A Kind Leader – DSM Kail Brown '25

The Drill Sergeant Major (DSM) serves as the second-in-command of the 254 King’s-Edgehill School Highland Cadet Corps. Currently, Master Warrant Officer Kail Brown '25 holds the position of DSM. Today, he shares the valuable leadership lessons he has gained through his cadet experience. Our Commanding Officer, Captain James Skafte, recently sat down with Kail for an insightful conversation. Here is the full interview.

Good day Kail! We would really like to get to know you a bit better, thanks for sitting down to chat!

It is baseball! I have been playing since I was a really young kid and have learned a lot from my brother. My family has helped me pursue baseball.

I play hockey outside the school. I’ve been the captain the last two years on my midget A team in West Hants, I play defense.

My favorite place to be is outdoors. I hunt and fish. If I had to be somewhere I’d be outdoors.

As I’ve gotten older its steak and then chicken.

I sure do!

Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, which is about 10 minutes outside of Windsor. My first cousins, Sierra Phillips '25 and Colton Phillips '26, live next door. We travel to school together, I play hockey with Colton, and we play a lot of sports together. We spend a lot of time together.

My father (Shawn Brown '98) and aunt (Amber (Brown) Phillips '00 which is Sierra and Colton’s mother) are both alumni of KES.

Yes, I have an older brother, Mitch Brown '23, who is also an alumnus of KES. He is 19 years old and currently attending Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts, where he plays baseball. That makes five members of my family who are either alumni or current students at KES.

I started at KES in Grade 9, which was in 2021. I immediately joined the baseball team, as I've been playing the sport my whole life. King’s-Edgehill is where I truly grew as a player and became much better. My early years here have been a ton of fun and I’ll always remember them.

The education here is great! There is a lot of one-on-one work and there are small classes. I find the level of homework is good and I’ve been told by a lot of people that it prepares you well for when you go to university. I’ve heard that the workload in university doesn’t feel like it is as much because of the work load that we are accustomed to here.

In my first (2021) and second (2022) years, I didn’t have much responsibility. However, in my third year (2023), when I was promoted to platoon warrant officer, I really began to grow as a leader. I helped younger students, worked with peers my own age, and took on leadership roles in various activities. It was something I excelled at, and I started to think that I could aim for the DSM or master warrant officer position when I reached Grade 12.

A few weeks into my first year, I knew I wanted to pursue a senior leadership position in the Corps. I observed the students in leadership roles, how they carried themselves, and how they served as role models to others. I admired the warrant officers and aspired to be like them, hoping to one day have others look up to me in the same way.

The best way is to be on time. It’s very important in cadets to show up on time and hold respect for other people. Without respect there isn’t much you can do without it. It’s everything.

My parents are my biggest role models along with my brother who I’ve followed in his footsteps with baseball and hockey.

There are many! The previous cadet DSMs and RSMs have been very influential. I observed how they worked and how they ran the corps to near perfection. Every year the senior cadet leaders are role models to the younger kids.

I’m a house captain for the senior day boys' locker room. I ensure everything runs smoothly and address any issues by reporting them so they can be resolved. It’s an important role, as it helps maintain order and ensures things don’t fall apart.

I believe that to become a great leader, it's crucial to prioritize helping others before helping yourself. Use constructive criticism to support growth – never put someone down. When you're leading, focus on helping others more than expecting help in return. For example, if you're a coach and a player makes a mistake, your first priority should be to guide and support them, rather than thinking about how it benefits you. Always put others first.

I would describe my style as offering constructive criticism rather than punishment. I believe that, especially today, constructive feedback is essential to help people navigate challenges and keep things running smoothly.

I try to lead by example. If I was playing hockey, I would give a motivational speech on how to win and how to do better. If you want people to follow you, you have to be a good leader and care about them.

I think its all about looking at the previous leaders and how they ran things. Look at the good things and bad things that they did and seek to improve on what they did to improve yourself.

This fall I would like to play college baseball or become a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer.

Thank you, Kail, for sharing your valuable leadership insights and for offering a glimpse into your experience as a member of the KES family.