By Lindsey Crown

FORT KNOX, Ky. -“What we’re looking for is Cadets that don’t just meet the minimum standards, but excel and lead the way,” said Colonel Lance Oskey, task force leader and 7th brigade commander of ROTC.

Advanced Camp 6th Regiment faced the Army Physical Fitness Test, which is a baseline of fitness that the army uses and will continue to use throughout a Cadet’s career, he said.

“I’ve ran with all of the regiments just to set an example and inspire and challenge Cadets to maintain their fitness as I do as a 46 year old Colonel, so twice as old as most of the Cadets here,” Oskey said.

The goal is personal excellence, he said.

Cadet Anderson Kaapa, University of Houston, finished the two-mile run first with a time of 10 minutes 31 seconds.

The two-mile run is an assessment of aerobic strength and the conditioning of our legs, Kaapa said.

“In the army we do a lot of movement on foot so we have to make sure that we are aerobically fit and strong enough to make those movements,” he said.

Cadre members observe Cadets of 6th Regiment Advance Camp during APFT on Ft. Knox, Ky, June 30. Photo by Lindsey Crown

It’s challenging for some to come to an away track that they’re not familiar with and to face unfamiliar environmental factors and still be able to perform at a high level, Oskey said.

“It’s all new. I’ve never run on a half mile track,” said Cadet Cassie Mcculloch, Norwich University, who said she was feeling nervous for the APFT test.

“That’s what we do in the army,” Oskey said. “All our battles, all of our engagements, we want to be an away game and we want people to be comfortable in that environment. I tell Cadets we want them to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”