FORT KNOX, KY. – Cadets from 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp, engage in various tactical training exercises during warrior skills at Fort Knox, Ky., July 29, 2023.
Warrior skills teaches the Cadets foundational knowledge about grenades, handling an M240 machine gun, and proper field movements that are continuously built upon throughout Cadet Summer Training.
Cadet Eden Hyatt, University of Connecticut, participated in warrior skills and she acknowledges the importance of this training.
“We’re essentially trying to prep for two things; both tactical awareness and leadership,” said Hyatt. “Warrior skills ensure that we are prepped so that we can teach and lead our soldiers as we go into the Army and commission.”
Furthermore, Hyatt shared that she aims to go into military intelligence or into medical services after commissioning. In the military, all Soldiers are trained to have a wide foundation of knowledge, both tactical and technical. For Hyatt’s future career, this training environment will provide her with the tactical skills necessary to be a well-rounded commissioned officer.
“For military intelligence, knowing the tactical is super important because we are giving intel to other units in the Army, and if you don’t know what things mean then you can give correct intel,” said Hyatt. “For medical services, if an individual comes back saying they were injured because of a hand grenade, because of the tactical environment, I know that there were at least 35 meters within that hand grenade, so we know how to treat them from there.”
Cadet Jackson Rickwalder, Auburn University, is practicing his warrior skills and has learned about a different career path since joining CST.
“I originally came here thinking I was going to do quartermaster ordinance for transportation, however, now I feel like I want to do EOD, or explosive ordnance disposal, the disarmament and disposal of explosive devices,” said Rickwalder.
Rickwalder had previous experience with grenades prior to coming to Fort Knox. His firsthand experience helped train his other fellow Cadets who are unfamiliar with warrior skills. Rickwalder shared some advice for future Cadets.
“Try to relax and calm down because lot of people get flustered when they are handling an explosive for the first time,” said Rickwalder, “Make sure to follow the instructions you were given and throw the grenade.”
Moving through CST, both Hyatt and Rickwalder are looking forward to their field exercises where they get to learn more new skills and have more team engagement.
“I’m excited for that, the learning curve is going to hit, but it will be fun,” said Hyatt.
