FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 4th Regiment, Advanced Camp were joined by the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Dr. E. Casey Wardynski, for branch orientation, July 11. Wardynski supervises manpower, personnel and reserve components affairs of the Department of the Army. He is also the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Army on issues such as training, human resources, equal opportunity and other critical matters. Branch orientation allows Cadets to see what different career opportunities are available for Army officers. Cadets who know what they would like to branch are able to explore job duties and training related to their […]

Leadership excellence comes in many forms, and Army ROTC Cadets see that in their daily training. Cadets Taylor Clarkson, Shade Bullock and Patrick Scharf set out to Mongolia to learn and experience how leadership excellence materializes abroad. As part of the Cadet Coalition Warfighter Program (CCWP), formerly known as CULP, these Cadets rose to the occasion and made the most out of their stay in Mongolia. Preparation Before boarding the plane that would take them around the world, these Cadets needed to stay on top of their shots, get acquainted with the native language and train for the rise in elevation […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w642xhM1cNU[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, KY.— “Shoot, move and communicate,” according to Cadet Ezequiel Zaragoza, from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, these are some of the fundamentals that 1st Regiment Basic Camp Cadets learn at the Buddy Team Live fire. Cadets had to navigate through different obstacles while trusting that their battle buddy would cover them as they moved. Cadets had to do both and high and low crawl to different obstacles while holding onto their rifle and a mock grenade. This training prepares Cadets for when they go through this course again the next day with live ammunition. Cadre […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yDOtEEDDro[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. 10 July – “Cadets will implement the training they receive today during the most dangerous times of their career,” said Lt. Col. Jesus Cruz. “This training will prepare Cadets to keep themselves and their soldiers alive. This is arguably the most important training they will receive.” 1st Regiment Basic Camp Cadets began their field training exercise (FTX) preparation with eight comprehensive courses focused on fundamental battle drills.  The first of the courses that Basic Camp Cadets encountered was the Individual Movement Technique (IMT) Range. Every 50 meters Cadets engaged an objective with blanks to simulate gunfire. […]

Barrels pointed down-range, the Cadets shot in three separate positions at three different distances: kneeling, prone unsupported and prone supported at 50, 100 and 300 meters. Cadets of the 9th Regiment of Advanced Camp completed their last day of M-4 Carbine training before qualifying this morning, July 11. Feedback While they shot at the pop-up targets, a sensor was reading how their shots were moving and landing. This gave them what’s called “down-range feedback.” “They’re doing, essentially, a fixed-distance range,” Maj. Jason Martos, leading the 3rd Platoon of Alpha Co., said. “The computer will read where the rounds are impacting and […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyzKi2qYFsQ[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. — The sounds of coughs and cries filled the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) range while Second Regiment, Basic Camp, Cadets completed CBRN training on July 10 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. CBRN included eight different trainings on Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) levels, the Chemical Corps and the confidence chamber, which were meant to instill trust in their equipment. Cadets left with a new found confidence in not only their equipment, but their battle buddies as well. “In the [confidence] chamber specifically, when you are about to be let out, usually you can’t see, you’re […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr96sToeLGU&t=18s FORT KNOX, Ky. — 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets completed the High Ropes Confidence Course July 10 during Cadet Summer Training. The course consists of three different obstacles including Moore’s Mountain rock wall, the Alpine Tower, and Rudder’s Rope Course. “We were briefed and told we would be going onto these confidence courses and that they would help us see that, if we chose to push through something that was difficult, we could do it and we could do it with the help of our teammates as well,” said Cadet Jayden Fritz, Minnesota State University, Mankato. “Doing all of these […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtAWlwT3APs[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Advanced Camp, 5th Regiment Cadets, tried to stay cool in the heat category five weather, while they were performing a defense exercise at Grizzly Field Training Exercise (FTX) lanes. FTX lanes are a part of Cadet Summer Training to help enhance the Cadets leadership skills at Fort Knox, Ky., July 9. For this exercise the Cadets had a general idea of where the opposing forces (OPFOR) were coming from. They had to secure the patrol base from all angles to ensure the Cadets were able to see the OPFOR coming. “Objective Firefly is a terrain that […]

