FORT KNOX, Ky. – Advanced Camp, 5th Regiment Cadets enhanced their M-4 Rifle skills at Group and Zero on Canby Hill Range today. Group and Zero is just one day in the four-day process of basic rifle marksmanship training.  It falls after primary marksmanship instruction and is the first of three days with live ammunition. Cadets make adjustments to the weapon based on the location of hits on a paper target 25-meters away. “Grouping is allowing a tight niche of bullets that go through the same directional path and not having too much deviation from your original target,” said Cadet Wynnjones Mbwambo, […]

Fort Knox, Ky. – Normally the weapons qualification range is filled with the thundering boom of live ammunition. Today the booming noise was actual thunder. The first round of Cadets were beginning to shoot as the storm rolled in putting a temporary halt to the range activity. “It was pretty bad weather before, we did not know if it was going to be canceled or not,” Cadet Mitchell Sanford, from Lagrangeville, New York, and a student at State University of New York Cortland said. A few hours later the storm passed and weapons qualification carried on as normal, in bright daylight. […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jjK6DVjnfE[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp woke up bright and early this morning to tackle the six-mile ruck march. The six-mile ruck march is a must pass event. Cadets still in the running for Reconnaissance and Commando badge, RECONDO, had to finish the six-miles within an hour and half. For the others their time must be under two hours. “I finished in an hour and ten minutes but I’m not in the running for RECONDO anymore, land navigation got me,” said Cadet William Norman who attends University of North Georgia. Cadet Grady Gosselin who attends Gonzaga […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — Six miles, two aching feet, 35 plus pounds, and Cadets of 5th Regiment only needed one thing to push them forward, each other. The six-mile road march is the first of three different marches the Cadets will be tasked with over the course of Cadet Summer training. The time limit to complete the event was two hours. For those aiming for Recondo the time to beat was 1 hour and 30 minutes. Lt. Col. Jack Toohey from Ohio State University was one of the Cadre who rucked with the Cadets, but he had an added task. He […]

Fort Knox, Ky. – Not many Advanced Camp training exercises are held in a traditional classroom setting. Call for Fire training is. Cadets from 5th Regiment spent Tuesday morning going through the Call for Fire training. This includes an instruction course in which Cadets are taught the proper procedures to call for effective fire, some practice simulations and then a must-pass exam. The training is often the first exposure Cadets have to the Call for Fire process. “I came into it kind of green and didn’t know exactly what we were doing but now but now that we have run it […]

FORT KNOX, Ky – With all due respect to country-superstar Garth Brooks, the thunder rolled and the lightning struck while the 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp put their bodies to the test during the Army Physical Fitness Test today. The weather did not put a damper on the Cadets spirits. “Being super hype and getting everyone else hype as well, I was able to exceed that mental barrier and just push as hard as I could beyond the physical capability that I had,” said Michael Vieda, a Cadet from Florida Atlantic University. Before the APFT, Vieda was a bit nervous with how […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 5th Regiment, Basic Camp huddled around cell phone cameras before camp graduation on July 26, trying to see how their group photos with fellow Cadets turned out. 2nd Lt. Kasey Greenfield, a graduate of Texas A&M University, noticed an extraordinary difference in the demeanor of a lot of the Cadets – particularly their sense of pride – between the beginning of camp and graduation. Towards the end of camp, Greenfield stated, “a lot of them would stand up straighter,” and just wear the uniform a little differently. Between the homesickness, drill sergeants, and physical standards […]

FORT KNOX, Ky – For the past month, 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets have been in and out of the field, running through the mud, completing missions, and taking orders. With all of that behind them, the Cadets celebrated by spending time with their loved ones on Family Day, July 24, 2018. “It feels fantastic,” exclaimed Cadet Geoffrey Wilson, Rochester institute of Technology. “It’s really nice to see them again after so long. [I] really missed them, in the field especially.” Cadets lined up in formation outside Waybur Theater, where parents and grandparents are inside catching up on what their Cadet […]

FORT KNOX, Ky.— Cadets from 5th Regiment, Basic Camp set out to learn more about their potential careers at Branch Orientation July 24th, 2018. The purpose of Branch Orientation is to give the Cadets more information about the Branches that they are interested in as a future career in the Army. Cadet Jessica Hickman, University of Georgia explains the importance of Branch Orientation and how it helps to solidify her Branch decisions. “In the particular branch you want to see, you get to go in and find out more information to see if you would like to pursue it, or not pursue […]

