FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadet Summer Training 2018 came to a close today as the Cadets of 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp graduated in front of family and friends. The ceremony took place in Natcher Gym, which allowed for booming echoes as the Cadets sounded off and sang proudly. The atmosphere created was the perfect way to cap off this year’s summer of training. Maj. Gen. John R. Evans, Jr. took the microphone for the last time this summer to address the Cadets and guests. He spoke of the right of passage all these Cadets had just made it through, and the long […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets wander from tent to tent in Keyes Park hunting for the perfect branch, as graduation and commissioning ceremonies are in the next few days. 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets spend a cloudy and rainy morning exploring job opportunities, equipment, and military vehicles related to their top branch choices. For some, like Cadet Jacob Van Dyke, Virginia Military Institute, this is a time to learn about branches they have not considered before. “I haven’t really considered the armor branch,” Cadet Van Dyke said. “Just now I had a brief orientation to it, and it seems like something I’d […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets of 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp spent the morning at Keyes Park, exploring all the different branches that the Army has to offer. The point of the Army’s take on a job fair, is to educate and enlighten the young Cadets so they can feel as confident as possible when creating their list of branches in the coming days. Just as this morning’s rain promised growth and new beginnings, so did Keyes Park for the Cadets of 9th Regiment. With over a dozen different branches to choose from, creating that dream list can often be challenging and scary. It’s […]

By Capt. Nicholas B. Carbaugh, Eastern Washington University Cheney, Wash – Cadet Kyle Stanton, a senior at Eastern Washington University (EWU), returned home on July 26th after successfully completing the US Army Air Assault School in Fort Hood, Texas. In addition to the air assault qualification Cadet Stanton received the Army Achievement Medal for placing first out of 62 Soldiers in the twelve-mile road march. Air Assault School is a 10-day course designed to prepare Soldiers for insertion, evacuation, and pathfinder missions that call for the use of multipurpose transportation and assault helicopters. Air Assault training focuses on the mastery of […]

Fort Knox, Ky.- Finished with their training at Advanced Camp, Cadets were eager to link up with family and friends they have not seen in over a month.  8th Regiment Cadets couldn’t help but to start contacting their family members through text messages to figure out what was on the agenda for the day. Grace Sullivan, Bucknell University stood in the very front of her platoon, swaying back and forth from the anxiety of being able to be with her parents. ” I haven’t really talked much to my parents since they took our phone away in the field, so both my […]

Fort Knox, Ky.– As Cadets from 8th Regiment, Basic Camp filed into Smith Gym to take Platoon pictures, many of them opted for a cause that is rewarding in itself. The Armed Service Blood Program [ASBP] is an internal organization with the Department of Defense that takes blood donations and distributes it to those in need within the Armed Forces community. While seats were filled with many Cadets volunteering to have their blood drawn, there was a special guest that caught their attention. Major General John Evans Jr., Commanding General, U.S. Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox decided to share a […]

FORT KNOX, Ky – Cadet Summer Training is a pinnacle moment in a Cadet’s life as they take a step towards a career with the Army and face new expectations. With emotions high and the pressure on, it is a critical time when religion has a chance to take hold. For 4th Regiment, Basic Camp Cadet Eric Quirk, from New Mexico Military Institute, his life was transformed by attending chapel services and reading his scriptures at night, allowing him to explore and develop a deep seated connection to a faith in Jesus Christ. The religious journey he began at camp encouraged […]

