FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp fill the lanes of George Blair Range for weapons qualification July 12.  With 40 rounds, 40 targets and a minimum of 23 targets hit required to qualify their weapons, nerves are high for Advanced Camp Cadets as they prepare their weapons.  Cadets are required to complete several days of basic marksmanship training and weapon zeroing before they make it to weapons qualification. This training helps to familiarize the Cadets with their weapons, teaching them the correct way to clean them, carry them and handle them when firing.  Cadets not only are […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORNzk7P2YMw[/embedyt] Fort Knox, Ky. –Thousands of Cadets from different regiments pass through Fort Knox every summer, the last regiment of Advanced Camp arrived today. Eleventh Regiment of Advanced Camp is set to graduate at Brooks Field on August 18th. “I am a little nervous but [I am] getting through everything. We were all trained for this,” Cadet Lorenzo Robinson, from Northfield New Jersey, and a student at Norwich University, said. During their 37 days here at Cadet Summer Training, the Cadets are given the opportunity to learn new skills and put their leadership to the test. “I am excited about […]

[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 […]

Leadership excellence comes in many forms, and Army ROTC Cadets see that in their daily training. Cadets Taylor Clarkson, Shade Bullock and Patrick Scharf set out to Mongolia to learn and experience how leadership excellence materializes abroad. As part of the Cadet Coalition Warfighter Program (CCWP), formerly known as CULP, these Cadets rose to the occasion and made the most out of their stay in Mongolia. Preparation Before boarding the plane that would take them around the world, these Cadets needed to stay on top of their shots, get acquainted with the native language and train for the rise in elevation […]

Barrels pointed down-range, the Cadets shot in three separate positions at three different distances: kneeling, prone unsupported and prone supported at 50, 100 and 300 meters. Cadets of the 9th Regiment of Advanced Camp completed their last day of M-4 Carbine training before qualifying this morning, July 11. Feedback While they shot at the pop-up targets, a sensor was reading how their shots were moving and landing. This gave them what’s called “down-range feedback.” “They’re doing, essentially, a fixed-distance range,” Maj. Jason Martos, leading the 3rd Platoon of Alpha Co., said. “The computer will read where the rounds are impacting and […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyzKi2qYFsQ[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. — The sounds of coughs and cries filled the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) range while Second Regiment, Basic Camp, Cadets completed CBRN training on July 10 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. CBRN included eight different trainings on Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) levels, the Chemical Corps and the confidence chamber, which were meant to instill trust in their equipment. Cadets left with a new found confidence in not only their equipment, but their battle buddies as well. “In the [confidence] chamber specifically, when you are about to be let out, usually you can’t see, you’re […]

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 […]

Fort Knox, Ky. – The stars were out; the crickets were chirping and 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets were rucking. At 4 a.m. the Cadets were lined up and began the six-mile ruck march. “It is good to be out here with all of my buddies, I have made some really good friendships thus far and I love a really good (physical training) session,” Cadet Dylan Vansickell from Little Silver, New Jersey, and a student at Stevens Institute of Technology said. “A six-mile ruck to start the morning [makes for] a good day.” The Cadets used this time in a variety […]

