Army’s Farris Assumes Important Cadet Leadership Role

The military history in Julia Farris’ family doesn’t run very deep. The background of one relative, however, made a lasting impression on Farris.

Farris’ grandfather was from Cuba and was a prisoner of war in the Bay of Pigs, a failed invasion attempt by United States-backed Cuban exiles to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. To gain his U.S. citizenship, her grandfather served in the U.S. Air Force.

“Him doing that was a pretty big inspiration for me, just like his selfless service to do something and he came here to better his family,” Farris said. “So being able to pay that back for him and his sacrifice has been a huge motivator.”

During her college search, Farris considered many of the military institutions. The United States Military Academy West Point was the only one with a softball program, which would allow Farris to keep playing the sport she loved. 

Farris, a Delaware native, committed to Army West Point, and waited for her acceptance letter to come once she applied. After it arrived, she planned a visit to her grandfather’s house to share the news.

“I held onto the secret for a little bit, and it hurt my heart not to tell him as soon as I got it,” Farris said. “But once I showed it to him, I’ve never seen him jump out of his recliner so quickly to give me the world’s biggest hug. He made me photocopy it on his printer.” 

Farris’ grandfather passed away during her plebe (first) year at Army. She knows he would be proud to see all she’s accomplished since then. The latest honor arrived in August, when the senior infielder was one of 11 cadets from the Class of 2025 selected to lead the Corps of Cadets during the academic year.

The brigade cadet leadership roles are the top positions in the Corps of Cadets, charged with carrying out the responsibilities of leading the Corps. Farris is the Brigade Public Affairs/Intelligence Officer.

“It’s a pretty big honor to be able to serve in that role and lead the Corps and do what I can to help them out and support my first captain,” Farris said. “I’m very excited about it.”

As part of her duties, Farris will perform security tasks, such as making sure the weapons in each cadet’s room are maintained well, tracking mandatory training sessions, and making sure cadets have their government travel cards to prepare for the summer.

Farris will also work closely with the Public Affairs Office and help the public better understand the daily lives of cadets.

“Being able to highlight the excellence of our cadets is awesome. Everybody here has the same mindset, where you are trying to achieve excellence at all times,” Farris said. “I think when you are in an environment like that, and everybody around you is so great, you may think that your accomplishments are little. But they really are not little. So being able to show the public, ‘Hey, these are your future leaders. These are America’s sons and daughters.’ I want them to know we got you guys. Don’t you worry. We’re preparing ourselves to lead this country well.”

Sisters stay together in service

Farris and her older sister, Olivia, got introduced to softball through their mom, who played the sport at Delaware Tech. Farris started swinging a bat at a young age, and eventually joined the Virginia Glory under Suzy Willemssen. 

“She was one of the first great demonstrations of leadership to me, and being there for your people,” Farris said of Willemssen. “I constantly thank her. Everything that I’ve learned about leadership, a lot of it came from her.”

Farris and her sister attended Delaware Military Academy, a publicly-funded charter high school based on the traditions and values of the U.S. Navy.

“My sister and I were looking around for high schools, and we came across the academy, and I was like, ‘This is something new, something different,’” Farris said. “I like to challenge myself, and my sister does as well. We decided, ‘Let’s do this. Let’s figure out. Let’s just do something different.’ We wanted to kind of step into that unknown and see what it was like. And it was probably the best decision we’ve made.”

Farris didn’t want to stop playing softball in college, but was more focused on serving the country. She’s grateful for the chance to do both at Army. 

“I love softball. It is a way to get me to my goals, which I am grateful for,” she said. “My parents instilled that in me growing up–just play it, love it and use it to get where you want to be in the future. And it definitely brought me to the best place I could ever have been.”

Olivia, a year older, played one season at Drexel before joining Julia at Army. They went through the admittance process together and are in the same class, although they are in different regiments and companies. Olivia exhausted her athletic eligibility last season, but remains involved with the softball team as a manager.

“Our motivation is, ‘Hey, she’s doing it. I’m doing it. We can do it together.’ She’s been really great, and it’s like a piece of home is here with me,” Julia said. “I kind of have an unfair advantage compared to some other cadets, but it’s been great to share this experience with her.”

Long days, sky-high dreams

Farris and her fellow cadets wake up every day at 6:30 for morning formation and breakfast. She takes classes until 11:50 and then heads to lunch formation. After eating lunch in the mess hall, Farris is back in class until 3:05 p.m. before reporting to practice at 3:45. After practice, the team lifts in the weight room, eats dinner, and then begins homework.

“You get used to it and you learn to survive under pressure, which is great,” Farris said of the structure. “But when I go home, you always feel like you need to be doing something. My mom reminds me, ‘It’s okay, just relax.’” 

Farris recently received her branch assignment of aviation, which was her top choice.

“I’m hoping to go to flight school,” Farris said. “If we branch aviation, we’re agreeing to a 10-year add, so it’s about 12 years (of service). But I would love to get to fly and work with a small team to accomplish a mission.”

Making each day count

Farris went through an interview process last year for the Corps of Cadets. She was selected to be a Cadet Candidate Basic Training (CCBT) commander at the USMA prep school. She spent five weeks at the prep school during the summer—two weeks preparing for the detail and three weeks training the cadet candidates and teaching them how to be soldiers and prepare for their academic year.

The task forces at CCBT are dedicated to someone in the Army who has passed away. Farris commanded Task Force Nichols, which honored the life of Winslow Nichols, a USMA prep school Class of 2022 graduate. Before coming to USMAPS, Nichols enlisted in the Montana National Guard. At USMAPS, he participated in color guard, the military skills team, and loved alpine skiing. 

“He sadly passed away at 19 years old in a mountain climbing accident,” Farris said. “During the detail, we highlighted four of his characteristics. He was dream big oriented, selfless, competitive and caring. These characteristics are what his classmates remember him by.”

Farris knows she only has one season left representing Army on the softball field. She’s determined to make the most of her final few months at West Point before beginning the next chapter of her military service. 

“I’m ready to leave it all out on that field,” Farris said. “Getting to wear Army across my chest and West Point on my back has been the best experience ever. I am just very grateful to have been given that opportunity and to play with the girls I’ve been playing with.”