By: Madison Thompson
FORT KNOX, Ky. – 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp, entered Hill Hall at Fort Knox, July 11, to attend branch round tables. This event was held for Cadets to explore the different branches in the Army in a more personal setting. Cadre with years of experience in each of the branch came and spoke to Cadets about available opportunities.
5th Regiment, Advanced Camp attend Branch Round Table at Hill Hall, Fort Knox, Ky., July 11. Capt. Shevez Freeman briefing Cadets about the Signal Corps. Photo by: Madison Thompson
“They’re going through the different branches prior to them making their choice on August 21 to see which branches they like, maybe don’t like, and some that may interest them or that they didn’t know about,” explained Capt. Shevez Freeman, a Cadre member representing the Signal Corps.
Cadets selected their top three branches to attend during this event. From there, Cadre presented 45-minute briefs to Cadets concerning branch objectives as well as sub-disciplines within each branch.
Within the Military Police, for example, there are several divisions including: force protection training division, military police investigations division, advanced law enforcement training division, behavioral science education training division.
After sitting through a briefing, Cadet Duncan Englehart, Clemson University, East Greenwich, R.I., realized that the Ordinance/EOD branch entailed more than he expected.
5th Regiment, Advanced Camp attend Branch Round Table at Hill Hall, Fort Knox, Ky., July 11. Cadet Duncan Englehart, Clemson University, East Greenwich, R.I.
Photo by: Madison Thompson
“Yeah, EOD does more than I realized … sitting through the brief, you realize they do a lot of stuff state side as well. They work with threat mitigation and civil authorities. I didn’t realize they did VIP service for government officials,” said Englehart.
Cadre recognize that, sometimes, Cadets come in with certain expectations of the branch only to be surprised by what could await them.
“What surprises them the most, when they come to my brief, is how transferable it is to the civilian sector. So, if someone is doing National Guard or Reserve, we offer certifications that can help get them a better job almost immediately,” said Freeman.
Cadre want Cadets to get the most out of this experience and hope they take away what is really important.
“From the Signal Corps round table, I hope that they take away that it’s not just sitting on computers and typing away every day,” explained Freeman. “Because, when they come into my brief, a lot of them think, ‘hey, am I just going to be sitting and typing and putting computers on a network?’ or, ‘am I just going to be sitting, talking on a radios?’ When that’s not at all the case.”
“I hope that they have a better understanding of what they would like to do in the United States Army because, shortly, they will have to submit paperwork to Cadet Command that will finalize their decision,” said 2nd Lt. Erik Egner.
At the end of the round table, Cadets and Cadre offered advice for career decision making and planning for the future.
5th Regiment, Advanced Camp attend Branch Round Table at Hill Hall, Fort Knox, Ky., July 11. Cadet Michael Gavrilis, Seattle University, Seattle, Wash., being briefed at P3.
Photo by: Madison Thompson
“My biggest advice for any Cadet coming to Advanced Camp is to expand your horizons. Go see branches you didn’t think you’d be interested in because you never really know what’s going to interest you,” said Freeman.
“If you want to go Infantry, then don’t listen to people who say, ‘oh, you’re not going to be a millionaire in two years’. That’s fine. If that’s what you want to do, then do it,” said Cadet Michael Gavrilis, Seattle University, Seattle, Wash. “If you want to go into AG and if writing is your skill, don’t let anyone say, ‘oh, paperwork is boring’. Because those people probably just can’t handle the paperwork … Don’t let anyone else convince you not to do what you want to do.”
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
