FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp completed the high ropes course at the Forest Hills Climbing Complex on Fort Knox, Ky., August 1, 2023. The high ropes course consists of the Rudder’s Rope Course, two Alpine towers and a rock wall. Each course is designed to help Cadets overcome their fears in a fun and challenging way.  “First, we did the Rudder’s Rope Course which involves a lot of climbing, crawling across ropes and then a little zipline at the end,” said Cadet Jason Dzik, University of Delaware. “Then, we went to these Alpine towers, which is [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky., – Cadets from 3rd Regiment, Advanced Camp, tested their leadership abilities at the Field Leader Reaction Course, Fort Knox, Ky., June 22, 2023.  Cadets go through five of the 16 obstacles at the FLRC choosing a new squad leader each time. This gives the ability for more Cadets to practice being leaders. Cadet Evan Harper, University of San Francisco, described the FLRC as a team building event. “We’re doing these events and different challenges together, seeing how we work as a team, and also, how we react to challenges and adversity,” Harper said. “It really shows how well [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky., – 3rd Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets complete their weapons qualification at Pells Range, Fort Knox, Ky., June 18, 2023.  Cadets spent the last three days preparing. Prior to making it to weapons qualifications, Cadets must go through the preliminary marksmanship instruction, the engagement skills trainer, and then, group and zero on the days leading up to qualifications day.  Cadets will complete a practice round before participating in the official qualifications round. Cadet Haley Higgins, University of Central Missouri, scored a 23 on the practice round of the qualifications. Cadets must hit a minimum of 23 out of 40 [...]

“Look down, but hold your head up, wipe your eyes, keep going,” Cadet Shariana Freeman, from The Fort Valley State University, said.  This advice was given to the Cadets of 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp, as they strapped on their rucksacks and set off on a 10-kilometer foot march in the pouring rain.  Although this march served as the last training exercise standing between 3rd Regiment Cadets and graduation, the weather conditions ensured that it would be no simple task.  “Honestly, me personally, I thought I couldn’t do it,” Freeman said. “You can’t see, there’s stuff in your eyes, you’re just unmotivated.”  [...]

Nervous, excited, and thrilled were all words used by Cadets of 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp, to describe their emotions before crawling directly under and toward live M240 machine gun fire.  The Cadets embraced this challenge at the Night Infiltration Course (NIC), a training event at Cadet Summer Training (CST) designed to test physical and mental toughness through the simulation of a combat scenario.  “If you’re in a combat situation and you’re given a mission, you have to complete that mission, otherwise there will be rippling effects through neighboring units,” 2nd Lt. Christian Henderson, commissioned officer from Ball State University, said. “We’ll [...]

“Electric. I felt no muscle fatigue, nothing,” said Cadet Trevor Corso, from George Mason University.  This invigorating feeling stemmed from the encouragement he received as he raced against his peers of 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp, toward the final challenge of the Beaudoin Obstacle Course.  The course consisted of 13 events designed to test physical capability and boost morale.  “I was up there motivating everybody. I loved the energy coming back to me too,” Corso said. “Giving everybody high-fives on both sides coming through, because they knew I was the last one.”  Corso was the final member of his squad to attempt [...]

A big talking point at Cadet Summer Training is how to communicate with one another. There is no such thing as a single-person squad, and Cadets going through the program must learn how to effectively communicate with each other, or else risk failure in the field. The situational training exercise (STX) the Cadets go through at Fort Knox aim to test just that, with freshly formed squads being required to scout or capture objectives within a time frame. Cadet Jordan McIntyre from Michigan State University was part of a squad participating in the drills that day. “Our first one that we’ve [...]

“Currently, the Cadets are receiving a block of instruction on hand grenade identification,” said Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas George Gonnion. Cadets from 3rd Regiment were taking instruction a short distance away, sitting on the red Kentucky earth and enjoying the nice weather while they take in the basics of grenade training. “They’re learning the different types and capabilities of grenades that we use in the United States Army,” said Gonnion. “Following the class, they will do a practical exercise with the two different throwing techniques that we’re going to be teaching them today, which is standing and kneeling [position].” This exercise [...]

The deafening boom of gunfire echoed through Pells range as Cadets from 3rd Regiment, Advanced Camp, went for their M4A1 qualification. This event is the culmination of prior training exercises that the Cadets had to go through in order to reach this point. Exercises such as preliminary marksmanship instruction, the engagement skills trainer, group and zeroing, and battle march and shoot all aim to prepare Cadets for this final moment. Of the Cadets present for the M4 qualification, Wang Ruan from the University of San Francisco waits for his chance at the range. While this would be Ruan’s first time qualifying [...]

Cadets from 3rd Regiment assemble in the open lot of the Field Leader Reaction Course.  These Cadets would be tasked with completing obstacle courses designed to test their squad’s teamwork and critical thinking skills. “They’re supposed to be really, really difficult challenges to do…to see how they work together and how they overcome seemingly impossible challenges,” said Capt. Robert Moore. Cadets go through the FLRC early on in their time at Cadet Summer Training. By the time 3rd Regiment arrived at the FLRC, most Cadets have only had a week’s time to get to know each other. The FLRC helps to [...]

“Front Contact!” The squad barely has time to respond before hearing the whistle of incoming indirect-fire, followed by the punch of an explosion. As the plume of smoke rises in front of them, they all drop to the ground and scramble for cover. Luckily, they are prepared to handle this battle. Thinking quickly, they hurry to take different positions to cover their rear and flanks, shouting to keep communication the whole time. Returning fire, this squad is confident that their training has prepared them to win the fight. On the morning of July 27, 2021, 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets learned [...]

