gift of a perfect example. Thank you. Congratulations to our Marshall award winners and to the Corps of Cadets. It’s nice to be home with you.” Caine’s audience gave him a standing ovation, and he returned the affection as he left the arena with a smile and a wave.

Cadet Matthew Kleinschuster ’26, an applied mathematics major with a business minor from Richmond, Virginia, was one of the award recipients. He is commander of Company F, as well as battalion commander of VMI’s Blue Ridge Battalion, the largest ROTC program in the country. Upon commissioning, he will branch into explosive ordnance disposal. He shared that attending the seminar was a huge honor.

“Learning about all of Marshall’s accomplishments has given me confidence, and I am excited to join the Army and hopefully carry out his legacy,” said Kleinschuster. “I have learned so much during our civil discussions, and hearing all the perspectives of very successful AROTC cadets. I plan to take everything I have learned and implement it into my approach in becoming a future officer.”