By: Madison Thompson
FORT KNOX, Ky. – 8th Regiment, Basic Camp, Cadets executed their Individual Task Testing, July 28, during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox. ITT is a course evaluation where Cadets take their culminated knowledge from training and apply it to a practical, real-life situation.
8th Regiment, Basic Camp performing Individual Task Testing (ITT), July 28, during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky. Photo by: Madison Thompson
“The ITT testing we’re doing today is basically a check on knowledge to say, ‘hey, for the last week and a half, you all have been learning these things. Now that we give you a scenario, a real world scenario, can you apply the knowledge that you’ve learned and use them like building blocks’,” said 2nd Lt. Kevan Bjornson, a graduate from Rochester Institute of Technology. “So, we gave them the base steps, now we’re putting it all together … It’s the first time they get a culminating event.”
“We’re just running through a little bit of everything we’ve learned so far. We’re getting tested on it and we’re learning how to perform it under pressure. It’s a big mixture of everything we’ve learned,” said Cadet Hannah Golla, University of Cincinnati, North Royalton, Ohio.
There are four main and different aspects to ITT.
“It was based mostly on IMTs, Individual Movement Techniques, first aid and casualty evaluation, land navigation and weapons familiarization,” said Cadet Matthew Chirik, Temple University of Philadelphia, Warrington, Pa.
The lane exercise was run through in a specific order.
8th Regiment, Basic Camp performing Individual Task Testing (ITT), July 28, during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky. Cadet Hanna Golla, University of Cincinnati, North Royalton, Ohio, preparing for ITT.
Photo by: Madison Thompson
“So, we started the lane by getting briefed an OP (operations) order this morning with coordinates and all the necessary information such as frequencies. We plotted our points on the map and got our azimuth. We started off … and came upon a simulated casualty and we had to perform treatment on that casualty including applying a tourniquet and a pressure wrap,” stated Chirik. “From there, we used the radios to call in a nine-line medevac request. We moved on, continuing to follow our azimuth, and we took simulated fire … we got down on the ground and followed individual movement techniques up through the objective.”
This training is important for many different reasons. The main reason being that this simulation is a possible scenario Cadets might encounter in their future careers as officers. These simulations are meant to challenge Cadets mentally and physically.
8th Regiment, Basic Camp performing Individual Task Testing (ITT), July 28, during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky. Photo by: Madison Thompson
At the end of ITT, Cadets offered advice for future Cadets who will be performing ITT.
“It’s not as scary. Before you come in, don’t put too much worry on it because everybody comes in and no one really knows what they’re doing. So, if you fail, it’s okay,” said Golla. “They want you to fail so that way they can build you up and build a good foundation under you.”
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
