“Cadet Summer Training is the largest exercise and leadership development event every year – it is a big deal. The way you truly know that this is a big deal is by the presence of an Army band,” said U.S. Army Cadet Command, Deputy Commanding General, Brig. Gen. Antonio Munera. Close to 50 members from the 100th, 313th, and 208th Army Bands supported Cadet Command and Fort Knox with over 50 ceremonies this summer through tradition and pageantry. Some of these events include Basic and Advanced Camp graduations, where nearly 10,000 people were in attendance and 30,000 watched online via live [...]

Cadets from colleges across the United States have the opportunity to travel to foreign countries and immerse themselves into the culture while becoming familiar with different military training. The Cadet Coalition Warfighter Program (CCWP), formally known as the Cultural Understanding and Leadership Program (CULP), has been described as a “paid vacation” by some, but these Cadets quickly dispel this notion. Thirty-one Cadets spent twenty-one days in Malawi, while another twenty-one Cadets spent twenty-four days in Romania. Each Cadet left the U.S. with impressions of the foreign land and excitement for cultural day trips; however, they returned with a completely different outlook. [...]

Perspective.  A term that Cadets Teata Gutierrez, Michael Bock, Kendra Curtice and Calvin Dally used often when reflecting on their trip to Latvia through the Cadet Coalition Warfighter Program (CCWP); previously known as the Cultural Understanding and Leadership Program (CULP).  Gutierrez, Bock, Curtice, Dally and thirty-nine other Cadets travelled to Latvia as part of the CCWP. There, they immersed themselves into Latvia’s military infrastructure, European history and culture. Military to Military U.S. Cadets interacted with Latvian military personnel at Camp Adazi and the NCO Academy.  At the academy, U.S. and Latvian Cadets were grouped together and given a mind or strength [...]

When most people think of Peru, they think of the Amazon Rainforest, Machu Picchu or the Andes Mountains.  Cadets who were accepted into the Cadet Coalition Warfighter Program (CCWP) had a different experience on their trip to this South American country. Cadets stayed at the Escuela Militar de Chorrillos, the Peruvian Military Academy, where they spent their weeks training with the Peruvian military and their weekends exploring the diverse city of Lima.  Although Cadet Daniel Perez, from the University of Texas El Paso, found their training similar to that of the United States, he believed that the Peruvian training was more [...]

Seven-hundred Cadets. Each from their own school. Their own hometown. Their own story.  These seven-hundred Cadets make up 7th Regiment Advanced Camp, who began Cadet Summer Training (CST) yesterday at Fort Knox. “It’s an amazing opportunity. After I joined, I think I became a better man.  Discipline, order, cleanliness, patience and just being comfortable with being uncomfortable are all traits I acquired,” said Gilyard, who completed Basic Camp at Fort Knox last year. Something Gilyard struggled with at Basic Camp was completing land navigation and climbing the rope on the confidence course.  Like most Cadets, the fear of not passing an [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Nearly three hundred Cadets arrived at Fort Knox yesterday for Basic Camp. Over the course of the next thirty-one days, 1st Regiment Basic Camp Cadets will be tested on various activities such as going off the rappel tower, experiencing Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear defense (CBRN), and getting familiar with weapon systems. Most Cadets were anxious to arrive at training, as they are taking their first steps in becoming an Army Officer. Cadet Taylor Richardson explains, “There are a lot of emotions going through my head. First day of summer, first time on a plane, first day ever [...]

Rain. Lightening.  A broken LOMAH system. None of these events stopped Cadets from the 4th Regiment, Advanced Camp from fine tuning their marksmanship skills this morning.  Cadets were scheduled to practice these skills before their weapons qualification tomorrow. The Rain.  Cadets arrived at George Blair Range as a thunderstorm hovered over them.  Although the rain was uncomfortable, causing some puddles and heavy ponchos, training was scheduled to begin on time; that is until a lightning bolt struck a tree near the Cadets. The Lightening. “We were lined up for chow and then there was a big lightning strike and we took [...]

“The range is hot,” yelled different Cadre as the Cadets began firing their rifles.  Last week, 4th Regiment completed Preliminary Marksmanship Instruction (PMI) training where they familiarized themselves with their M4 Carbines.  Today, they gathered at Canby Hill Range to zero their rifles. For some Cadets, zeroing their weapon is an unfamiliar skill they have yet to practice, but many Cadets from the 4th Regiment have had a wide-range of experience with rifles.  Today allowed each Cadet to make adjustments to zero their weapon, based on the shots they fired at a target. Cadet Sinai Erazo arrived at Fort Knox around [...]

