FORT KNOX, Ky. – Advanced Camp 1st Regiment Cadets do a practice raid to learn Situational Tactical Exercise (STX) skills in a three-day course at the annual Cadet Summer Training (CST) June 7 at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
During the three-day STX Lane course they learn three different scenarios raid, ambush and movement to contact. Before they do each lane they devise a plan, which is then executed. After they finish the lane the Cadets are evaluated on how they did and what they can do to improve.
A Cadet crawls through the woods during STX (situational tactical exercise) Lanes to a staged weapons cache ambush. June 7 at Fort Knox, Ky. (Photo by Amber Vincent)
“ This is the first phase the Cadets come to get their initial training on all things tactical at the Platoon Level,” said Capt. Guillermo Romo, Observer Coach Trainer (OCT), Wolverine Team Advanced Camp tactics, Loyola University in Chicago.
For the Raid STX Lane they teach the Cadets Platoon level tactics and scouting techniques to name a few.
“We ensure the Cadets have the basic understanding of all those tactical tasks they will accomplish when they go into the next phase of their training,” said Lt. Col. Bill Meredith, officer in charge (OIC) for C. Co. and Wolverine Team in Advanced Camp tactics, from Texas A&M University.
Cadet Tristan Baca, Jacksonville State University, Alabama, is a part of the opposing forces team (OPFOR) to help the Advanced Camp Cadets get a sense for what the real-world combat may be like. Even though the volunteer Cadets are there to help the Advanced Cadets get the best scenario based role-play possible, they are learning tactics and how the opposing team may think.
During STX (situational tactical exercise) Lanes, a roleplayer aims at Cadets during a staged weapons cache ambush. June 7 at Fort Knox, Ky. (Photo by Amber Vincent)
“A great advantage is that the older Cadets get to practice on us and we (the younger Cadets) get to learn from their experiences, we also are able to get first hand experience to see what we will be going through in a few years,” said Baca
“We’re hand-in-hand straight in the action of what the older Cadets get to do, and what we will be doing later,” said Baca
The cadre provide a step by step instructions ensure the Cadets learn these tactics the right way so that they can carry these skills with them for use in future deployments.
“The more you can get a Soldier out in the woods, the better; this is what being in the Army is,” said Romo
Cadet Summer Training will bring 8,200 Cadets through Basic and Advanced Camp this summer on Fort Knox. These camps are designed to help challenge, grow and improve various skills and leadership qualities within the Cadets. If you think you have what it takes to be a Cadet or if you are interested in a job after college, click the following link:
https://my.goarmy.com/info/rotc1/index.jsp?iom=IP08-AUTO-R1NA-BR-XXX-XX-XXX-MO-XX-X-BRCMAC:IP08
