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. [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed the field training exercise at Fort Knox, Ky., June 30, 2023. During the FTX, Cadets conducted a raid, a surprise attack where Cadets destroy or capture the opposing forces. One Cadet talked about their experience during the raid. Cadet Sam Barnhart from Virginia Tech said that he joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps because of his family. He was able to date his family’s history all the way back to the Revolutionary War. “Having that lineage of the military, it’s just in the blood, and I knew I was going [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed the field training exercise at Fort Knox, Ky., June 28, 2023. The FTX trained Cadets on how to be a leader and tactically lead a platoon of forty-four Cadets in various missions. During the FTX, Cadets conducted a raid, a surprise attack where Cadets destroy or capture the opposing forces. One Cadet talked about a unique story along with his experience during the raid. Cadet Ernes Selimovic from St. John’s University New York, joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps because of his parents. He said that his parents came to [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky., – Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, spent the day planning and executing field training exercises during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky., June 26, 2023. Cadets will spend a total of 12 days in the field where they will sleep in the woods, test their leadership abilities and run missions like ambushes, raids, attacks, defense, reconnaissance and movement to contact. Cadet Madeline Bryan, Loyola University Chicago, and her platoon executed an attack on an objective. “Everybody communicated with me effectively,” Bryan said. “I got on the objective, I knew I had to shoot, I posted the [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed the situation training exercise at Fort Knox, Ky., June 23, 2023. During the situation training exercise, Cadets did a deliberate attack. A deliberate attack is when Cadets destroy or defeat enemy forces, seizes, and secures terrain. Two Cadets talked about their experience during the situation training exercise.  Cadet Cleveland Williams from Texas A&M University Central Texas has been an active duty member of the U.S. Army for four and a half years. His military occupational specialty was an 88M. An 88M is a transport operator. He said that he joined [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. –  On June 23, 2023., Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, engage in situational training exercises (STX) starting off at the Wolverine phase as part of Cadet Summer Training. They will move though three phases, Wolverine, Panther, and Grizzly. The STX are meant to put the Cadets in a fast-paced environment where they plan and communicate as a team to successfully complete the mission at hand. Cadets camp out in the woods for three days. STX prepares the Cadets for a bigger event called the field training exercise (FTX). Cadet Zoe Routh, University of Oklahoma, is following the [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – While absorbed in lively conversation, 2nd Regiment Cadets’ Noah Scott from Norwich University, Kyle Sopplar from Clarkson University, and Hannah Yun from Loyola University of Chicago put on their camouflage in attempt to blend in with the rest of the forest during their situational training exercise at Fort Knox, Ky., June 23, 2023. Yun said she is ‘shocked’ by how close she has gotten with her fellow ‘teammates’ in such a short period of time. “We’ve all met each other two weeks ago, and I think I’m just surprised by how easy it was for us to [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets in the 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, take their land navigation qualification at Training Area 14, Fort Knox, Ky., June 16, 2023. Land navigation examines Cadets on their ability to read a map and navigate unfamiliar terrains.  Cadets are given a timed limit of four hours to complete their training using a map, compass, protractor, and a pencil.  Unlike other trainings that Cadets receive, they cannot rely on the help from other Cadets or communicate with each other.   “You have to have a tactical approach to land navigation,” said Spc. Kaitlyn Shulaman, Cadre leader. “You don’t have [...]

FORT KNOX,Ky.- 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets completed the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear phase of their Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky., June 19, 2023.  “Today we got to experience CBRN and learn all about the branch, but also what they do and how they help the forces throughout the Army,” said Cadet Brandon Fox, Texas Christian University. “And then we also got to learn to trust our equipment by trying out the gas chamber, which was really fun.”  Cadets were taught about how to react to various forms of attacks, the gear needed to protect them, and went [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – The 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets arrived ready to participate in warrior skills training during a downpour and cooler weather conditions at Fort Knox, Ky., June 19, 2023.   A recent graduate from the University of South Alabama, 2nd Lt. Anna Lane, said that the warrior skills training ‘sets the foundation’ for the wolverine phase of the situation training exercise. Lane explained how the red-robin style training works. Throughout training, Cadets rotate from station-to-station and are given the opportunity to learn about troop leading procedures, mission analysis, and how to cross linear danger areas. Lane said that [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky., – Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, knew that once they climbed up the stairs of the 64-foot rappel tower in Fort Knox, Ky., June 18, 2023, there was no turning back. The only way a Cadet can get off the tower is by rappelling. At Advanced Camp, having a fear of heights is not an option because every Cadet is required to rappel down the tower during training. However, the safety instructors and Cadre members on site were ready to support every Cadet that descends the tower. Rappel safety instructor Terry Bras from the University of South [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – During field leaders reaction course training at Fort Knox, Ky., June 17, 2023, small squads from the  2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets learned how to come together as they rotate from one station to the next. Capt. Eric Engel from the University of Cincinnati explained that FLRC is designed in a way that forces Advanced Camp Cadets to work together as a unit. “We have 16 lanes of squad obstacles here, and they approach each one from their own squad’s perspective, and one squad leader receives a mission brief,” said Engel. “They make decisions and communicate, and [...]

