By: Madison Thompson
FORT KNOX, Ky. – Advanced Camp, 4th Regiment, arrived June 9 at Fort Knox, Kentucky for Cadet Summer Training (CST). Cadet arrival is a hustle and bustle kind of day. Many things need to be accomplished upon arriving as a Cadet. Things like settling into the barracks and preparing for the training ahead.
Other activities include packing and unpacking their belongings. Why? While waiting to go up to the barracks, one Cadet answered this question.
“It’s just for inspection to make sure you have everything. Last thing you want, while you’re out in the field, is to not have a piece of equipment and get yelled at. So, they double-check and re-check to make sure you’re well taken care of,” explained Cadet Hyrum Dean, Brigham Young University.
Dean, currently studying history with the focus in the Middle East with a minor in Portuguese, grew up in Midway, Texas.
“I’m an army brat. My dad was an officer in the United States Army so we moved around a lot actually, but I actually graduated from Fort Knox High School,” said Dean.
He has not only been all around the United States, but also South America.
“I served a two year mission, a church mission in Brazil so I speak Portuguese.” Dean is a CULP (Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency Program) student and had the opportunity to travel South America through the Military.
“(With) CULP, you spend three weeks in a country. The Army sends you to another country and you learn about the other culture. It was cool going back because I had already lived there before, so I was one of the main translators while we were there. We met some people that were doing that, American officers, who were doing that type of stuff. So I really, really thought it would be an awesome opportunity later if I decide to stay in for 20 years,” said Dean. He also said he enjoyed his time and hopes to go back one day.
With Dean starting training so soon, he reflected on his past and why he wanted to join the Army.
“So, being around it definitely helped a lot. I grew up and we were always moving around. I enjoyed moving around. I was in boy scouts when I was younger, so I enjoyed camping, I enjoyed shooting. Being from Texas, we shot a lot,” said Dean. “I actually enjoy being outdoors and that kind of stuff and they pay for school. Patriotism as well. I really want to serve my country, at least for four years. So, it worked out and everything’s perfect.”
He also looks forward to the training ahead of him.
“I’m excited to work together as a team and to work with Cadets from other schools. To be able to make friendships as well as learn to work together in a group which I think is very important for any leader. We’ll be moving around and meeting a lot of people. So, just being able to get to interact at first, get to know each other, and then be able to find our strengths and weaknesses and then use those to our benefits to have success,” said Dean.
Training for the 4th Regiment, Advanced Camp, starts now and, for the next month, Cadets will be put to the test during CST.
Cadet Summer Training brings 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
