“The grenades are definitely a lot heavier than a softball or baseball, so you have to put a little bit more muscle into it, but it definitely helps with the mechanics,” Cadet Brianna Gowans from Texas A&M University, Central Texas said.  11th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets learned how to properly throw hand grenades during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky. Each Cadet had the opportunity to throw a total of six grenades, the first two being dummies followed by four simulated hand grenades. Before joining the army, Gowans played softball for most of her life.  “All throughout elementary school and [...]

Just one week after their arrival at Fort Knox, KY, the Cadets of 4th Regiment, Advanced Camp marched to their hand grenade training on the sunny morning of June 14, 2021. Despite having been strangers when they got here, these Cadets had been spending almost every minute of every day together for the past week, and it showed in their behavior. No Cadet seemed out of place, and they used every minute of down time to make conversation. “Delta company, fourth platoon feels like family already,” said Cadet Liberty Henson from the University of Central Florida. “At first it was kind of [...]

Packing their bags and moving to Fort Knox alone, Cadets almost have no choice but to become good friends with one another before Cadet Summer Training Advanced Camp ends. After all, they do everything and spend nearly every minute together during camp at Fort Knox, Ky.  During a hand grenades exercise and test on June 9, 2021, the closeness between the Cadets in 3rd Regiment, Charlie Company, was obvious.  When Cadets were lined up in the testing lanes to throw the practice hand grenades, there were cheers coming from behind them by others in the platoon who were watching and waiting [...]

[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=Knk13datG2o[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. — Cadets from 4th Regiment took their personal fears and tossed them away to an explosive end at a new event on the Cadet Summer Training (CST) schedule. While throwing dummy and an assortment of different tactical grenades is not something new to CST at Fort Knox, throwing live frag grenades is. Just like with Buddy Team Live Fire, Cadre go out of their way to make sure that the Cadets are safe throughout it all. Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Van Houten, of the 1-41 4thID, was the Range Safety Officer, making made sure the Cadets knew exactly [...]

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 [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Throughout Cadet Summer Training, there are many events that Cadets are fearful of or struggle to complete.  It may be getting lost during land navigation, rappelling off a 64-foot tower, or shooting a rifle, but for many, this fear comes out at the live hand grenade range. That fear surfaced for 2nd Advanced Camp Regiment Cadets this morning at Christensen Range.  Each Cadet has their own way of facing their fears.  Cadets David Hall and Kenneth Walker handle their fears by focusing on their families and the sacrifices made to get them where they are today. The [...]