On the early morning on July 29, 2021, when the moon was still high in the sky above Fort Knox, Ky., the Cadets of 11th Regiment, Advanced Camp donned their rifles and rucksacks, strapped bright red safety lights to their heads and took to the vacant streets to complete a six-mile march of endurance. “This is a ruck march, this is to test their endurance, and to just make sure that they’re prepared to move themselves and their equipment across the battlefield if they have to,” said Capt. Harrison Coch, of the University of Wisconsin, Steven’s point. “They can expect to [...]

“Front Contact!” The squad barely has time to respond before hearing the whistle of incoming indirect-fire, followed by the punch of an explosion. As the plume of smoke rises in front of them, they all drop to the ground and scramble for cover. Luckily, they are prepared to handle this battle. Thinking quickly, they hurry to take different positions to cover their rear and flanks, shouting to keep communication the whole time. Returning fire, this squad is confident that their training has prepared them to win the fight. On the morning of July 27, 2021, 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets learned [...]

On the morning of July 21, 2021, the Cadets of 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp were set loose in the forests of Fort Knox, Ky. with a map, a set of coordinates, and a time limit. “They’re somewhere in the woods—find them using plotted points,” said Cadet Orkhun Ismayil of Virginia Tech. “You’re given four, and you have to get at least three in four hours.” The four grid coordinates that were given to each Cadet corresponded to a real-world objective, which were comparatively small orange and white squares suspended about six feet above the ground on a street sign post. Each [...]

Trudging through the mud and ducking under thick branches, the Cadets of 2nd Regiment, Basic Camp spent the morning of July 18, 2021 in the forests of Fort Knox, Ky. doing their Buddy Team Land Navigation training. The purpose: teaching Basic Camp Cadets how to use maps, compasses, and other simple objects to find precise locations in rough, off-road terrain. Cadets were sent out in small teams with the objective of finding pre-placed posts hidden in the forest, marking the locations, and returning to base camp for evaluation within a limited time frame. 2nd Regiment took this training with a fair [...]

The Occupational Physical Assessment Test, or OPAT, is a physical fitness test that has been used by the Army to determine the fitness levels of recruits for years. Although the Army Combat Fitness Test, or ACFT, is beginning to become the new norm, the OPAT is still relevant for the future. On July 14, 2021, the Cadets of 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp took on the OPAT for themselves at Fort Knox, KY. “This is the test that they use to put people in their MOS (Military Occupational Specialty,)” said Major Peter Ahching of Georgia State University. “So far these guys are [...]

Catholics everywhere have an obligation to attend Sunday Mass, but how can they do this in a military setting? Cadets of 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp, specifically the Catholic Cadets, were in luck when there was a field Mass held at Densburger Base Camp on July 11, 2021 during their refit from rigorous field training exercises. Field Mass is not necessarily an uncommon occurrence, however this one stood out because of its host: Bishop Richard Spencer. Bishop Spencer is a highly recognized member of the Church, who has traveled across the country and world doing religious work, meeting the Pope and various [...]

It started around 3:30 am on July 12, 2021. The Cadets of 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp took position in the middle of the deep woods and got to work planning. Treating their Field Training Exercise as if it was a real mission, stealth was a priority. Whispers, red lights, and crawling through mud were the norm at Fort Knox, KY’s Panther Phase. Most apparent however, was the waiting. After the planning started, most of 1st Platoon, C Company stayed mostly still for hours. They would secure a well-fortified perimeter, then would lay vigilant on the ground, despite rain and bugs all [...]

Being an Army officer requires a person to devote themselves to the tasks at hand, both physically and mentally. To do this requires more than just will; it requires confidence. Cadets of 7th Regiment put themselves to the test on July 8, 2021, in the Confidence Course: a set of eight obstacles in the woods of Fort Knox, KY. The obstacles were designed to force Cadets to learn to manipulate their bodies in difficult and unconventional ways to prepare them to navigate an unforeseen environment. But more than this, completion of the Confidence Course would get these Cadets to question what [...]

On an unpredictable battlefield, only nine seconds, and a good set of gear, can be the difference between mild irritation and suffocation. This was taught to Cadets of 7th Regiment, Advanced Camp through an uncomfortably hands-on method on July 7, 2021, during their Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear training, or CBRN, at Fort Knox, KY. After being given extensive lessons on their JSLIST (Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology) suits, a set of protective clothing to wear over their uniforms, as well as the M50 Protective Masks, Cadets formed lines and charged into a small, unventilated concrete building in the woods. [...]

