FORT KNOX, KY. – “When you run alone you run fast. But when you run together, you run far.” This African proverb was shard with Cadets during their time in Botswana with the Cadet Coalition Warfighter Program (CCWP). Cadets spent 20 days traveling through the country while engaging with the Botswana Defense Forces (BDF), completing humanitarian work, and enhancing their understanding of another culture. During the trip the group had multiple key leader engagements. A key leader engagement is when a United States Army Officer meets with an official of a local village or a village elder. The Cadets enjoyed the […]

With a plane full of anxious Cadets flying towards their connection in Amsterdam, with a final destination of Hungary for the Cadet Coalition Warfighter Program (CCWP), no one expected a flight attendant to ask for medical personnel over the intercom. However, for Cadet Jerrod Fedorchik from South Dakota State University, this call brought him to his feet, and without hesitation, he ran towards the back of the plane. They were twenty minutes from landing, and Fedorchik discovered the reason for the urgent announcement – a nineteen-year-old girl had collapsed in the plane’s bathroom. “She was starting to come back to, but […]

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 […]

U.S. Army Cadets spent just over three weeks in Thailand as part of the Cadet Coalition Warfighter Program (formerly the Cultural Understanding and Leadership Program, or CULP). The purpose of this program is to immerse future U.S. Army officers in the lifestyle of another country, while forming positive relationships with that country’s military. The selected Cadets who traveled to Thailand went through the entire military deployment process. They got any necessary immunizations, completed preparatory assignments and did research on the country. Cadet Justin Humphreys, an economics major at the University of Southern Mississippi, said he didn’t know much about the country […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmo41GLDHdk[/embedyt] The Cultural Understanding and Leadership Program (CULP), a part of Cadet Summer Training for U.S. Army Cadets, was designed to immerse Cadets in the culture of another country to understand the lifestyle of those who live there and work alongside that country’s military. This year, the CULP office is maintaining the same important purpose of the program while changing the name – Cadet Coalition Warfighter Program (CCWP). The name change is a result of a misconception of the program’s ultimate goal. While cultural understanding is a large part of the program, there is much more involved than tourist activities. […]

U.S. Army Cadets Travel African Country to Learn Leadership, Understanding  ENTEBBE, Uganda– Thirty-three Cadets, a 1st Lt., a Capt., and a Sgt. land at the Entebbe airport after over twenty-four hours of travel. With weary legs they climb into a bus with a driver named Richard. Around 1 a.m. they arrive in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, without a single clue of the experiences they are in for. KAMPALA, Uganda– The team visits the U.S. Embassy. They learn that the United States is in Uganda for two main reasons: regional stability and trafficking management. They learn about the roles of Foreign […]

The Cultural Understanding and Leadership Program gives the opportunity for Cadets to participate in military training and engage in humanitarian works throughout the world. Recently, Cadets from Honduras, Vietnam, and Thailand returned to the United States after spending three weeks with their CULP teams out-of-country. This experience is meant to train future army officers on how other cultures and militaries operate. Cadet Dana Gertschen, who deployed to Honduras, described the importance of CULP for future officers, “As a leader, it’s important to have perspective. A leader with perspective can think about a situation or a problem in a wise and reasonable […]

Fort Knox, Ky- Cadets participating in the Cultural Understanding and Leadership Program (CU&LP) returned to Fort Knox, Ky from Brazil, June 6. Cadets spent three weeks learning about Brazil’s culture, history and military. A Cadet from Eastern Illinois University, Amber Matchett, highlighted the start of her experience abroad in South America. “We started out in Rio de Janeiro,” Matchett said. “We spent a lot of time going to museums and there were a few forts that they used to use during battles that they turned into museums.” While focusing on learning from and about Brazil and the Brazilian Military, CU&LP Cadets participated in fun and […]

U.S. Army Cadets deployed to Cape Verde in the Cultural Understanding and Leadership Program (CU&LP) to gain new perspectives on the people and history of Cape Verde and stronger cultural skills. The Cape Verde islands are about 400 miles off the western coast of Africa, with the official language being Portuguese.  Cadets in this country did service projects with schools and orphanages, community engagement, and Military to Military training all in an effort to maintain a good relationship with the Cape Verdean people and Military. Now you’re speaking my language. First Lt. Matthew Miller, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, lead the CU&LP […]

By: Savoury Jacobson. FORT KNOX, KY. –On July, 12, 2017, Cadets traveled to Africa to gain experience interacting with foreign cultures using the Cultural Understanding and Leadership Proficiency program (CULP) . This will prepare them for future deployment operations where they will be required to coexist with other nations. Cadet Sophia Walker from Baylor University wrote, “It was another fantastic week in Senegal. We were finally able to leave the city and delve into the countryside, where we experienced and witnessed the Senegalese traditional way of life. Birame, our previously mentioned interpreter, kindly opened his village up to us, and we, alongside […]

Article by CULP Cadet. Edited by Hope Nelson. SENEGAL, Africa — If one were to spend any amount of time in Senegal, there would be a number of things that would be immediately apparent. You could see that Senegal does not have many of the same infrastructures and institutions that the United States (U.S.) possesses. You could see poverty on a greater scale than nearly anywhere in the U.S. But you could also see a land of unrequited beauty. Senegal is truly a wonder to behold. From its natural beauty to its constructed wonders and it’s amazing citizens. Senegal actively combats […]

Article by Cadet Taylor Love. Edited by Hope Nelson. SENEGAL, Africa — In every culture, there are spoken and unspoken values. In the United States, these include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Additionally, values inherent to American culture are cleanliness, promptness, and individualism. Some values transcend culture. Others do not. In Senegal, the value structure differs greatly from the ones in the U.S. One of the most visible values in Senegalese culture is the importance of community. There is a heightened emphasis on the group rather than the individual. Many people are addressed as “my brother” or “as my […]

Article by Cadet Cleone Abrams. Edited by Hope Nelson. SENEGAL, Africa. — Senegal Team One is wrapping up its third and final week in Africa. The Cadets spent the majority of the week at the Ecole Nationale des Officers d’Active (ENOA) and celebrated their graduation. However, they were fortunate enough to still able to tour around Western Senegal and see more of the country. This week, Cadets looked back and shared their favorite and most impactful experiences of the trip. “The most impactful experience of my trip to Senegal has been the humanitarian aid mission at the orphanage in Saly,” said […]

MALAWI, SOUTH AFRICA – A team of eleven cadets and one cadre member from around the United States were chosen to attend a CULP, Cultural Understanding and Language Profeciency, mission in Malawi, Africa. The cadets in the team had no idea what to expect for their first full day in country. They knew they were going to be training with the Airborne Battalion but that was about the extent of their knowledge for the first day’s agenda. “I went in having little expectations,” said Shyla Tibert, an International Studies major at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. “I expected the […]