FORT KNOX, Ky. – For the majority of Cadets that come through Fort Knox for Cadet Summer Training, both Basic and Advanced Camp serve as their first real look at what to expect as an Army Officer. For two cadets from 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp, however, the journey to commissioning has been seven, even 12 years in the making. While the average age for a commissioned 2nd Lt. ranges between 21 and 23, these two Cadets are redefining what it means to be young commissioned officers. With two days left before 10th Regiment bids farewell to Fort Knox, Cadet Darren Fossett, Shippensburg University, reflected [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Picture this: a karaoke contest where you are surrounded by dozens of friends and spirits are high — only it’s 3:30 a.m. and your requirements are your boots, your rucksack, your Kevlar and an occasional air guitar solo. Welcome to 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp’s 12-mile ruck march. For these Cadets, the 12-miler is the final must-pass event before graduation. After waking up hours before Fort Knox even sees the sun to march nearly the length of a half marathon, Cadets must finish their final ruck in less than four hours. To pass the time, some Cadets find creative [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – In Randy Pausch’s autobiography “The Last Lecture,” a chapter titled “An Injured Lion Still Wants to Roar” depicts how, despite the setbacks that came with illness and injury, the famous Carnegie Mellon professor continued to do what he loved while following his childhood dreams. Today during 8thRegiment, Basic Camp’s graduation ceremony, a Cadet shared a similar story of heartbreak and perseverance. Meet Cadet Calista Bond from Valley Forge Military Academy and College. Unlike her nearly 300 fellow Cadets that have called 8th Regiment home for the past 31 days, this is Bond’s second time to Fort Knox to [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – With a slight layer of freshly fallen rain covering the trimmed grass of Keyes Park, Cadets from 8th Regiment, Basic Camp got their feet wet exploring potential career paths during Branch Orientation. “Branch Orientation is basically a way to learn about what you can find from every branch in the Army and work on our professional development,” said Cadet Jadiel Crespo, University of Puerto Rico – Rio Pierdas. From Armor to Field Artillery, Branch Orientation serves as the Army’s own career fair, allowing Cadets to explore what they could expect as future Officers in the United States [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – As the last few notes of the Army Song play and yet another regiment says goodbye to their time at Fort Knox, one Cadet from 7thRegiment, Advanced Camp is already preparing for his next step as an ROTC Cadet. Meet Cadet Paul Tretter. This coming fall, Tretter will serve as battalion commander for Penn State Army ROTC’s Nittany Lion Battalion. For the past 31 days, however, Tretter has been pushed outside of his comfort zone and has had to overcome the many obstacles that come with being an Advanced Camp Cadet. Saturday, Tretter stood alongside 11 of [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – As the sun began to rise over Fort Knox early Saturday morning, Cadets from 10thRegiment, Advanced Camp were hard at work tracking various coordinates in the woods during their Day Land Navigation exam. Put simply, the concept of the Land Navigation exam, often referred to as “land nav,” closely resembles that of a treasure hunt: Cadets are provided with a map of the terrain in the form of a grid as well as a compass, a protractor, and a set a coordinates to find their exact destination. Here at Cadet Summer Training, however, this treasure hunt doesn’t [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – As the Cadets of 4thRegiment, Basic Camp are reunited with their friends and family members and reflect on their time at Cadet Summer Training, one Cadet in particular reminds us of the true meaning of staying humble. Meet Cadet Josiah Kinsey. Out of the nearly 200 Cadets present at Saturday’s graduation, Kinsey, from Clark Atlanta University, was presented with the Armed Forces Bank Performance Award. This prestigious award is given to the Cadet who best demonstrates respect for other cultures and people by effectively utilizing the training scenarios to gain a better understanding of cross-cultural competencies as [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky – With both hands gripping the cargo net in front of her and the cheers of her fellow Cadets echoing around her, Cadet Victoria Anderson, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, pulls herself up over the obstacle, remaining cognizant of the brace protecting her injured knee. As she places both boots on the ground, Anderson is overcome by applause, hugs and shouts of, “that’s our Superwoman!” It’s here, at Beaudoin Obstacle Course, where the Cadets of the 6th Regiment, Basic Camp, learn the true value of teamwork. Sure, climbing a cargo net, shimmying up a rope and swinging from rung [...]