2nd Regiment Basic Camp Cadets participated in First Aid training July 10 here at Cadet Summer Training. Spc. Orrin Crenshaw explained the mission for the day. “Our objective today is to make sure the Cadets coming in, being that they are Basic Camp, making sure that we are prepping them for their Advanced Camp. So, making sure they kind of have an idea, so when they come in they are not coming in blind,” he said. “And also, to make sure that they are getting something out of first aid, so if someone gets hurt they can apply some of these […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HM2RVQqZT0[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, KY.— “I think learning what your subordinates have to do on a day-to-day, hour-to-hour basis makes you a better leader,” said Sophie Hill, from Wellesley College. Hill and the rest of the Cadets from the 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp completed another day of Field Training Exercises (FTX) and learned what exactly those they will lead have to do during this ambush mission. At the start of the mission the Platoon Leader was given the details about the ambush the previous night and had until the early morning to plan out what would happen. “When you are in […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAsB-ERhFyw[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, KY. – “The past 37 days have been really tough and eye opening, but it makes me more motivated. It makes me ready to start my career in the Army,” said Cadet Catherine Vitale, from Saint Johns University- New York. Along with Vitale, who wants to become an active duty component Quartermaster Officer, Cadets from the 3rd Regiment are now one step closer in their Army career after graduating from Advanced Camp. This is a day many anticipate after a rigorous 37 days of training. During the ceremony, 18 Cadets were awarded the RECONDO Badge. In order […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp participated in the high ropes confidence course July 9. The confidence course is designed to force Cadets to confront their fears, learn to trust the equipment provided and promote team motivation and communication. The course consists of an obstacle course and two towers to be climbed. The 35-foot obstacle course has multiple events such as rope crawls, ropewalks and a zip line. The 45-foot alpine tower forces Cadets to be creative and confident as they ascend the tower. Lastly the 55-foot rock wall is the simplest but tallest feature on the […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zm6AuymGzw[/embedyt] FORT KNOX Ky. — On July 8, Cadets of the 7th Advanced Camp Regiment completed Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) training, where they learned to trust their equipment in a chemical environment. It was an introduction to the dangers of chemical attacks, the detection of chemical environments, and the use of protective gear. “There’s a lot to the chemical corps and it’s really hard to cover in just a couple of hours, but it is a nice little intro to what we do on a daily basis,” Spc. Joseph Workman, subject matter expert at the CBRN training, said. […]

Fort Knox, Ky. – The stars were out; the crickets were chirping and 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets were rucking. At 4 a.m. the Cadets were lined up and began the six-mile ruck march. “It is good to be out here with all of my buddies, I have made some really good friendships thus far and I love a really good (physical training) session,” Cadet Dylan Vansickell from Little Silver, New Jersey, and a student at Stevens Institute of Technology said. “A six-mile ruck to start the morning [makes for] a good day.” The Cadets used this time in a variety […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvyFK2DV53E[/embedyt] Fort Knox, Ky. – For 37 days, 3rd Regiment Cadets have been working on completing Advanced Camp here at Fort Knox, Ky. Today, the Cadets celebrated the end of their journeys at Cadet Summer Training (CST) by reuniting with family and friends. Cadets practiced for tomorrow’s graduation on Brooks Field while family and friends were briefed on Advanced Camp in Waybur Theater. At the end of rehersal, Cadets were released to waiting parents, friends, and significant others. “My family is pretty important to me, so it is nice to see them,” Cadet Cochise Wanzer, from McLean, Virginia, and attending […]

During Cadet Summer Training the Cadets are the main focus, but there are also Active Duty Soldiers who spend their time developing these future leaders. During Field Training Exercises (FTX) there are active duty infantry Soldiers who work as the Opposing Force (OPFOR) against the Cadets. One unit in particular, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment have come to Fort Knox from Fort Wainwright, Alaska. For one day they let me observe them while they went through their procedures. These Soldiers work in four-day shifts. They spend four days in the field during the day helping create scenarios for the Cadets. Then […]