Fort Knox, Ky. – Cadets from 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp role-played as the Opposing Forces, also known as OPFOR, during Field Training Exercises, FTX, Aug. 5 at Area of Operation Panther. The OPFOR Cadets were conducting a defense mission against American forces that are trying to take the mortar tubes they have at the OPFOR patrol base. This helps the Cadets who are the American forces learn how to properly carry out and complete an objective and mission. Also, it teaches the OPFOR cadets proper defense techniques when they are in the offensive side. Prior enlisted Cadet Mike Powell, from University of […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — Delta Company, bound forward! Cadets from 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp navigated their way through FTX this morning August 6, 2018. In order to have a successful Field Training Exercise, Cadets must communicate well with each other and correctly prepare for their mission. Whether the mission is an assault, a retreat or a defense. Cadets from Delta Company faced the Opposing Forces while planning an attack on the objective, Olympia. What was originally planned as a deliberate attack, but due to making contact during the leader’s recon, it turned into a hasty attack. Cadet Matt Wilder, The Citadel, was […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — We ruck through life trying to figure out the lessons along the way, hoping we are becoming a better version of ourselves. Cadets from 9thRegiment, Advanced Camp reflect on why they’re at Cadet Summer Training and what they’ve learned during Field Exercise Training. Today, the Cadets originally planned to conduct a hasty attack. Cadets set up a defensive position and switch over to an offensive position. However, things change. “We did get ambushed,” Cadet Lauren Martinez, University of Kentucky, said. “So…that changes the plan, right? We have to think on our feet.” Field Training Exercises throw curveballs […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Out of all the experiences Cadets have gone through while at Basic Camp, there is always one experience that a Cadet can’t wait to tell their family and friends about when they get the chance. Saturday morning, Cadets from 7thRegiment, Basic Camp got that chance, as they were greeted by the familiar faces of family and friends outside of Waybur Theater for Family Day. For Cadet John Hupka, John Carroll University, the gas chamber portion of his Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) training was the first story he would tell his family. “Just going through it [and] […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 7th Regiment, Basic Camp participated in a Drill & Ceremony competition on August 2. D&C consists of the proper way to move and hold oneself while in formation. The competition is a new addition to Cadet Summer Training this year. Cadet Jamie Bridenstine, who completed Advanced Camp this summer, is working as a Military Science III trainer at Basic Camp. Bridenstine, a student at the University of Wyoming, stated that D&C builds discipline and helps people work as a team. She went through Basic Camp in 2016. “We focused on D&C but it wasn’t to […]

Fort Knox, Ky. — 7th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets graduate from Cadet Summer Training at Brooks Field August 4, 2018. When the band plays the National Anthem, every military member stands and salutes; while others not in the uniform stand up and face the American Flag. The graduation ceremony starts with the formation of troops. Cadets are organized and lined up in coordination with their fellow teammate in the middle of the field, then demonstrate precision movements and marching skills to their family and friends. The ceremony marks the culmination of 31 days of rigorous and intensive training, signifying the completion […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — The 8th Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets woke up early to process a 6-mile Ruck March, August 3, 2018, during Cadet Summer Training on Fort Knox. Describing Ruck March is difficult for people who have never moved with a 50-pound backpack for many miles. We can explain it as simply walking with all of the military gear, loaded for bear, over uphills and downhills for a long time. Ruck March is part of the Cadets summer training; which is an excellent opportunity to go back over some of those skills necessary for a soldier and build Cadets up to […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 8th Regiment, Advanced Camp ambushed Opposing Forces, also known as OPFOR, during Field Training Exercises on August 1, at Area of Operation Grizzly. When the Cadets woke up that morning, described Cadet Olan Field, they knew that they were going to be conducting an ambush but weren’t exactly sure where. “We had to … go and find out information and then utilize that information that we received into our next mission,” stated Field. Platoon Sergeant Cadet Perry Patton, a student at Harding University, explained that a leader’s reconnaissance element met up with a defector who […]

By: Madison Thompson FORT KNOX, Ky. – 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets executed Situational Training Exercises, STXs, August 2 during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky. “Today is the last day of our STX, Situational Training Exercise. Basically, we are in the crawl phase of what we’re going to do. These are all Cadre run. We’re going through the motions and letting them show us how they want the lane set up and how to properly execute the things that we’re trying to do,” explained Cadet Logan Karsteter, Purdue University, (hometown) Milan, Indiana. Each iteration, or repetition, of the exercise […]

Advanced Camp Cadets endure mud for mission FORT KNOX, Ky.– On a rainy, late July morning, Cadets from 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp slide through mud to conduct a platoon attack. During the first day of their field training exercise, the clouds left no mercy on Cadets preparing for their mission. Weighed down by rucks and wet uniforms, Cadets from Alpha Company trudge through the Kentucky woods in an area of operations known as Panther. This sector of the woods gives Cadets their first taste of field training exercises that are not led by Cadre. “We moved tactically to an ORP [objective rally […]

