Maryland Cadet Selected As West Point First Captain

MARYLAND CADET SELECTED AS WEST POINT FIRST CAPTAIN – August 21, 2023

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Cadet Martayn Van de Wall of West Friendship, Md., has been selected as the First Captain of the U.S. Military Academy’s Corps of Cadets for the 2023-2024 academic year, achieving the highest position in the cadet chain of command.

“I am incredibly excited for this year’s vision, “One Corps, Our Corps” as this phrase presents a comprehensive approach to leadership, emphasizing that we are all on one team—the Corps of Cadets—and that we are each charged with the success and development of our team,” said Van de Wall. “I am confident that if we stick together as One Corps, we will achieve a higher degree of growth and success than West Point has ever seen. 

The First Captain is responsible for the overall performance of the approximately 4,400-member Corps of Cadets. His duties also include implementing a class agenda and acting as a liaison between the Corps and the administration.

“Over the past three years, West Point has consistently surrounded me with exceptional teammates, friends, and mentors who have pushed me to become the best version of myself,” he continued. “I now have a responsibility to foster a similar environment of mentorship and growth for all cadets and inspire a relentless pursuit of excellence across the academy.”  

Van de Wall’s brother Daine also served as the First Captain and graduated as a member of the Class of 2020. This marks the second time in the history of West Point that siblings were selected as First Captains. The first time was John Thornton Knight Jr., Class of 1917, and his brother O'Ferrall Knight, Class of 1918. 

Van de Wall’s accomplishments at West Point include a variety of activities such as being a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and his Company Sandhurst team. He successfully graduated from Army Sapper Leader Course and Sabalauski Air Assault School and participated in a semester exchange at the U.S. Naval Academy. Additionally, he is a Truman and Stamps Scholar recipient. 

About West Point

The U. S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal, liberal arts college located 50 miles north of New York City.  It was founded in 1802 as America's first college of engineering and continues today as one of our nation’s premier leader-development institutions, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country.  Its mission remains constant—to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the U. S. Army.  For more information, go to www.westpoint.edu.