Texas State! Hampton! V.M.I. ! One by one Cadets lined up and shouted their University name before completing the hand grenade qualification course at Christensen Range.  After 3rd Regiment threw their two live grenades, they returned to the practice grenades to execute a simulation on a course with six different stations. For most of these Cadets, today was the first time they handled grenades. This is true for Tazman Briganti.  The Cadet from Virginia Military Institute has never thrown a grenade before this training.  His brother, father, two uncles, and grandfather all have military careers in the Navy, but Briganti is [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Before any Cadet walks onto a range at Cadet Summer Training (CST), they must first attend PMI or preliminary marksmanship instruction.  For some Cadets from the 4th Regiment, today might have been the first time they have held a weapon, specially an M4 Carbine rifle. Master Sgt. Jose Trevino, an ROTC instructor at the University of Texas at Brownsville, led one squad’s training.  “There’s a lot of things that go with this. The first thing is safety. You always have to make sure they’re safe because most of them have never fired a weapon or a weapon [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Throughout Cadet Summer Training, there are many events that Cadets are fearful of or struggle to complete.  It may be getting lost during land navigation, rappelling off a 64-foot tower, or shooting a rifle, but for many, this fear comes out at the live hand grenade range. That fear surfaced for 2nd Advanced Camp Regiment Cadets this morning at Christensen Range.  Each Cadet has their own way of facing their fears.  Cadets David Hall and Kenneth Walker handle their fears by focusing on their families and the sacrifices made to get them where they are today. The [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky – There was a break in the rain at Fort Knox when Advanced Camp 3rd Regiment began its Land Navigation testing. Although it was cloudy, muddy and 7 a.m., Cadets wore a smile on their face and were excited to start the day. Just like the 1st and 2nd Regiment, Cadets received a map, points to plot, and then tasked with finding these given points within a four-hour period. Cadets must locate three points to pass the event, but to stay in the running for RECONDO, they must find all four of their points. Within the four hours, [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky – George Blair Range was in full use around 7 a.m. today as the 1st Regiment conducted their weapon qualification.  Cadets had spent the previous two days honing in on their marksman skills to prepare for this morning’s qualification. “We spent the last 48 hours detailing, zeroing and adjusting the clicks, knobs and turns so that we could come out here and qualify,” said Eric Jones, a Cadet from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.  Zeroing in a weapon involves aligning sights in a sight picture and then aligning aiming points at a target.  Jones explained, “You spend [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from the 2nd Regiment Advanced Camp overcame their insecurities and became more self-assured at the Rappel Tower and Confidence Course today.  In order to complete their training at Fort Knox, Cadets must complete these two events. While Company C began learning how to tie a Swiss seat harness for the Rappel Tower, Company D began its day at the Confidence Course.  Through each of the nine obstacles on the Confidence Course, Cadets tested not only their mental endurance, but also used their upper-body and core strength. Some obstacles included The Weaver, where one has to maneuver [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Alpha and Bravo Company Cadets from the 2nd Regiment completed their Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) before sunrise this morning.  Passing their APFT is just one of several must-pass events for all Cadets at Advanced Camp. “It’s a huge event. It counts a lot to your overall score in the platoon. So, you definitely want to make sure you’re physically fit before you come to camp,” said Cadet Trevor Stinson, an ROTC student at Boston University. Preparing for the APFT sometimes called for multiple workouts in a day, and many Cadets, such as Angela Liu, took their [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yljztc__YQ4[/embedyt]Fort Knox, Ky. – Around 9 p.m. Tuesday, the 1st Regiment at Advanced Camp patiently waited for the sun to set before beginning their Night Land Navigation test.  Cadets had two hours to find at least one point, unassisted, on a course on the outer edge of Fort Knox. “Land nav is the essential function of leading Soldiers, especially soldiering skills like infantry.  It’s the basic building block to finding your way, knowing where to go, where you are, and knowing where to go after that,” explained Cadet John Just, an Organizational Leadership and Human Resource major at Ball State [...]

Fort Knox, Ky. – Cadre gathered at George Blair Range Wednesday morning to further prepare for the arrival of Cadets later this week for Cadet Summer Training (CST). Their mission was to not only review their basic marksmanship fundamentals, but also understand how to teach and appropriately evaluate the incoming Cadets. Cadre practiced zeroing in on their target at the Location of Miss and Hit, or LOMAH, Range. Groups of two to four Cadre spread out across the range and began to prepare their weapons to shoot at different target meters. Some took position to practice zeroing in their weapons while [...]

Fort Knox, Ky. – Early Tuesday morning on May 21, Cadre from different college’s ROTC programs gathered to evaluate other Cadre members as they completed a Threshold to Failure mission. They also learned how to increase or decrease stress for Cadets in these situations. The assigned squad leader was expected to lead the team through the different obstacles with an end goal of retrieving and returning an injured Soldier. Cadre were there to observe this mission and evaluate the leadership skills of the squad leader. Capt. Darren Ekey from the University of Tennessee at Martin explains, “Today’s mission is what we [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMek7uvk0yg[/embedyt] Fort Knox, Ky. – Cadets from the 1st Regiment filed into formation behind the Copple Center today for Cadet Summer Training (CST) Advanced Camp inprocessing. Once inside the Copple Center, Cadets pass through seven different stations: including arrival at CST and CCIMS, listing special guests that might be coming to graduation, Cadet payment information and issues, verifying travel arrangements in Defense Travel System (DTS) after CST, confirming emergency data information, and a few other administrative stations. “We double check to make sure all their pay information is included, their scholarship payments, and if there’s any issues, they will be [...]

Radcliff, Ky. — Fort Knox and the Kentucky Department of Veteran Affairs partnered to host a Memorial Day Ceremony at the Kentucky Veteran’s Cemetery in Radcliff, Kentucky at 11:30a.m. on Monday, May 27th.  Hundreds of civilians, veterans, and families gathered together to partake in the events at the Veteran’s Cemetery. The ceremony opened with music from the Ladies of Liberty, followed by The Star Spangled Banner by the 100th Army Band (USAR).  Chaplain Maj. Jonathan Lee gave a short invocation before Maj. Gen. Frank Muth spoke the publics. “Memorial Day is a time-honored commitment to never forget those who served and [...]