The purpose of MD101 is twofold: 1) to learn to be a follower and to support the chain of command and 2) to develop understanding of and commitment to the duty concept. Cadet privates serve as members of a squad in their assigned companies. The cadet private's primary task is to strive for excellence in academic, military, and physical activities. It is part of their duty to know assigned tasks, to perform them with enthusiasm even in small matters, to seek assistance as needed, and to demonstrate standards of behavior and values consistent with the goals of USMA. The cadet chain of command and tactical officer evaluate cadet privates, based on performance data within the framework of the Leader Characteristics, as defined in Chapter 9, Annex D, USCC SOP. The sources of this data include academic instructors, team coaches, club officers-in-charge, and other members of the staff and faculty who observe cadets in different situations. The cadet private receives a MD grade for MD201, which is a numerical weighted average of the submitted grades.
