Benjamin Smith Leads the Nation
A hearty “Well Done” to Cadet Benjamin Smith, recognized by the US Army’s Cadet Command as the No. 1 overall Army ROTC cadet out of 5,538 graduating nationally for the 2025-26 academic year.
Ben achieves this accolade eleven years after IA major Jonathan Strickland achieved that same distinction.
Ben, from Decatur, TN, is an SSST / Military Science major. He said being the No. 1 cadet “was a pleasant surprise” but probably not to his peers and his professors. Some of his cadet career highlights include:
- Graduating from Air Assault School and Jungle School and attending Sapper School, all of which are Army specialty schools. He was the honor graduate of his Air Assault School class, and he was one of three UNG cadets to earn the Jungle Tab this summer.
- Overseas experience at military academies in Poland and Latvia.
A pair of stints at the Swiss Army mountaineering courses. - Commander, Mountain Order of Colombo.
We in the PSIA Department are exceptionally proud of Ben and wish him all the best in his future Army career.