FORT KNOX, Ky – Under spotted shade from the trees, Cadets from 5th Regiment Basic Camp and 2nd Platoon, Delta Company, 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp met the Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Mark A. Milley during their field training exercises July 18, 2018. When he first arrived, Milley visited 2nd Platoon’s patrol base as they prepared for an ambush. He took a moment to speak with them, watch them strategize, and give them coins. Milley then traveled to the ambush site. There, he watched their plan unfold. As four individuals from the opposing force appeared, shots erupted. Milley moved […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – 5th Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets headed outdoors to practice marching procedures for the Drill and Ceremony Competitions July 23, 2018. Filled with the sounds of pacing boots and rhythmically chanting in the air, Cadets were organized and lined up in coordination with their fellow teammates. Though some of the Cadets looked nervous about turns and specific footwork, each performance during the competition featured precision movements and marching skills. Cadet Kenneth Excellent, Georgia Military College, said, “As Basic Camp Cadets, we are here to learn the basis for discipline and teamwork so that we’ll be able to march […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. –  5th Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets took a walk in Keyes Park, refitted into a tent city, as they weigh their career options for when they commission as second lieutenants. The beautiful, sunny weather was perfect to allow the Cadets to decompress and focus on the their futures with the US Military. Cadets consider options like the Engineer Corps, the Field Artillery branch, the Chemical Corps and the Signal Corps. Capt. Mia Williams, nurse counselor for Cadet Command, talked with Cadets about the differences between choosing active duty or the reserves, highlighting it is important to consider what is […]

Fort Knox, KY- Cadets of 5th Regiment, Basic Camp were deep into the woods Tuesday afternoon performing a squad level ambush against mock oppositional forces. With camouflage painted across their faces and their M4 weapons locked and loaded, these Cadets were more than prepared to accomplish the mission. Accompanied by a second lieutenant as a mentor, these Cadets waited patiently. Uneven terrain filled with heavy shrubs helped with concealment while they waited for the enemy to cross their into their area. “We have to be as silent as possible,” explained Cadet Henry Jackson III, Bowie University. “We have to get to […]

FORT KNOX, Ky – Going under the wire and over the wall, Cadets from 5th Regiment, Basic Camp learned the importance of motivation and swift action at the Beaudion Obstacle Course July 11, 2018. “Today, we did an obstacle course that was testing the agility and strength of individual Cadets,” explained Cadet Said Eljadidi, Bryant University. “…It was all about timing, strength, and seeing who could persevere the longest.” The course consisted of 14 different activities, including a rope climb, balance beams, a net climb, and monkey bars. “This helps with a number of different individual movement techniques: how to get across […]

FORT KNOX, Ky.—Cayenne pepper is a season of choice for many, but purposely breathing it in is not. CS gas feels as if ground cayenne pepper is in your airways, sinuses, eyes, and on your skin. Your mind can only focus on the pain flanking you from every angle. The NBC Chamber took center stage Monday during 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp’s CBRN contamination training. While this was a painful experience, it does not compare to exposure from a stronger substance. CBRN training covers chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear events. America’s enemies have no problem using these warfare tactics. In an effort […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Black silhouettes peeked out across the pop-up range. The challenge is not where they are going to appear, but when. 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets shot M-4s in the prone supported, prone unsupported, and kneeling positions, changing aim to keep the target in sight. Cadre use this exercise to familiarize Cadets with the pop-up mechanism and enhance their basic marksmanship skills. They will encounter the pop-up range often as Lieutenants. Between using blanks in Field Training Exercises and live-rounds on the pop-up range, Cadets have come as close as possible to understanding organized combat tactics thanks to these […]

FORT KNOX, Ky.—Instructors rattled out instructions in a well-rehearsed, free verse poem. Nervous ears listened carefully, hoping to gain only a fraction of the Cadre’s confidence. Eyes strained in the light, looking at the top of the 64-foot rappel tower. On June 28, 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets rappelled. A Cadre member leaned out and introduced himself. Then, he leaned into the “deep-seated L” position over the edge of the tower. Three bounds, and three 4-point checks later, his feet touched the ground. “Notice how they are extending their arm straight back, looking over their brake-hand shoulder,” the instructor said rhythmically. […]