Only ten days into Basic Camp, and 1st Regiment is beginning to adapt to life in the Army. It’s tough, but they are not alone. On July 5, 2021, 1st Regiment took their introduction to the Army Combat Fitness Test, or ACFT. The ACFT is the Army’s new physical fitness assessment to determine a person’s general readiness for combat. It consists of six parts: deadlifts, hand-release pushups, a sprint-drag-carry, power throws, leg tucks, and finally a two-mile run. This training created a stage to display a large part of life in the Army, which is the support and bonding from peers [...]

Imagine the tension of hanging in a roller coaster car during that slight pause at the top of the first vertical drop, anticipating the ride down. This is similar to what the Cadets of 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp experienced today on July 3, 2021, except there was no car, and they were hanging by a rope with their legs supporting them against a flat wall before jumping off and rappelling 64-feet down. The rappel tower is meant to push Cadets to overcome their fears, and to build up trust in their gear and procedures. The stakes felt high, but these Cadets [...]

First there was the silence of aiming. Next the first couple gunshots of the eager. Eventually, the shots cascaded from the lined-up Cadets so fast that it sounded reminiscent of the opening drum solo of Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher.” Although it sounds like fun, 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp’s Weapons Group Zero training was a serious event that demanded intense concentration. Each Platoon took a prone-supported position on a shooting range at Fort Knox, KY, and fired volleys of five rounds from their M4 rifles at a target approximately twenty-five meters away. The goal: grouping their shots together, and adjusting their [...]

The moon was still bright in the sky on July 1st, 2021, when the Cadets of 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp were already gathering outside to put their bodies to the Army’s test. Not so much the crack of dawn, but rather in the middle of the night, platoons marched in perfect formation, flags flying, ready to give their all to the ACFT. The ACFT, or Army Combat Fitness Test, is the Army’s new test administered universally to Soldiers and Cadets alike to assess their general readiness for combat situations. The six assessments are deadlifts, power throws, hand-release pushups, a sprint-drag-carry, hanging [...]

Army ROTC prides itself on finding the best and brightest students in the country, but this mission cannot be accomplished without proper mentorship at the university level. “I think that there is a danger in academia of having a nose buried in the book,” said Kelby Woodard, Headmaster of Saint Thomas Academy. “I think seeing how it actually is done on the ground, in action, is really important, for academia in particular, or else they get out of touch.” Woodard, along with a handful of other faculty members of various schools and universities, was chosen to visit Cadet Summer Training at [...]

Two soldiers are out on patrol in a combat zone walking side by side. A burst of enemy fire erupts and one falls to the ground limp. Yelling to their fallen partner, the other soldier gets no response. With no medics in sight, the soldier overcomes their nerves and gets to work. Thanks to their knowledge and training, their battle-buddy remains stable enough to make it to the nearest medical tent and makes a full recovery. Although no Cadets were actually put in harm’s way, this was the pretend scenario of 6th Regiment Advanced Camp’s Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3), part [...]

“Gas! Gas! Gas!” yelled Cadre. Much like a boxer taking a surprise upper-cut, Cadets scrambled to react. They only had nine seconds to let technique take over. “It punches you in the face as soon as you take that mask off,” said Cadet Jakob Jasperson of Pittsburg State University, Kansas. “My face burns, almost instantly you start crying, and your nose, it just runs so fast … you start coughing, and you can’t control your breathing.” Cadets of 3rd Regiment Advanced Camp were trained to be ready for the worst on the morning of June 17th, 2021. CBRN (commonly pronounced “see-burn”) [...]

There is a lot that goes into being a warrior, and it isn’t always what you’d expect. This is what the Cadets of 5th Regiment Advanced Camp made apparent in their ‘Warrior Skills’ training. The two halves of Warrior Skills training are Call for Fire and Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3). Although not all Cadets are going into infantry service, these infantry skills are vital to becoming an officer. Call for Fire involves using radio communication to artillery positions. Cadets worked in pairs with their battle buddies to demonstrate their abilities. “What we’re doing here is getting the basics down, so that if we ever find [...]

Just one week after their arrival at Fort Knox, KY, the Cadets of 4th Regiment, Advanced Camp marched to their hand grenade training on the sunny morning of June 14, 2021. Despite having been strangers when they got here, these Cadets had been spending almost every minute of every day together for the past week, and it showed in their behavior. No Cadet seemed out of place, and they used every minute of down time to make conversation. “Delta company, fourth platoon feels like family already,” said Cadet Liberty Henson from the University of Central Florida. “At first it was kind of [...]

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, the Cadets of 5th Regiment got off the bus at Fort Knox, KY on June 12th, 2021 ready to begin the trials of their summer training.  With these Cadets coming from all walks of life and all parts of the country, they were very out of their element as they got their things in order and fell into formation, however they seemed to greet the situation with an optimistic determination, and a desire to seize the day. “I’m just ready to meet new people, maybe pick up some skills and tricks, become [...]