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 […]

Seven-hundred Cadets. Each from their own school. Their own hometown. Their own story.  These seven-hundred Cadets make up 7th Regiment Advanced Camp, who began Cadet Summer Training (CST) yesterday at Fort Knox. “It’s an amazing opportunity. After I joined, I think I became a better man.  Discipline, order, cleanliness, patience and just being comfortable with being uncomfortable are all traits I acquired,” said Gilyard, who completed Basic Camp at Fort Knox last year. Something Gilyard struggled with at Basic Camp was completing land navigation and climbing the rope on the confidence course.  Like most Cadets, the fear of not passing an […]

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. – It was a nice windy day for the 3rd Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets as they conducted their Situational Training Exercise by rehearsing Platoon Operations today. Platoon Operations are the different combat patrols that Cadetsundertake during their upcoming Field Training Exercise.  They will spend the next 12 days living and operating in the Ft. Knox training area, the culminating event of Cadet Summer Training. The training is not new as the Cadets practice these patrols and maneuvers on their campus during their labs and FTXs. “We get a lot of the Situation Operations Procedures [SOPs] out of the Ranger […]

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 […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKpqAJ7qPEA[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from the Alpha Co., 4th Regiment were hand-grenade trained today, June 18, each of them booming with excitement. An Add On Handling and throwing live grenades is an entirely new addition to Advanced Camp. “It’s part of a series of events that are being brought in an attempt to replicate aspects from Basic Training,” Capt. Daniel Snow, assistant professor of military science for Kansas State University, said. The Commanding Gen. of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) has decided that all soldiers, enlisted and commissioned alike, should train in the same tasks, […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLZIqxixX9Q[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. — Three words dictate Army training: crawl, walk and run, three words that became very important to the Cadets of 3rd Regiment today at first aid training. Staff Sgt. Christopher Jackson, of the 3-414th Training Battalion, noted on one of the injuries the Cadets may be faced with in the field is a hemorrhaging femoral artery, a major vessel that carries blood through the thigh. Should this happen the casualty has approximately 60 seconds to live. Cadets are given several demonstrations and chances to see how to deal with this kind of injury so that in […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from Advanced Camp, 3rd Regiment, worked as a team to complete the confidence course obstacles, June 17, to build certainty in themselves. The course consisted of nine obstacles the Cadets must overcome. The Tough One, the Incline Wall, Low Belly Over, the Confidence Ladder, Six Vault, Swing-Stop-and-Jump, Low Wire, High Stop Over and the Weaver. Between the Tough One and the Weaver, Cadets have the hardest time overcoming these obstacles. During today’s session, the Tough One was out of service due to weather. The Weaver still held up its reputation and challenged the Cadets physically. A University […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAwCJqdPRBc[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. — While the rain may have added more challenge for 4th Regiment Cadets at this morning’s Weapons Qualification, they embraced it with open arms. 2nd Lt. Samuel Tease was one of the Fort Knox Cadre overseeing the event and he noted that while Weapon’s Qualification isn’t new, having the training at the pop-up is. “We did it last year, but it was a non-qualifying event,” Tease said. “I think they realized the pop-ups gave more dynamic training than stationary targets. So, by having a way for Cadets train at varying distances with a more realistic situation. […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFaMumaMrIE[/embedyt] Fort Knox, Ky. – There is a saying in the Army that practice makes permanent, but practice also makes a leader. During the Situational Training Exercise (STX) 2nd Regiment Cadets learned and practiced attack and defense procedures to prepare them for evaluation. The goal of the lane is for Cadets to learn and become proficient in the skills and procedures of attacking and defending key terrain. Capt. Ian McBride, the Officer in Charge for the Wolverine Attack Lane, said that more important than learning basic fighting skills is the leadership qualities this training event allows Cadets to show and […]

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. — The humidity was beating down on the Cadets from 3rd Regiment, Advanced Camp on the last day they did buddy team live-fire during Cadet Summer Training. Today, Cadets navigated through the buddy team live-fire lane working on their communication skills and “using individual movement techniques or IMTs to maneuver down to our objective,” said Cadet Carolyn Williams, Missouri Western State University. The 100-meter lane requires the Cadets to move forward seeking cover from wooden barriers and logs. While one moves the other provides covering fire.  Last week’s rain created mud pits, often where a Cadet finished his three-five second […]