Entering the Kentucky wilderness, 3rd Regiment Basic Camp Cadets participated in Field Craft Training on July 21, 2021, where they learned tips and tricks for their upcoming Field Training Exercise (FTX). Cadets first learned how to set up a patrol base, a temporary area with a security perimeter where Soldiers spend less than 24 hours and are assigned specific tasks. Patrol bases are typically used to eliminate movement in dangerous areas, to plan and issue orders, to account for weapons and equipment, and to eat and rest. Cadets practiced nonverbal communication cues and set up their security in a triangle pattern, [...]

DOWNLOAD Program Special Awards Recipients AUSA Leadership Excellence AwardCadet Maxwell Congrove, The Ohio State University Military Order of World Wars AwardCadet Lauryn Jeans, Claremont McKenna College Military Officers Association of America AwardCadet Nicholas Vosburgh, Appalachian State University First Command Financial Services AwardCadet Adam Arel, Texas A&M University USAA Warrior Spirit AwardCadet Steven Carson, University of Arizona Armed Forces Bank AwardCadet Ethan Gilmore, Virginia Military Institute Reserve Organization of America AwardCadet Edgar Christie, University of North Carolina at Pembroke National Guard Association of the United State AwardCadet Jacob Arquisola, University of Pittsburgh Bold Leader Spirit AwardCadet John Stovall, Virginia Tech Armed Forces [...]

3rd Regiment Advanced Camp Cadets are on the last leg of Cadet Summer Training (CST), and on their way to becoming Commissioned Officers in the Army. As a final challenge, Cadets are put to the test during their Field Training Exercise (FTX), a 12-day-long event where Cadets live in the woods, encountering ticks, pouring rain, and opposing forces.   FTX not only assesses a Cadet’s physical capabilities, but it also teaches them how to adapt and depend on their leadership skills. In fact, leadership is at the forefront of every decision made in the field. FTX is divided into three phases: wolverine, [...]

Walking up to the confidence course on the morning of June 18, 2021, you’d likely hear Cadets of 3rd Regiment cheering each other on as they complete each mentally and physically challenging obstacle within the woods of Fort Knox, Ky during their Cadet Summer Training Advanced Camp.  The purpose behind the confidence course is in the name. Cadets have to set aside any fears or negative thoughts and build that confidence within themselves to get through the obstacles.  Probably one of the biggest fears that pop up during the confidence course is heights. However, one Cadet faced the problem by talking [...]

  FORT KNOX, Ky. — 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets attended Branch Orientation at Keyes Park July 30 during Cadet Summer Training. “We are at Branch Day. So, we are getting an opportunity to visit with representatives from each of the basic branches that we may choose or put on our lists after we commission,” said Cadet Karen Yurek, Queens University of Charlotte. Master Sgt. Christopher Parker, Senior Military Instructor at Florida International University, explained that Cadets have a certain number of branches they must visit. “They’ll have nine rotations in which two of the rotations they must visit the Reserve [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — The Dunagan Teamwork Development Course is comprised of six obstacles. Each obstacle has a scenario for Cadets to attempt and complete with only the materials at hand. However, as the 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets soon realized, the course develops teamwork and more but not always through success. Cadet Nicholas Cramer, of Omaha, Nebraska, and his group went through three of the six obstacles. Unfortunately they were unable to complete any, but that failure wasn’t Cramer’s, or his buddies, take away. “Our first course was a sort of ropes course with a casualty,” the Wayne State College [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnwVBRa8KQA[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, KY. — Obstacle courses are a staple of Army training, and for the 3rd Regiment Basic Camp Cadets, today’s training was their first taste. Beaudoin Obstacle Course has 12 different obstacles and each of them serve as a starting point for the Cadets to see where they stand, physically and mentally. Cadet India Fullard, a Washington D.C. native, noted that she had done an obstacle course at her university before but that it had been some time. Even with that past experience she found herself with her own problems. “I did feel confident coming in,” Fullard said. [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwn323i8HZE[/embedyt] Fort Knox, Ky. – Basic Camp is all about teaching Cadets the basic soldiering skills they need to know before going forward in their endeavor to become officers. Third Regiment Basic Camp Cadets spent Thursday going through Field Craft Training where throughout the day they learned and were tested on different skills they need to know to continue in their ROTC programs and Advanced Camp. Most Cadets in the program are lateral entry Cadets meaning they are going into their junior or senior years at their university. Basic Camp serves as the training to catch them up on the [...]

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=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 [...]

[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. — 3rd Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets attended Branch Orientation, July 6, during their final few days of Cadet Summer Training. “Branch orientation is a day the Cadets come and learn about the branches of the Army and what each branch has to offer them,” explained 1st Lt. Michael Neilan. “They figure out what they want to do with their military career. That’s what today is all about.” While some Cadets have already made their branch selection, many Cadets utilize the opportunity to listen to cadre who are in the branch, whether it be part of the infantry, military [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp were introduced to physical readiness training, July 4. The training is a collection of strength exercises and stretches such as, push-ups, squats, lunges, and wind-mills. The physical training is led by Drill Sergeants, who mix motivation with stress inducing tactics like screaming, demanding time restraints and scrutiny to detail. Cadets are expected to work as a unit even when performing personal training. Leading the Drill Sergeants to extend workouts until everyone is able to complete them together. This stress causes Cadets to be responsible for building each other up when some [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets in the 3rd Regiment closed out their training time at Advanced Camp with the 12-mile ruck march this morning, July 3. It was a victorious moment; cadences were shouted, hands were raised to the sky in triumph, smiles were plastered on every face. From Cadet to Cadet, words of encouragement were shared as they marched nearer and nearer to the “Mission Accomplished” banner that flew at their ending point. With “Eye of the Tiger” playing, the 3rd Regiment crossed the finish line. Rucks were plopped on the ground as Cadets fell to their knees in relief. [...]