“You gotta want it; if you don’t want it, you’re not gonna get it,” Cadet John Babbitts, College of William and Mary.  FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed the battle march and shoot at Fort Knox, Ky., June 16, 2023. Cadets woke up around 4:00 a.m. before stepping off for the 4-mile ruck to the battle march and shoot. A ruck is a backpack that Cadets are required to have at Cadet Summer Training. The minimum weight for a ruck is 35-40 pounds, and the point of the ruck is to provide Cadets’ with important military [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – The Cadets practice using an M4 Carbine in an exercise called group and zero. Grouping is when a cluster of rounds are shot consistently into a target close together. The basic marksmanship training includes teaching Cadets to have a tight shot group. When the Cadets zero, they adjust settings on the M68 Close Combat Optic to move that tight shot group onto the center of the target. Along with gaining experience, the Cadets also get to work with the Cadre and other officers. The officer in charge for the Handiboe range is 1st Lt. Dahlia Aguirre. She [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – 2nd Regiment Advanced Camp Cadets went through their last application hand-off range training before qualifying their weapons later today at Fort Knox, Ky., June 15, 2023. Capt. Aaron Ryan, 3rd Brigade United States Army Cadet Command, explains what Cadets must do during this training. “There’s three targets: the 300-meter target, the 150 and the 70-meter,” Ryan said. “There’s three magazines with 10 rounds each, and you want to put all 10 rounds into those targets to confirm your zero.” Ryan also explained that the 2nd Regiment Advanced Camp Cadets went through group and zero training yesterday, where [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky., – U.S. Army Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, tackle group and zero at Fort Knox, Ky., June 12, 2023. Group and zero is the third, and final, training exercise that Cadets must go through before they can complete their weapons qualification. When his fellow Cadets had questions about where to aim on the targets for each distance, Cadet Noah Bufalini, Rochester Institute of Technology, approached a nearby Cadre member to ask if a whiteboard was available. Once he was given the materials, Bufalini drew diagrams and reviewed with his fellow Cadets. “I had some knowledge in that, [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – U.S. Army 2nd Regiment Cadets in Cadet Summer Training, Advanced Camp, attended the preliminary marksmanship instruction at Fort Knox, Ky., June 12, 2023. PMI provides Cadets with the fundamentals of rifle marksmanship through various lessons. The different lessons at PMI include understanding the basic operations of the rifle, how to change magazines, proper body positions while firing, and the correct way to squeeze the trigger. This training event is crucial because Cadets will use this knowledge to qualify at the shooting range later during CST. Cadet Joseph Walker of Lehigh University speaks on what he believes are [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp completed the confidence course where they rappelled off a 64-foot tower at Fort Knox, Ky.,  June 11, 2023. Some Cadets came with a fear of heights, and some did not. Regardless if they had a fear of heights or not, what helped them all get through the course today was having each other and knowing that everyone is in it together. Cadet Violet Doolittle from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire said that she joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps to build herself up as a leader, meet new people, and build [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky., – Cadets from the 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, spent the day completing the engagement skills trainer exercise in Fort Knox, Ky., June 11, 2023. The EST is a simulated rifle qualification table. U.S. Army Master Sgt. Robert Points, senior military science instructor at Truman State University, explains the importance of EST training. “Some of these Cadets don’t have the opportunity to handle weapons as much,” Points said. “The engagement skills trainer is a cheap and easy way that they can learn to handle those weapons systems and practice fundamentals without having to spend ammunition and time on getting [...]

2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets completed the field leader reaction course portion of Cadet Summer Training Fort Knox, Ky., June 10, 2023.  This training teaches Cadets to work together as a team and is one of the first events they complete after their in-processing days.  Many Cadets experience the Army for the first time through the Reserve Officer Training Corps and especially CST.  However, for some Cadets such as Cadet Ian Valente from Central Michigan University and Cadet Nick Nolan from Texas A&M University, the Green to Gold program allows them to commission as officers after serving as enlisted service members.  [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – The 2nd Regiment Cadets at Advanced Camp arrived to the preliminary marksmanship instruction range in Fort Knox, Ky., early June 10, 2023 for a refresher course in marksmanship. During PMI, nobody is above the basics of marksmanship. Even the most experienced Cadets must go back to basics and work on their technique. Before the 2nd Regiment Cadets get released to their stations, the Cadre give a briefing over the four pillars of weapon safety. The instructor explained to the Cadets that the key to a smooth shot is keeping a position that is stable. The instructor also [...]