FORT KNOX, KY. — For most students going into their senior year of college, a typical summer before their final fall semester might include landing a stellar internship, working in a research lab at their respective university, or even studying abroad in a foreign country. But for students enrolled in the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), the summer before their senior year is far from typical. Between June 4 and August 18, approximately 6,000 Cadets, or students enrolled in ROTC, will flock to Fort Knox, Ky, to spend 31 days participating in Advanced Camp. Graduating from Advanced Camp will ultimately enable [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Between gasps for air, coughing, and the occasional snot rockets, Cadets from 2ndRegiment, Advanced Camp, put their confidence in themselves and theirequipment to the test during CBRN training on Tuesday, June 19.   “CBRN stands for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear,” explained Sgt. Christopher Robison. Through participating in CBRN, Cadets are learning to trust their equipment and their abilities by figuring out how to successfully apply their gear and build the confidence necessary to face the CS Chamber. “They’re training with the new M-50 masks, which is an upgrade from last year’s M-40 masks,” said Robison. “These [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Between the underbrush and their face paint, the Cadets from 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp, are almost undistinguishable. With their kevlars strapped to their chins and blacks shirts hiding their traditional uniforms, these Cadets are playing a very different role from what they’re used to. It’s been said that with every action there is a reaction, so it’s no surprise that with every ambush someone has to be playing the bad guy. That’s where the Cadets from Charlie Company come in. “This is an immersive exercise for them,” said Capt. Kenneth Goetz. “Their initial mission is to capture [...]

I know what you’re thinking. What can a Public Affairs intern learn if they themselves aren’t the ones going through Basic or Advanced Camp? They’re not the ones sleeping in the woods for days on end, only eating MREs, rucking close to half-marathons before the sun even comes up. And you’d be right. Kind of. Although we may not be the ones marching during graduation, we have spent our entire summer to better understand what it is that goes into becoming a future Army Officer. We are the liaisons, the middlemen, the translators between you and your Cadets. We take what [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – For anyone who has watched Netflix’s original series, “Stranger Things,” you know that mornings are for “coffee and contemplation.” For the Cadets from 8th Regiment, Advanced Camp, something similar could be said (minus the coffee). Starting at 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 1, Cadets participated in their final must-pass event: the 12-mile ruck march. Although there was not a drop of coffee in sight, Cadets had plenty of time to contemplate and reflect on their time at Cadet Summer Training. Four hours, to be exact. In order to pass their final event, Cadets must complete the 12-mile march [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – With sounds of gunfire and shouting in the distance, Cadets from 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp, Alpha Company, 2nd squad participated in Squad Tactical Exercises (STX) on July 28. In STX, Cadets apply the skills they’ve acquired during their time at CST to execute exercises such as reconnaissance, ambush and recovery. “We’re executing on a platoon size, which means we’re taking smaller elements and focusing on bigger sizes to see how Cadets respond to training,” said 2nd Lt. Jeffrey Prol. “The Army occupies and trains in three phases of training: crawl, walk and run,” said Prol. “Right now [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – If you ever ask someone who’s recently completed a marathon or even a Spartan Race what they’re looking forward to most now that they’re training and hard work has paid off, they might tell you that they’re looking forward to eating an entire pizza or taking time off to recover. For one Cadet in Advanced Camp, she might have told you something a little different. Meet Cadet Lakoda Kissee, a rising senior at the University of Mississippi, a Cadet from 7th Regiment, Advanced Camp and a Spartan. Out of the nearly 4,000 participants that participated in Reebok’s [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – By now, most Cadets from 5th Regiment, Basic Camp, know that Cadet Summer Training is no walk in the park. But how about a walk on rope ladder suspended almost 25 feet or higher in the air? With their bright red safety helmets strapped around their chins and harnesses secured tightly around their waists, Cadets from 5th Regiment faced their fears at the Forest Hills Confidence Course on July 26. “A lot of the Cadets that come out here have a fear of heights, which translates into a fear of falling,” said Sgt. 1st Class Barry Ray. [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – For most college students enrolled in ROTC, the promise of becoming a 2nd Lt. in the United States Army includes obstacles such as early morning PT tests, Basic and Advanced Camp Training, miles of rucking and navigating difficult terrain. For one recently commissioned officer from Penn State University, his time in ROTC included all of these thing – oh, and a 46-hour dance marathon to raise millions of dollars for pediatric cancer research and treatment. Meet Kyle Rutter This past May, Kyle graduated from Penn State with a degree in Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship and a commission [...]

