Rhode Island Cadet Selected as West Point First Captain

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Cadet Jayram Suryanarayan of North Kingstown, R.I., has been selected as the First Captain of the U.S. Military Academy’s Corps of Cadets for the 2025-26 academic year, the highest position in the cadet chain of command. 

“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.” 

The First Captain is the Cadet Brigade Commander and is 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. 

“Throughout this 47-month journey, the academy has provided me with genuine support, leadership, and care from my friends, company and mentors who want to see me and the team be all that we can be,” Suryanarayan said. “I embrace this responsibility now to continue fostering this team environment and culture of accountability and excellence to provide the same support and growth for all 4,400 cadets to become the best versions of themselves and to make the team 1 percent better every day.” 

Suryanarayan’s accomplishments at West Point include participation in company athletics and service as the patrolling cadet in charge for 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. 

About West Point: 

The U. S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal service academy located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America's first college of engineering and continues today as the world’s premier leader-development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission is to build, educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets to be commissioned leaders of character committed to the Army Values and ready for a lifetime of service to the Army and Nation. Visit the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for more information.