FORT KNOX Ky. – The 3rd Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets prepare for Wolverine, the first phase of the field training exercises, by going through a series of stations at the warrior skills training event at Fort Knox, Ky., June 24, 2023. Cadets finished their night land navigation exam at 1 a.m. and had a bright and early wake up just 4 hours later. While the lack of sleep is finally catching up to Cadets, spirits are still high.
The warrior skills training event is meant to be an introduction for what Cadets will be expected to know during the three phases of FTX’s. The three phases, Wolverine, Panther, and Grizzly are the last major events Cadets will be evaluated on before graduation.
At this point, Cadets have created strong bonds with each other and are confident in their abilities going into FTX.
“We have a great group of Cadets here in our platoon,” said Cadet Brian Kruse, University of North Carolina, Pembroke. “We lean on each other when we’re low, and we can pick each other up during those moments.”
The relationships Cadets built over the course of the summer helped them to succeed and stay motivated. Today’s event allowed Cadets to gain hands-on experience working as one unit and getting on the same page before they conduct FTX tactics in the woods.
“Making sure we all have the same equipment and opportunities really helped standardize what we want to do when we’re out in the field,” said Cadet Jose Gonzalez, Arizona State University.
Gonzalez arrived at Advanced Camp ready to be motivated, and with the help of his platoon, he has only been more engaged.
“I know me and my peers are very excited to actually be in the field and get down to the nitty gritty,” Gonzalez said. “We’re trying to build good, fostered relationships between us and our peers, and I think we were able to maintain that and have high energy going into lanes.”
During the early stages of camp, Cadets are given company training officer time, to help learn about each other and build off one another’s strengths. The FTX is one of the Advanced Camp’s most anticipated events, and during CTO time, Cadets are expected to work together to develop standard operating procedures during the tactical missions.
“I believe we’ve worked out all the kinks,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve just been ironing out all of the differences and discrepancies to figure out what standards we want to set as a whole.”
Each school in the country teaches Cadets different methodology on how to lead. Therefore, spending time and paying careful attention to events, such as the warrior skills training event, will allow Cadets to be as collaborative and understanding as possible.
