By Lindsey Crown Cadet Sha’quetah Bailey has a crippling fear of heights. It all started when she was younger and almost slipped out of a roller coaster at the North Carolina State Fair. “I still get jitterbugs from it,” Bailey said, Elizabeth City State University,. Maj. Gen. Christopher Hughes asked Cadets of 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp what their greatest fears were during a meeting, she said. Hughes identified with Bailey when she said she had a fear of heights. So much so that he said he’d take on the high ropes course with her – a task that they must complete [...]

By Lindsey Crown FORT KNOX, Ky – Central Issuing Facility is the main issuing facility on post. This is where Cadets come to get any military equipment that a soldier needs for Cadet Summer Training; uniforms, combat gear, helmet, load bearing equipment, rucksack, any kind of assault packs, said 2nd Lieutenant Jeffrey Pendleton, Springfield, Ohio. “Anything that the government issues or the military owns, the Cadets are going to come through here and grab,” Pendleton said. Pendleton is with the Reception Company for Basic Camp. They’ve work with 6th Regiment, Basic Camp since day zero. They get them situated with room [...]

By Lindsey Crown FORT KNOX, Ky – Basic Camp, 6th Remint has arrived on Fort Knox. Cadets went through shake down and received in briefing immediately following arrival. “The purpose of shakedown is to identify any contraband or confiscate any items that are prohibited,” said Sergeant First Class Steven Salvati. Prohibited items include blades that are longer than three inches, multi tools, food, supplements and medications that hasn’t been approved by the physician, he said. “We usually take quite a few knives, every now and then we’ll get a k bar, a 6-8 inch blade,” Salvati said. Confiscated food is discarded. [...]

By Lindsey Crown FORT KNOX, Ky – “FLRC is all about team building,” said Staff Sergeant Steven Jordan, Fort Campbell. Advanced Camp, 7th Regiment faced the Field Leadership Reaction Course. Cadre members brief the squad leader on what the mission is going to be, what safeties they have to go by and what kind of penalties they face, Jordan said. They are allotted 25 minutes to complete each obstacle. Penalties are either a 15 second pause or the Cadet will “die” for the remainder of the obstacle. “This is to get them to realize what kind of real situation they could [...]

By Lindsey Crown FORT KNOX, Ky – “You train as you fight,” said Cadet Joseph Rodenay of Orlando, Florida. “If you don’t group and zero, you won’t be able to hit anything.” Rodenay explained the importance of group and zero for Cadets of 6th Regiment Advanced Camp, Bravo Company, based on his deployments in the past. The purpose of grouping and zeroing is to prepare your weapon and make sure that your weapon function properly without any deficiencies, and so you know what to correct, he said. You make the arrangement to properly pinpoint your bullet. This is something that’s done [...]

By Lindsey Crown FORT KNOX, Ky – Cadets of 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp are learning to zero and qualify. They’re doing so with an M4 rifle, said Cadet Michael Hammond. Cadets are sighting in their weapons to make sure their bullet is going in the direction the rifle says it’s going, said Lieutenant Thomas Sicree. The purpose of this mission is so that tomorrow they can qualify on a pop up range, which is a requirement for graduation, Sicree said. This is some of the Cadets first time handling a weapon, he said. Each target has a silhouette of what it [...]

By Lindsey Crown FORT KNOX, Ky. -“What we’re looking for is Cadets that don’t just meet the minimum standards, but excel and lead the way,” said Colonel Lance Oskey, task force leader and 7th brigade commander of ROTC. Advanced Camp 6th Regiment faced the Army Physical Fitness Test, which is a baseline of fitness that the army uses and will continue to use throughout a Cadet’s career, he said. “I’ve ran with all of the regiments just to set an example and inspire and challenge Cadets to maintain their fitness as I do as a 46 year old Colonel, so twice [...]

By Lindsey Crown FORT KNOX, Ky. – “The purpose of this mission is familiarization with an ambush,” said Cadet Joe Pearman, University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Cadets from 5th Regiment Advanced Camp learned how to set in the various elements of an ambush- security, support and assault, he said. “We learned how to move across an area once we’ve bush wacked the bad guys, clear the bodies and tend to any of our own injured and withdrawal,” Pearman said. Cadets perform these squad situational tactical exercises with the assistance and direction of Cadre in preparation of field exercises that they must [...]

“My heart is racing, but in a good way,” said Vivek Sarin, Executive Officer of Kentucky Cabinet of Economic Development, after his tandem sky dive jump. “Beautiful. Just incredible! It’s so peaceful up there.” Sarin jumped in honor of a taskforce called Work Matters that was recently launched by the governor of Kentucky. It assists disabled veterans, foster children, disabled people and anyone with a criminal record. “It’s an initiative to help those folks get jobs,” Sarin said. Sarin is part of a group called Centers of Influence that is on Ft. Knox to witness the training of ROTC Cadets in [...]