Rain. Lightening.  A broken LOMAH system. None of these events stopped Cadets from the 4th Regiment, Advanced Camp from fine tuning their marksmanship skills this morning.  Cadets were scheduled to practice these skills before their weapons qualification tomorrow. The Rain.  Cadets arrived at George Blair Range as a thunderstorm hovered over them.  Although the rain was uncomfortable, causing some puddles and heavy ponchos, training was scheduled to begin on time; that is until a lightning bolt struck a tree near the Cadets. The Lightening. “We were lined up for chow and then there was a big lightning strike and we took […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 3rd Regiment, Advanced Camp partnered up today for a dry run of the buddy team live-fire range during Cadet Summer Training. Cadets navigated the course today using blank ammunition, working on their communication and movement techniques.  Tomorrow they’ll negotiate the same 100-meter lanes firing live rounds.  Throughout their run down the lane the Cadets engage targets while moving to cover provided by wooden walls and logs. Cadet Brian Driscoll from Wilks University explained how they run through the lanes in buddy pairs; they run individually while your partner covers you. They low crawled and high crawled […]

FORT KNOX, Ky – Before 2nd Regiment Advanced Camp tackles its rigorous Field Training Exercise (FTX), platoons worked together today going over their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). An SOP is a plan Cadets will use in the FTX while conducting missions. With an SOP in place, everyone is on the same plan and it will be easier for the platoon to defend its territory against the enemy Second Regiment’s Cadre allowed platoon leaders to take charge of their Cadets develop plans and review combat tactics. Delta Company’s 1st platoon leader, Cadet Dylan Lanting, from University of North Georgia, took advantage of […]

“The range is hot,” yelled different Cadre as the Cadets began firing their rifles.  Last week, 4th Regiment completed Preliminary Marksmanship Instruction (PMI) training where they familiarized themselves with their M4 Carbines.  Today, they gathered at Canby Hill Range to zero their rifles. For some Cadets, zeroing their weapon is an unfamiliar skill they have yet to practice, but many Cadets from the 4th Regiment have had a wide-range of experience with rifles.  Today allowed each Cadet to make adjustments to zero their weapon, based on the shots they fired at a target. Cadet Sinai Erazo arrived at Fort Knox around […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91OsmDLJ4tY[/embedyt]   FORT KNOX, Ky. — Fort Knox’s training ground for Land Navigation is wet, heavily forested and teeming with wildlife, but it’s also where the Cadets of 4th Regiment prove they have what it takes to find points in the wild without the help of technology. Sgt. Jonathan Shyrock, of the 3-61 Cav 4th ID, is the non-commissioned officer (NCO) officer in charge (OIC) at the communications station for the area, and has been enlisted in the Army for eight years. So he has seen his fair share of courses. He noted that the course may not be hard […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnqIf5IOxvg[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Advanced Camp, 3rd Regiment Cadets aimed to pass their weapons qualification, June 14, at George Blair Range. Weapons Qualification is a must pass event for Cadet Summer Training. Basic Rifle Marksmanship training is a four-day process, starting with preliminary marksmanship instruction and culminating with weapon qualification. Over the course of the four-days Cadets built their confidence and skill with their assigned M4 Carbine. “The four-day progression model that we have starts very basic, PMI teaches them how to take it [the rifle] apart and how to handle it,” said Master Sgt. Don Oakes who is an […]

Texas State! Hampton! V.M.I. ! One by one Cadets lined up and shouted their University name before completing the hand grenade qualification course at Christensen Range.  After 3rd Regiment threw their two live grenades, they returned to the practice grenades to execute a simulation on a course with six different stations. For most of these Cadets, today was the first time they handled grenades. This is true for Tazman Briganti.  The Cadet from Virginia Military Institute has never thrown a grenade before this training.  His brother, father, two uncles, and grandfather all have military careers in the Navy, but Briganti is […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuUvbaZKYzQ[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. — With Buddy Team Live Fire finished, the Cadets of 2nd Regiment, Charlie and Delta Company, prepare for their final task of Cadet Summer Training (CST), the FTX. Buddy Team Live Fire tasked each Cadet to trust their battle buddies as they moved down a lane towards a goal. And with it now completed they get a chance to reflect on all their training and time here at CST before they leave the comfort of their barracks and head to the woods for FTX. Kyle Delaney, an Elon University Cadet, is one of the many Cadets […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2kPPSQI1po[/embedyt] Fort Knox, Ky. – It was a long climb up the stairs for the 4th Regiment Advanced Camp Cadets this morning. From the ground to the top of the 60-foot rappel tower it’s 80 steps. Depending on one’s anxiety level it was either a quick walk up or a slow shuffle. Cadet Jacob Drobney, from Atlanta, Georgia, who attends the University of North Georgia, said the signs with Army values motivated his climb. “As you are walking the stairs up you can see the leadership qualities like loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage,” Drobney said. […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — Cadets from 2nd Regiment Charlie and Delta Company took part in training that was brand new to the Cadet Summer Training (CST) here at Fort Knox. While Buddy Team Live Fire is a new addition to CST, it is a basic tenant to be a Soldier and officer in the Army. Two Cadets, or Battle Buddies, take turns moving down a lane and firing at pop up targets before tossing a dummy grenade at an objective. The training is broken up into two different phases: blank firing and live ammunition. Today was the blank firing phase. The […]