Cadet Cheyenne Perry Vargas, University of West Florida Argonauts, leads 2nd Platoon, B Company through practice before a Drill & Ceremony competition on August 2, 2018, at Fort Knox, Ky. (Photo by Emilia Kuentz)
FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 7th Regiment, Basic Camp participated in a Drill & Ceremony competition on August 2.
D&C consists of the proper way to move and hold oneself while in formation. The competition is a new addition to Cadet Summer Training this year.
Cadet Jamie Bridenstine, who completed Advanced Camp this summer, is working as a Military Science III trainer at Basic Camp.
Bridenstine, a student at the University of Wyoming, stated that D&C builds discipline and helps people work as a team. She went through Basic Camp in 2016.
Cadets from 3rd Platoon, A Company participated in a Drill & Ceremony competition on August 2, 2018, at Fort Knox, Ky. (Photo by Emilia Kuentz)
“We focused on D&C but it wasn’t to the extent that we had a competition or practiced for that many hours,” said Bridenstine, adding that she definitely would have liked to have had a D&C competition at camp.
During the competition, each platoon went before drill sergeants to be judged based on their performance and the highest scoring platoon from A and B Company were to perform again to be scored against each other.
Cadet Tevor Stinson, a student at Boston University, called the event a good opportunity for some friendly competition.
“I think it’s a good way to foster some esprit de corps amongst the platoon,” explained Stinson.
Drill sergeants closely observe Cadets Destiny Rosario, University of Texas at Arlington, and Meaghan Ambeland, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, to determine the individual winner of the D&C competition on August 2, 2018, at Fort Knox, Ky. (Photo by Emilia Kuentz)
3rd Platoon, A Company broke a two-way tie with 1st Platoon, A Company to go up against 2nd Platoon, B Company. In the final round, 3rd Platoon, A Company was once again victorious.
The competition extended to the individual level as drill sergeants scoured 3rd Platoon, A Company, picking off Cadets, until they found the one most adept at D&C.
Cadet Destiny Rosario, a student at the University of Texas at Arlington, was the last woman standing and received loud cheers from her platoon.
Following the competition, after 2nd Platoon, B Company finished posing for photos they were forced to do push-ups because they fell out of formation before being told to do so.