Ft. Knox, Ky. – Every summer, Cadets from all over the nation join together to defeat mock enemy forces at Fort Knox. Cadets are assigned to destroy peers that are dressed in a black button down and phased out uniforms. The question is, who exactly are these enemy forces? As Cadets from 3rd Platoon, Charlie Company, 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp were practicing how to conduct a raid during a situational exercise, the opposing forces were patiently waiting. OPFOR, which consisted of rising MS3 juniors explained why participating as the bad guys has been a very rewarding experience. “I volunteered for OPFOR, […]

Ft. Knox, KY– Deep within the vegetation of Atropia, there’s an enemy force that is described as far worse than any other Cadet force known within the Cadet Summer Training program. These enemy forces study their victims every morning and make it their mission to attack at night. These bandits, that wear a natural black mask and fitted gloves seem to be an issue for even the Cadets that play the role of the bad guys.”For the amount of trash they leave and the havoc they have caused, we have never had eyes on these raccoons. Opposing force member Patrick Ewing, […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – With only three days left until graduation, Cadets from 7th Regiment, Advanced Camp must begin asking themselves, “What’s next?” Lucky for them, Branch Orientation provides some answers. During Branch Orientation, Cadets rotate through various tents filled with information on each branch available to them. For some Cadets, selecting a branch is a walk in the park, but for others, selecting a branch will be the hardest decision they ever make. Cadet Anna Farmer from the University of Oregon has a decision to make. As of now, she has narrowed down her selections to Field Artillery, Military Intelligence and […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 8th Regiment, Advanced Camp conducted a raid on July 30, during the third and final phase of Field Training Exercises: the Grizzly phase. During the Grizzly phase, also known as the run phase, the Cadets conduct the missions themselves as opposed to being guided through them by Cadre like in the Wolverine (crawl) and Panther (walk) phases. Cadet Marc Venditti, University of South Florida, the platoon leader for yesterday’s mission, explained that he utilizes the chain of command to communicate with his platoon. He gives information to his squad leaders, who pass it on to their […]

FORT KNOX, Ky – Cadets from 7th Regiment, Advanced Camp woke up in the early morning hours of July 30th, 2018 to step off for the 12-mile ruck march, the last critical event before graduation. “I’m about to knock out this 12-mile ruck march with 35 pounds on my back,” Cadet Jhory Miller, Norfolk State University, declared. For this ruck march, the Cadets carry a minimum of 35 pound of gear from the field. This prepares them for future combat situation where they will be carrying larger rucks for long periods of time. “Sometimes in warfare we have to live out […]

Fort Knox, KY–  Within a platoon, one can find different personalities, a multitude of talents and even parents. Cadets of 3rd Platoon, Delta Company, 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp were able to immediately identify a Cadet that is definitely a triple threat among them. Cadet Anthony Jett, Missouri University of Science and Technology, hidden towards the back of platoon, easily stood out because of all the praises his battle buddies were saying about his character. “I wanted to go the Officer route just to feel like I had more of an influence,” Jett said. Jett, a former Sergeant in both the Regular […]

FORT KNOX, Ky – Before moving on to their first field training exercise, Cadets from 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp ran through their final Cadre assisted situational training exercise on July 29, 2018. The Cadets’ assignment was to execute a raid, infiltrating a group of oppositional forces holding a position deep within the forests of Training Area 12. “It was initially a recon,” Cadet Joshua Westerhaus, Coastal Carolina University, stated. “Then we got a frago (a redirected order), once we got here, that we were going to do a raid…So, we went back to the ORP (Objective Rally Point), the platoon leader […]

Ft. Knox, KY- Smiles spread in waves as the Cadets of 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp marched their way to Waybur Theater to greet their families and friends. With their heads held high, and the happy dance seen throughout the formation, Cadets started to straighten out their uniforms and check their phones to see the time tick down to noon, the time that family members would be released to see them. Just seconds before noon, Cadets were put into attention, sounded off with an almighty  ‘Train to lead’, and were immersed into the waves of family members looking for their Cadets. With […]