[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. — 1st Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets focused on teamwork, leading, and listening to one another at the Team Development Course (TDC) July 7, 2019 during Cadet Summer Training. “We’re doing some team building events and obstacles. It’s basically not about strength, but thinking about how we can work together to get through these obstacles and how we can get everyone through it,” stated Cadet Asia Foster from the University of Kentucky. The obstacles, as Cadet Jacob Wakeley from the University of Kentucky explained, are puzzles where Cadets must get from one point to the next with all of […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ-siJgIQCc[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. — Second Regiment, Basic Camp, Cadets learned how to navigate terrain during Land Navigation training on July 7 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. “Here at the land navigation course, they learn how to get from point A to point B in the most effective manner, using only a map, protractor and compass,” Texas A&M University Military Science Instructor, Staff Sgt. Calvin Hickman, said. Cadets were paired into buddy teams to complete the training. “They are paired in twos so they learn to trust their partners,” Sgt. 1st Class Debra Weir, a land navigation grading tent instructor, said. […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1hLs8R3yoE[/embedyt] Cadets from 4th Regiment, Basic Camp, arrived in Fort Knox, Kentucky, yesterday, beginning their training to become Army Officers. Basic Camp provides first and second year Cadets with the basic soldiering skills they need for Advanced Camp and for their future careers in the Army. Coming into Day Zero of camp, Cadets were nervous. “I’m a little nervous because it is my first time really doing anything like this,” University of Mississippi Cadet Matthew Vandarwater, from Nashville, Tennessee, said. Vandarwater is in ROTC at the University of Mississippi but has never been in the field because he is not […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnNSzNH2G1w[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Basic Camp, 2nd Regiment Cadets went back to the basics of Field Craftsmanship to prepare them for the Field Training Exercise (FTX) later in the Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky., July 6. Field Craftsmanship helps prepare Cadets to be able to live in the FTX lanes for multiple days. Cadets learn the fundamentals of how to camouflage their gear and themselves. Along with how to set up camp to protect themselves from the elements around them. Alongside the camouflage and shelter, the Cadets learn how to pack their ruck in a way that has […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4lIBFXJ7TM[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. — A day after Fort Knox celebrated Independence Day with fireworks, 7th Regiment Advanced Camp Cadets practiced with a very different kind of explosive – hand grenades. Once Cadets at Christensen Hand Grenade Range learned how to handle hand grenades, they completed the Hand Grenade Qualifications Course. In order to simulate combat conditions, Cadets maneuvered their lane, rushing forward before low or high crawling to cover. They climbed up over walls, before throwing a grenade from different positions. Cadets had 7 grenades to engage 6 targets. Unlike live hand grenade training, Cadets use dummy grenades while […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrD-cflDsEA[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets of the 6th Regiment of Advanced Camp entered into their third day in the field this morning, July 6. Spending their days in classes, these Cadets are preparing for their next FTX (Field Training Exercise) site where they will be leading ambushes and attacks. Field Work “It’s going. It’s hot, but it’s going,” Cadet Alexis Molina, from Schererville, Indiana, and attending Purdue University, said. “So far we’ve taken a bunch of classes, just refreshers before actually heading into our big FTXs where we get evaluated.” Molina’s platoon went through their first field mission today, […]

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 […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuA0zCGhWKA[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Advanced Camp, 5th Regiment Cadets tracked through the woods as part of Field Training Exercise (FTX) during Cadet Summer Training, at Fort Knox, Ky., July 5. Cadets had to execute a move to contact exercise. A move to contact exercise has the Cadets dropped off in the woods where they must make their way to a certain point along the route on the map they have. The platoon leader along with the platoon sergeant and squad leaders huddle together to make a plan of action. Once the platoon leader has a strategy of how they […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets of the 2nd Regiment of Basic Camp completed the High Ropes Confidence Course at the Forest Hills Climbing Complex this morning, July 5. Climb On The Forest Hills Climbing Complex is comprised of three different courses: The Alpine Tower, the Rock Wall and Rudder’s High Ropes Course. Each obstacle comes with its own challenges. Some challenges may be easier to fight through than others, but the mental challenge of overcoming those obstacles can be the toughest that the Cadets encounter at this event. Sgt. Dylan Dalton, with the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment in Fort Carson, […]

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 […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1luPUcx_CSE[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. — Throwing live hand grenades is one of the most dangerous things Cadets can do, and so the Cadre make sure Cadets from 7th Regiment Advanced Camp are prepared before ever handling a live hand grenade. Cadets are brought to the Christensen Hand Grenade Range and begin to learn the safety procedures that are paramount to making sure that they stay safe. From the proper steps of arming to the action of throwing, Cadets go through this training upwards of 40-50 times, according to Capt. Jason Rivard. Rivard, a Cadre member from California State University at […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mczUHvjdUKU[/embedyt] Fort Knox, Ky. – Second Regiment Cadets are closing out their time at Advanced Camp as they graduate tomorrow. Today the Cadets were reunited with family and friends whom they haven’t seen for the duration of their time here at Fort Knox. Anxious and awaiting family members and friends filled Waybur Theater for a quick overview of Cadet Summer Training before being released to see their Cadets. While family and friends received an introduction to Advanced Camp and learned of all their accomplishments, Cadets practiced on Brooks Field for their upcoming graduation ceremony tomorrow. Right before noon the doors […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHX-m5qRWdE[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, KY. – “At the end of the day when your computers are not working or you are not getting any signal, you are going to have to navigate by yourself with your map,” said Cadet Joseph Lippoli, University of Kansas. “So it is important that all future platoon leaders have this ability so they will be able to move their [soldiers]. During the Night Land Navigation test, Cadets from the 8th Regiment Advanced Camp learned how to navigate terrain without a GPS. Although they only needed one point to pass, Cadets had two hours to locate two […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets finished the Confidence Course during Cadet Summer Training on July 2, placing them one step closer to graduation. “The confidence course is a set of obstacles you have to maneuver yourself through,” said Cadet Sarah Toomey from Marquette University. “It tests your ability to trust yourself and also to trust the people around you, because they’re all safeties there to catch you. It’s a lot of stuff with heights and climbing, things I am scared of, so it definitely puts yourself to the test.” There are many obstacles throughout the course that […]

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. […]