The 2nd Regiment Cadets practiced tactical combat casualty care at Fort Knox, Ky., on June 5, 2022.  This portion of Cadet Summer Training (CST) focused on teaching Cadets necessary medical skills to help a wounded Soldier in the field.  Staff Sgt. Mark Colburn said this training is different from all the other medical fields such as nursing or working as an EMT.  “The process is different when you’re reacting to an injury on the battlefield like if you’re actively getting shot at,” Colburn said. “It’s much different than treating somebody in a clinic, who has a broken leg or runny nose.”  […]

At Fort Knox, Ky., future U.S Army officers are required to go through a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) exercise during their time at Cadet Summer Training (CST). “CBRN training consists of eight tasks,” said Lt. Col. Janice Vogan, the officer in charge of warrior skills. A few of the skills learned from performing the required tasks include maintaining their protective mask, protecting themselves from CBRN related injuries, and how to react to various CBRN attacks. “The ninth (task) is they’re going to go into the gas chamber, the NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) chamber,” said Vogan. Once in the chamber, […]

‘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 […]

When Cadets arrive to Cadet Summer Training (CST) at Fort Knox, Ky., many undergo a rapid learning curve on their path to become effective leaders for the U.S. Army. “I fumbled a lot on Land Navigation and my platoon really rallied around me,” said Paulakae Gordon. “There was not one person that wasn’t taking the time to teach me on things that I needed to know.” Nobody is truly alone with their struggles at CST, as teams work together to overcome the obstacles they face. Gordon encountered an uphill battle at land navigation, but the support of her teammates helped push […]

The first Regiment of Cadets went through chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) training May 31, 2022. CBRN is one of the training events Cadets are required to complete for Cadet Summer Training (CST).  1st Lt. Adam Dykens, 21st Chemical Company, said this is a ten level warrior skills training for CBRN defense. Training includes donning of chemical defense equipment, detection of chemical defense equipment as well as reacting to nuclear, chemical and biological attacks.  Dykens said this training is important for future leaders, so they know how to respond to this type of warfare. This helps keep them and their […]

The ACFT (Army Combat Fitness Test) took place in the early hours of Memorial Day, with Cadets from 1st Regiment challenged to complete the six-event test. According to Capt. Rob Haight, a chaplain present for the test, this is the first time that many Cadets are facing the ACFT at Cadet Summer Training (CST).   The ACFT is a relatively new addition to the Army’s physical fitness program. “It’s been in the planning phases for about two or three years now. They just made the final changes to it and it’ll become [on October First] the standard record for physical fitness,” […]

U.S. Army Soldiers spent a day training on the Schroeder Range at Fort Knox, Ky., May 26, 2022. These Soldiers were grouping and zeroing M4A1 carbines as part of their training in preparation for Cadet Summer Training (CST).  They will be the Cadre instructing the Cadets over the summer. Maj. Steve Paniati is an instructor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. At the university he teaches Military Science to Cadets in their junior year. He said the instructors spend all year getting the Cadets ready for CST.   “One example is coming to the range, so we do live fire with […]

The quiet whirring of copy machines and printers fills the air at the Fort Knox Media Production Facility (MPF) on May 25. The MPF is the workplace of Glen Hatten. Hatten is a Multimedia Advanced Camp Specialist overseeing the production of paper products for Cadet Summer Training (CST). “We make everything from sick call slips, to land navigation maps, land navigation score cards, [and] cantonment maps,” said Hatten. The production of such materials begins with an email order form. This email is the first step in dictating details of the product—like size of the print. The print facility on post is […]

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, […]

A team of medical responders on Fort Knox in Kentucky worked on two heat casualties May 24, 2022. They rushed to get the two Soldiers onto the M997 Field Litter Ambulance, and back to Role 2 Field Hospital.  In reality, these Soldiers did not have heat injuries. This was a coordinated training exercise to prepare the medical team for Cadet Summer Training. There were a number of training scenarios throughout the day that helped the medical team practice necessary responses. This practice prepares the medical team to respond in case of Cadet injury during the summer. Pvt. Alex Velasquez with 3rd […]

Ten wounded military personnel laid sprawled next to an upturned van in the early morning light. Combat medics and local emergency personnel surrounded the vehicle, rushing to tend their injuries and evacuate them. These Soldiers were not suffering from actual wounds; however, they were part of a simulated casualty evacuation drill hosted by Fort Knox in preparation for Cadet Summer Training (CST). Maj. Patrick Hensel, a medical planner on site, oversaw the May 24 operation. “It’s a CASEVAC (casualty evacuation) exercise rehearsal. We’re moving pieces, personnel equipment, to have simulated patients in a vehicle rollover, and simulate them going through the […]