Cadets from 8th Regiment, Basic Camp participated in the Teamwork Development Course July 19, 2018 at Fort Knox, Ky. Photo by Haley Brown
FORT KNOX, Ky.—Cadets from 8th Regiment, Basic Camp tackled the Teamwork Development Course and improved their communication and leadership within their platoons July 19th, 2018.
TDC improves skills and communication between Cadets and their peers. Varying obstacles challenge Cadets both physically and mentally.
During one of the obstacles on the course, Cadet Audrey Del Rosario, Seattle University, held a straddle position for a long period of time to assist her fellow Cadets and their equipment across a series of ropes.
Cadet Audrey Del Rosario, Seattle University holds the ropes in in place for her fellow Cadets at TDC July 29, 2018 at Fort Knox, Ky. Photo by Haley Brown
“I was just kind of sitting in the middle of the ropes trying to get people across, trying to help them and stabilize them since the ropes are shaking,’ she continued, “And my other teammates were up on the wall trying to help them over.”
Del Rosario explains why TDC is important to CST and how it helps improve communication and bonding between her squad.
“I really think it’s about bonding with your squad and trying to figure out who you’re working with, and what your squads’ strengths and weaknesses are,” she explained, “I think getting across and actually doing the task is an extra, I think it’s really about working together.”
Cadets from 8th Regiment, Basic Camp participated in the Teamwork Development Course July 19, 2018 at Fort Knox, Ky. Photo by Haley Brown
Cadets learn about their own strengths and weaknesses during the course and when to listen, instead of lead.
Cadet Alexa Vargas, University of Delaware goes into detail about developing quality leadership skills.
“The whole idea of ROTC and this course is to build leadership, everybody can’t be leaders at the same time,” she continued, “So it’s good to tell people to back off sometimes because there can only really be one leader at a time.”
Cadets from 8th Regiment, Basic Camp participated in the Teamwork Development Course July 19, 2018 at Fort Knox, Ky. Photo by Haley Brown
Vargas continues to explain how leadership skills are vital to team building within a platoon.
“It tells people that you have your ideas, and we all want to hear them, but you can’t be trying to take charge if someone is already in charge, she reiterated, “So this is a really good learning ground for learning how to be a follower, as well as giving the person who is the leader, more confidence in leading.”
