FORT KNOX, Ky. – Advanced Camp 4th Regiment took on their final day, June 23, at the Situational Tactical Exercise lanes before heading onto more training for their annual Cadets Summer Training at Fort Knox.
Captain John Toliver explains a STX (situational training exercise) Lane to the Cadet Platoon Leader. June 23, Fort Knox, Ky. (Photo by Amber Vincent)
Cadets are on the STX lanes for four days, they sleep, eat and execute their missions all out in the woods. This lane the Cadets were training at was cadre run, Cadre are the Platoon leaders and Squad leaders. The Cadre first make sure the Cadets get a feel for the different training since the Cadets have been doing other things before getting into the field.
“Being out here you get a different feel for your sense of urgency, noise and light discipline, working together as a team and just getting a feel with gaining muscle memory,” said Cadet Rachel Fenton, Bowling Green State University, North Bloomfield, Ohio.
Cadets sleep in barracks while they are not in the woods and doing other qualifications for them to graduate from the program. When the Cadets are out in the woods doing STX lanes they are on alert 24/7. “Many of the Cadets are not use to having food and sleep last on the priority list,” said Fenton.
Training at the STX lanes helps create the muscle memory that the Cadets need for when they conduct future training. “Working cooperatively while being under high pressured environments is something we learn here in the STX lanes,” said Fenton.
Photo by Amber Vincent
“We coach them along the way to ensure they are in the right position along with doing the right things and doing what the mission is,” said Capt. Brian Abernethy, 3rd Platoon Charlie (C) Co., 4th Regiment, Albuquerque, New Mexico. “They are learning fast and with each iteration they are getting better and better.”
“They are coming together as a team and that’s truly our focus,” said Abernethy.
Cadet Summer Training makes leaders and the only way to become a leader is to be put to the test. They learn how to work as one, they become one.
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/form/GetBrcFormRedirectByUrl.action?url=/info/rotc1/index.jsp
