FORT KNOX, Ky. – With five days remaining in Advanced Camp, Cadets of 10th Regiment became acquainted with the different branches the Army has to offer at branch round table at Hill Hall August 11.   Branch round table helps Cadets to make an informed decision when it comes to choosing their military career path.    Lt. Col. Stewart Van Buren, an adjutant general (AG) officer at Human Resources Command and a presenter at branch round table , advises Cadets to remember that despite whatever branch they find themselves in, their first priority is bigger than themselves. “Regardless of what branch […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Hidden in the forests behind the rappel tower looms its counterpart, the confidence course. Made up of several different obstacles like The Tough One, The Weaver and The Confidence Climb, the course rightly performs its purpose: instilling true confidence in the Cadets of 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp August 8. That statement is more than true for Cadet Milynel Ortiz, a student from the University of Central Florida. While working through The Weaver, a towering, pyramid-like obstacle that doubles as a ladder, Ortiz carried herself with accuracy and speed to the top.  She said having some innate confidence […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – 8th Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets rotate through more than 20 tents set up at Keyes Park August 9.  In each tent, Cadets are briefed on a specific branch the Army has to offer.  From military intelligence to air defense artillery to the Nurse Corps, the choices and opportunities for the Cadets are wide-ranging.  Of the 18 branches showcased, three received the biggest draws: armor, aviation and infantry. With her eyes set on commissioning as an infantry officer upon graduation from the University of Oklahoma, Cadet Annie Ryan said her decision to pursue infantry was made when she […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – After a rigorous 31 days, Cadets of 6th Regiment celebrated the long-awaited completion of Basic Camp with a graduation ceremony on Brooks Field August 2. Looking back, Cadet Alexander Ayres of the University of Northern Colorado says his experience at Basic Camp was more enjoyable than it was difficult all thanks to his peers in Alpha Company. “It was kind of a culture shock transitioning from my civilian life to basic summer training. I made a bunch of friends and I’ve made lots of new battle buddies and they really helped me pull through thick and thin. […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Into the field they go. 7th Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets are executing battle tactics out in the wilderness of Fort Knox as part of their field training exercises July 28. Cadet Micah Griffith, a Citadel student and a resident of Saluda, South Carolina, says the purpose of the field training exercise is to give Cadets a sense of what it’s like to conduct actual mission operations against enemy units.   “It gives us an idea of what we’re supposed to be doing,” Griffith shared.   Cadet Michael Vilker of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign says it’s […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets of 8th Regiment, Basic Camp erupted in cheers and applause as their peers raced through demanding obstacles out at Beaudoin Obstacle Course July 27.   Making the obstacle course a competition cultivates a deeper sense of motivation and teamwork for the Cadets, according to 2nd Lt. Kevan Bjornson of Canton, Ohio. “Our focus for Alpha Company has been team-building and getting them ready to go out into the field.  They’ve been working really hard, and this is fun.  This gives them a break and gives them some time to run around in the woods without the […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – “Incoming!” When Cadets hear that, they know to immediately repeat the message to warn their peers around them and hit the ground in a covered position.  Seconds after, several loud and booming bangs are simulated through speakers to represent an enemy artillery round. They then return to the mission at hand once they hear, “All clear!” The simulation helps the Cadets of 7th Regiment, Basic Camp remember to focus on everything going on in their surroundings, helping them to maintain situational awareness while implementing individual movement techniques (IMTs) to move from one end of the terrain to […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – It came as a surprise when someone told her chaplains are the unicorns of the Army. After sitting and thinking it over, however, Chaplain Candidate 1st Lt. Florence Moss says she came to agree with the peculiar statement. “For one, they’re not that many of us. We have a shortage,” Moss said, and as one of the only female chaplain candidates here supporting Cadet Summer Training (CST), the scarcity of Army chaplains emboldens her to meet the spiritual needs of the Army’s workforce. “We are courageous enough to say, ‘I see my fellow Soldier hurting or in […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets were in for a treat when the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, Jenean Hampton, paid a special visit to Fort Knox July 21.   She was accompanied by her chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, the executive director of the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs, and two interns studying political science.    Hampton’s visit began with a trip to the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) chamber where Cadets of 5th Regiment, Basic Camp were learning how to trust their equipment during the gas mask confidence course. During the stop, Cadets asked questions spanning an array […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadet William Binning of Texas A&M University says being out in the field for about 14 days has taken a toll on everyone in his platoon. “People are tired.  It’s hard to motivate them.  People are hot and exhausted from the lack of sleep and running around everywhere,” he expressed.    After rigorous days of conducting battle exercises in the wooded forests of Fort Knox, however, an exhausted Cadet Binning and the other Cadets of 7th Regiment, Advanced Camp, received an encouraging morale boost from Gen. David G. Perkins, Commanding General of United States Army Training and […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – It was a little past 11 o’clock at night when Cadet Mercedes Hayes of New Mexico Military Institute reminded herself that she was over halfway done. There were only 3.2 miles remaining. “I came up with a little mantra to tell myself – that I’m a strong person, everyone else is doing the same thing I am, and no matter what, it’s just about finishing,” she said as she sat to take a water break with the other Cadets of 5th Regiment, Basic Camp. “I feel like I want to sleep, honestly. But I feel that I […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadet Tori Richison, a student at University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, says she feels well-prepared for the mission that’s sure to be a challenge: land navigation. “It’s a little nerve-wracking just because you’re on your own, and it’s at night, too,” the Osceola, Wisconsin native said. Richison, along with the other Cadets of 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp, is required to successfully navigate alone from one location to another through the daunting, critter-infested forests of rural Fort Knox. She says knowing how to physically lead through any type of terrain is “very important.” “As a platoon leader, […]