2nd Regiment Basic Camp Cadets participated in terrain association/map reading July 8. This begins with knowing the standards for the course. Maj. Bruce Pauley, the officer in charge of the range, said, “The task is to get from one point to another while dismounting. They have to get three out of four points during the day for a go. We have verified all the points out there and they have to go find them.” Cadet Collin Apape attends the University of Northern Iowa and is from Arlington Heights, Illinois. He put the days objective in his own words. “Our objective is […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 4th Regiment, Advanced Camp completed their last must attempt event, the 12-mile ruck, July 8. Cadets started the ruck from a site near their Field Training Exercise location in the woods outside of base at 3 a.m. with the first of Alpha Company arriving at the finish line at 6:13 a.m. Some of the regimental Cadre go to the finish line to help prepare for the Cadet’s arrival and be there to congratulate them for completing all of the main hurdles between them and Graduation. The Cadets walked into the finish line as “Flight of […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEtzrzTRlok[/embedyt] Cadets of the 3rd Regiment of Basic Camp completed their intro to the M-4 Carbine this morning, July 8. Taking Classes Taking them through the proper way to dismantle their weapon, the regiment drill sergeants taught Cadets where their gun would get the most grime, and where they’d need to clean a little more in depth. They were also taught the terminology of the parts of their M-4 Carbines. “They’ve already taught us how to clear the gun, and I never even knew that,” Cadet Hailey Cook, from Houston, Texas, and attending Marian Military Institute, said. “I never knew […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — 1st Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets focused on teamwork, leading, and listening to one another at the Team Development Course (TDC) July 7, 2019 during Cadet Summer Training. “We’re doing some team building events and obstacles. It’s basically not about strength, but thinking about how we can work together to get through these obstacles and how we can get everyone through it,” stated Cadet Asia Foster from the University of Kentucky. The obstacles, as Cadet Jacob Wakeley from the University of Kentucky explained, are puzzles where Cadets must get from one point to the next with all of […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqKGF7S5DbM[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, KY –Tenth Regiment, Advanced Camp, Cadets arrived Sunday afternoon at Fort Knox, Kentucky, on Day Zero to start their Cadet Summer Training (CST). About 600 Cadets arrived to start their 37 days of CST. Upon arrival, Cadets began with checking-in, organizing and accounting for their belongings. Over the course of the next 37 days, 10th Regiment Cadets will take part in various events such as the Rappel Tower, the Land Navigation course, Field Training Exercises (FTX), the CBRN Confidence Chamber, Hand Grenades and Weapons Qualification. What Cadets will learn most, though, is to hone in on their leadership […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ-siJgIQCc[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. — Second Regiment, Basic Camp, Cadets learned how to navigate terrain during Land Navigation training on July 7 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. “Here at the land navigation course, they learn how to get from point A to point B in the most effective manner, using only a map, protractor and compass,” Texas A&M University Military Science Instructor, Staff Sgt. Calvin Hickman, said. Cadets were paired into buddy teams to complete the training. “They are paired in twos so they learn to trust their partners,” Sgt. 1st Class Debra Weir, a land navigation grading tent instructor, said. […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvVlCY0tl2g[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – As the fog lifted from George Blair Range, 8th Regiment Advanced Camp Cadets began their weapons qualification, July 7.  “The objective is for all the Cadets to qualify,” said Capt. Patrick Laine, a cadre on the range. “Before weapons qualification, Cadets were taught how to group and zero their shots. They learned to make adjustments based on how they hit a stationary target.” Unlike their previous practice rounds, Cadets shot pop-up targets from three different positions. Each iteration of weapons qualification began with Cadets lying in the prone supported  position, which provides the most stability […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1hLs8R3yoE[/embedyt] Cadets from 4th Regiment, Basic Camp, arrived in Fort Knox, Kentucky, yesterday, beginning their training to become Army Officers. Basic Camp provides first and second year Cadets with the basic soldiering skills they need for Advanced Camp and for their future careers in the Army. Coming into Day Zero of camp, Cadets were nervous. “I’m a little nervous because it is my first time really doing anything like this,” University of Mississippi Cadet Matthew Vandarwater, from Nashville, Tennessee, said. Vandarwater is in ROTC at the University of Mississippi but has never been in the field because he is not […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnNSzNH2G1w[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Basic Camp, 2nd Regiment Cadets went back to the basics of Field Craftsmanship to prepare them for the Field Training Exercise (FTX) later in the Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky., July 6. Field Craftsmanship helps prepare Cadets to be able to live in the FTX lanes for multiple days. Cadets learn the fundamentals of how to camouflage their gear and themselves. Along with how to set up camp to protect themselves from the elements around them. Alongside the camouflage and shelter, the Cadets learn how to pack their ruck in a way that has […]