Cadet Squad Leader of 2nd Squad, Alpha Company, 1st Regiment, Basic Camp Jeanette Corpuz, from Ewa Beach Oahu, Hawaii, out of West Virginia State University helps her squad work on plotting coordinates for the map reading exercise June 16 in Fort Knox. By Joseph Barkoff.
Fort Knox, Kentucky – 1stRegiment, Basic Camp Cadets received their first introduction to Army land navigation today at Training Area 8 on June 16th.
Lt. Col. Jason Eddy, the Regimental Training Officer for 1stRegiment, Basic Camp, from University of Pittsburgh stated “Land navigation is an incredibly important and perishable skill that serves as a baseline. When the Cadets attend Advanced Camp next year they will be given a task, and part of the challenge is figuring out the location of the task and its relation to their mission, point A to point B.”
Cadets of Alpha Company, 1st Regiment, Basic Camp learn the art of land navigation during the map reading exercise June 16 in Fort Knox. By Joseph Barkoff.
These Cadets are learning how to read and interpret maps, as well as plot points, and use a compass. They then use these tools and skills to determine their location and destination. After they are instructed on techniques and tactics, they find their pace count, verify their compasses, and are taken on a terrain walk to see how to use terrain to their advantage when navigating in both day and nighttime conditions.
“Right now this is really preparation for land navigation… it’s getting us ready for tomorrow when we get evaluated,” said Zachariah Warhus, a Cadet from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He shared that this was his first experience with the Army and that he had only been in ROTC since the past semester. “I’m excited for this terrain walk, because I’ve never actually done one before. I think it’ll really help to have things explained and pointed out, to actually look at the features in real life.”
Cadets of Alpha Company, 1st Regiment, Basic Camp learn the art of land navigation during the map reading exercise June 16 in Fort Knox. By Joseph Barkoff.
Basic soldiering skills such as land navigation have a great importance for future officers. “If you don’t know it, how can you expect your people to know it,” contributed Cadet Travis Taylor from University of Mississippi, “If someone has a problem, I want to be able to help my Soldier and be as knowledgeable as possible.”
One of the instructors, Staff Sgt. Charles Snow from Lynchburg Virginia, said, “it’s fun to take in a group of Cadets who don’t understand something well, and have them walk away today with new knowledge.”
