Cadets from 7th Regiment, Advanced Camp attend their graduation ceremony at Fort Knox, Ky., August 3, 2023. Graduation marks the end of Cadet Summer Training for 7th Regiment, pushing them one step closer to becoming Army officers. | Photo by Nathan Abbott, Ball State University, CST Public Affairs Office. Special Awards Recipients AUSA Leadership Excellence AwardCadet Matthew K. Matula, Norwich University First Command Financial Services AwardCadet Christian T. Wood, Eastern Illinois University USAA Warrior Spirit AwardCadet Owen C. Farquer, Illinois University Armed Forces Bank Performance AwardCadet Ryan J. Morehouse, University of Tennessee at Knoxville ARNG Minuteman AwardCadet Chaim I. Zuniga, Brigham [...]

Special Awards Recipients AUSA Leadership Excellence AwardCadet Jorge O. Sejas, University of West Florida First Command Financial Services AwardCadet Victor C. Clark, University of Texas at San Antonio USAA Warrior Spirit AwardCadet Slyvia R. Goldsmith, The Ohio State University Armed Forces Bank Performance AwardCadet Mary E. Bell, Wheaton College ARNG Minuteman AwardCadet Adrian Delgado, University of North Georgia Reserve Organization of America AwardCadet Kalaya E. Lee, University of California Berkeley Military Officers Association of America AwardCadet Elaina R. Dwinal, Creighton University Military Order of the World Wars AwardCadet Bladen D. Cunnings, California State University Fresno Bold Leader Spirit AwardCadet Own K. [...]

As Cadet Summer Training (CST) 2022 comes to a close and 10,000 freshly graduated Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadets depart Fort Knox, Ky., it is time to take a look back at some of the successes from Advanced and Basic Camp.  From the moment Cadets got boots on the ground they were prepared and willing to put in the work. “I was very impressed with how Cadets showed up here physically ready to operate,” said Col. Douglas Thompson, Commandant, U.S. Army Cadet Summer Training, something he credited to each Cadet’s individual ROTC program at the over 900 universities they [...]

“I told them if they hit the target, I’d be going in there just like they were,” said 2nd Lt. Jeanluc Pos.  After realizing their Platoon Training Officer was in on the muddy action if they hit their target, Cadets of 11th Regiment, Advanced Camp locked down their aim in an attempt to hit the 35 meter target during grenade training. Cadet Virginia Larsen, University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign, cheered as her peers attempted to hit the target so their Cadre would join in on throwing practice grenades.  As a Psychology major that is interested in branching Medical Services, the [...]

“I felt like I can have a greater purpose in life other than just working an office job, and I can help people and serve my country,” said Army ROTC Cadet Jake Gleason.  Gleason said that his desire to join the U.S. Army began when he was four years old. Four years later he when he was given a .22 caliber rifle.  From target shooting at home to the ranges at Boy Scout camps, Gleason began his journey as a marksman at the age of eight; eventually leading him to the qualifications range at Cadet Summer Training (CST) at Fort Knox, [...]

With modern warfare rapidly evolving, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) training has become increasingly important to Cadet Summer Training (CST) at Fort Knox, Ky.  “Your guys’ war is gonna be much different than my war. You need to pay attention to this training,” said Master Sgt. Matthew Hyde, the CBRN noncommissioned officer in charge, during his morning brief to 7th Regiment Advanced Camp.  The CBRN Confidence Chamber serves to create a level of trust in the equipment and the Cadets’ ability to properly use the equipment. This is done through thorough training.  “We did a lot of practice rehearsals, so [...]

“Go…Go…Go…” was heard in the cold, quiet, hours before dawn, as Cadets from 1st Regiment, Advanced Camp, stood lined up in front of the wooded trail that marked the beginning of their 12-mile foot-march route. Cadre member, 2nd Lt. Hailey Hutton stated that the 12-mile march serves to signify the Cadets’ last mission in the field, following their time at the Field Training Exercises (FTX). After 12 days in the field and waking up at 2 a.m. the Cadets were already tired, making morale important.  For Cadet Madison Nygren, from the University of Southern California, motivation came from thinking of her [...]

From crawling, to walking, to running, 1st Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed its Cadet led run through of missions during Field Training Exercise II in Fort Knox, Ky., on June 22, 2022.  According to Master Sgt. Alan Roche, a senior military instructor with U.S. Army Cadet Command, the exercise was last requirement Cadets fulfilled for their commission. He added it is more difficult than past training exercises because it’s meant to be a final test of whether a Cadet has what it takes to become an officer. “We’re gonna make them tired, we’re gonna make them hungry, and we’re gonna make them [...]

Land navigation is one of the skills taught at Cadet Summer Training (CST) at Fort Knox, Ky., but DePaul University Army ROTC Green to Gold Cadet Ryan Russett, 4th Regiment, Advanced Camp, had prior experience that made this challenging event easier. “I applied my points really quickly” he said, and then, “I just picked the shortest path which was — to the south first.”  Russett is from Chicago, where his program honed his navigation skills further as a Green to Gold Cadet. To his advantage, the ROTC program at his university comes to Fort Knox to do their Field Training Exercises [...]

“It seemed like every scary movie where someone’s about to fall off a cliff,” said Army Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadet Jasmine Valentine, from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, when describing the feeling of being on the 64 ft. rappel tower at Fort Knox, Ky. Valentine is from the the University of North Georgia where she has done things similar to the rappel tower with its ROTC program, but those experiences did not take away the fear she had going into the rappel tower training event.  “I have a deathly fear of heights,” she said.  Valentine said encouraging words she received from [...]

‘Slow is smooth and smooth is fast’, is the common mantra heard at the Field Leader Reaction Course (FLRC) during the first Cadet run-through of the summer. On June 3, 2022, 1st Regiment Cadets from the Charlie and Delta companies rotated by squad through 16 creative obstacles that challenge the Cadets’ problem solving and leadership skills. The courses require planning and a quick execution. They have five minutes to plan and 15 minutes to complete each one. Before they start, the cadre brief the Cadets by reading the mission details and limitations. Once time has run out they debrief to see [...]

As the summer begins, Soldiers from Fort Drum and Fort Polk assist Fort Knox Soldiers in a mass casualty training event prior to the arrival of the 2022 Cadet Summer Training (CST) Cadets. At ten o’clock a.m. the call came through telling the medical team that Soldiers with simulated burns and bus roll over injuries are in need of evacuation. A line of four medical trucks are equipped with; a map, a radio, a list of injuries and equipment needed for them roll out to triage and load up the victims. In charge of communicating this information is Sgt. Timothy Patterson, [...]