FORT KNOX – Ky. – Sweat dripped off the rim of a Cadet’s patrol cap as he and his fellow Cadets from 8th Regiment, Basic Camp maneuvered their way through the Team Development Course (TDC) in the ninety-degree heat on July 21. Despite the heat, humidity and the demanding nature of each obstacle throughout the course, Cadets learned valuable lessons on the importance of communication, teamwork and leadership. “TDC is all about team building,” said Sgt. 1st Class Gene Ray. “It’s teaching Cadets to work together out of a group they’ve just met while they learn how to lead and how [...]

FORT KNOX – Ky. – Between the sounds of simulated explosions and the shouts of Cadets calling to their battle buddies, Cadets from 6th Regiment, Basic Camp participated in Small Unit Tactics on July 20. The purpose of small unit tactics is for Cadets to learn how to work cohesively in small squads during potentially combative situations. Here, Cadets worked on forward movement, moving in buddy teams, battle drills and formations, specialty teams and communication. A buddy team is the smallest tactical element that Cadets learn to operate at. When Cadets participate in larger element movements, they can draw from their [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – With the grass illuminated by a single light post mixed with the beams of passing cars, Cadets from 6th Regiment, Basic Camp arrived at Fiddler Field at 4:30 a.m. to complete the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) on July 19. Through yawns and dew-covered grass, Cadets participated in the three-stage fitness test to assess their current physical abilities. The APFT is one of the six must-pass obstacles Cadets must overcome while at Cadet Summer Training. “If any Cadets choose to contract they’ll have to do this twice a year for the remainder of their time in the [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Thirty-one days of rigorous, stress-inducing and physically demanding training has come to an end for the nearly five hundred Cadets from Fifth Regiment, Advanced Camp on July 15. Through the countless miles rucked, the sleepless nights in the field and the obstacles they’ve had to face these past few weeks, the Cadets of Fifth Regiment ended their time here at CST just as it had began: together. “Today everything came together,” said Cadet Andrew Vanderweele, The Pennsylvania State University. “There are lots of happy faces here.” Cadet Vanderweele was the recipient of the ApexTech Warrior Award, which [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from Eighth Regiment, Advanced Camp suited up in full MOPP4 gear, grabbed tightly to the shoulder of the Cadet in front of them and braced for impact at the CS Chamber on July 14. The CS chamber is an exercise Cadets must pass through in order to fulfill their CBRN requirement. CBRN, which stands for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear, is a part of Cadet Summer Training that helps to foster Cadets’ confidence in their gear. “The intent of CBRN is to build confidence in our abilities and our gear,” said Cadet Zachary Stuart, Texas Christian [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – What do you call getting woken up bright and early to navigate difficult terrain in order to successfully complete Advanced Camp? For Seventh Regiment, Advanced Camp, this is called just another day in paradise. Cadets spent the morning of July 11 completing their Land Navigation test, a must-pass requirement for Cadet Summer Training, with simply a map, compass and their intuition to guide the way – no Google Maps allowed. “Yesterday we completed the written portion of the land navigation test,” said Cadet Janine Donnelly, Washington State University. “The written part tested how well we do with [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from Fifth Regiment, Advanced camp spent their evening exploring the different branches the U.S. Army has to offer at Branch Orientation on Sunday, July 10. Branch orientation slightly resembles a career fair, where men and women with years of service in a specific field come and speak about their experience and what Cadets can expect, should they choose to go a certain route. However, where traditional job fairs are usually held in convention centers with rows of employers asking, “do you think you have what it takes?” branch orientation is devised into a three-hour rotation period [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – For most men and women in the military, a traditional promotion ceremony is a suit and tie event that includes a nice venue, speeches from friends, platoon-mates and family and even some nicely prepared hors d’oeurvres and refreshments. For Chief Warrant Officer 3 Aaron Cherry, however, this promotion ceremony was anything but traditional. Surrounded by fellow Cadre and the Cadets of his platoon, Cherry was promoted from CW3 to CW4 on July 1 in the middle of the woods. “We are promoting him because of his unique ability to embody and accomplish the mission within his rank [...]