“As the Cadets graduate Advanced Camp, their next big test for them will be their Basic Officer Leadership Course, and it is paramount that they have some experience,” said Master Sgt. Patrick Saltsman from San Diego State University about the importance of the range. Cadets from 5thRegiment, Advanced Camp battled high heat and humidity, showing their true officer potential, while taking on the Handiboe Zero and Alt-C qualification course at the range. Before coming to the range, the Cadets attended Preliminary Marksmanship Instruction to learn the fundamentals of shooting. Now, they are putting theory into action with an M4 carbine assault […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 5th Regiment, Basic Camp had the opportunity to do branch orientation on July 25, at Fort Knox, Ky., to help them decide which branch they would like to serve in once they become Army Officers. “Basic Camp gets a minor orientation, the Cadre from each tent just give them a brief overview of what they do and this is the reason why you might want to join our branch,” said 2nd Lieutenant Matthew Booker, Alumni to Canisius College, Buffalo, New York. “Once they get to Advanced Camp they do this again but they select the […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – By now, most Cadets from 5th Regiment, Basic Camp, know that Cadet Summer Training is no walk in the park. But how about a walk on rope ladder suspended almost 25 feet or higher in the air? With their bright red safety helmets strapped around their chins and harnesses secured tightly around their waists, Cadets from 5th Regiment faced their fears at the Forest Hills Confidence Course on July 26. “A lot of the Cadets that come out here have a fear of heights, which translates into a fear of falling,” said Sgt. 1st Class Barry Ray. […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Advanced Camp 6th Regiment along with Basic Camp 5th Regiment attended the ROTC Cadet Summer Leadership Training, July 24, Fort Knox, Kentucky. Commanding General of TRADOC David G. Perkins spoke to Cadets throughout the day by going to different training areas they were at. He then gave an inspiring speech at Olive Theater, Fort Knox, Kentucky; to the 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp and 5th Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets about how he obtained his four stars through leadership. “He explained how TRADOC worked and what his general function within our lines was,” said Cadet Cameron DeLaigle, Texas A&M, […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – It was a little past 11 o’clock at night when Cadet Mercedes Hayes of New Mexico Military Institute reminded herself that she was over halfway done. There were only 3.2 miles remaining. “I came up with a little mantra to tell myself – that I’m a strong person, everyone else is doing the same thing I am, and no matter what, it’s just about finishing,” she said as she sat to take a water break with the other Cadets of 5th Regiment, Basic Camp. “I feel like I want to sleep, honestly. But I feel that I […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Thirty-one days of rigorous, stress-inducing and physically demanding training has come to an end for the nearly five hundred Cadets from Fifth Regiment, Advanced Camp on July 15. Through the countless miles rucked, the sleepless nights in the field and the obstacles they’ve had to face these past few weeks, the Cadets of Fifth Regiment ended their time here at CST just as it had began: together. “Today everything came together,” said Cadet Andrew Vanderweele, The Pennsylvania State University. “There are lots of happy faces here.” Cadet Vanderweele was the recipient of the ApexTech Warrior Award, which […]

By: Madison Thompson FORT KNOX, Ky. – 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp, entered Hill Hall at Fort Knox, July 11, to attend branch round tables. This event was held for Cadets to explore the different branches in the Army in a more personal setting. Cadre with years of experience in each of the branch came and spoke to Cadets about available opportunities. “They’re going through the different branches prior to them making their choice on August 21 to see which branches they like, maybe don’t like, and some that may interest them or that they didn’t know about,” explained Capt. Shevez Freeman, […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Advanced Camp 5th Regiment rappelled into confidence, July 12, on the Rappel tower/ Confidence Course during their final days before they graduate from Advanced Camp at Fort Knox. Cadets learn how to rappel down a 64-foot tower. They make their own harness from rope, they then move onto the slanted wall and just get the movements down and to figure out which hand will be the break hand and which hand is the guide hand. The Cadets must go down two different sides; one side is with a wall that goes 64 foot straight up wall side […]