Commandant COL Steve Barone announced the "Rook of the Week" and "Old Man of the Week" program to faculty and staff this month. Each week, one rook and one upperclassman will be recognized for character, effort, leadership, service, improvement, and teamwork, the qualities the Corps expects of every cadet.

"We spend a great deal of time correcting cadets when they fall short of our standards," COL Barone said. "We also need to consistently recognize cadets who are doing the right things."

The awards are not tied to GPA, athletic performance, or rank. Instead, TACs and cadet leadership will be looking for cadets who lead by example, help and take care of other cadets, take responsibility for their actions, and put the needs of the Corps ahead of themselves.

Every new cadet at Fishburne begins as a "Rook," working through an orientation period known as Rook Phase before being promoted. Over time, that same cadet grows into what the Corps calls an "Old Man," the term Fishburne uses for its upperclassmen. The two award categories follow that same arc: Rook of the Week recognizes a rook who shows exceptional effort, improvement, character, resilience, teamwork, or initiative, while Old Man of the Week goes to an upperclassman who demonstrates exceptional leadership, responsibility, service, character, and commitment to the Corps.

Nominations will come from cadet leadership and TACs, with Cadet Battalion Commander Alba consolidating them each Friday for COL Barone's review. Every nomination must include the cadet's name, company, and a specific, concrete example of what that cadet did during the week, not just a general description like "good cadet" or "hard worker."

COL Barone will make the final selections and announce the winners during Monday morning assembly, where he will explain to the Corps why each cadet was chosen. Winners receive merits as the official recognition.

For COL Barone, the program is about more than a weekly announcement. It is a chance to reinforce, out loud and in front of the whole Corps, the behaviors Fishburne wants to see every day: effort, improvement, character, leadership, service, teamwork, and cadets taking care of one another.

"This program gives us an opportunity to highlight the behaviors we want to see throughout the Corps," COL Barone said. "Thank you for supporting this initiative and helping us build a stronger Fishburne Corps."

The first Rook of the Week and Old Man of the Week will be announced at an upcoming Monday assembly.