[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJJCu3PLbSE[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets of the Delta Co., 11th Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed their third and final day in the AO Wolverine FTX this morning, August 2. Wolverine is the “crawl” phase of three field-training exercises (FTXs) the Cadets are put through, Panther and Grizzly being the other two. Panther being the “walk” and Grizzly being the “run” phases, the two are more difficult, forcing the Cadets to rely more on their own independent leadership. The next two phases also start evaluations for the Cadets, so Wolverine gives them time to prepare. A Little Room to Grow From [...]

FORT KNOX, KY.— “Twelve miles is a distance that most people do not normally do every day so being able to accomplish something like that is pretty rewarding,” said Cadet Hayden Martinez, from Oregon State University. Cadets from 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp, had this satisfaction when they completed their 12-mile road march here early in the morning on Aug. 2. Cadets stepped off the start line from Tactical Assembly Area Densberger.  They spent yesterday at TAA Densberger following their final phase of the Field Training Exercises. Martinez said that the rucks [the pack they carried with their clothing and equipment] this [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUV-GzOa37c[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets of the 5th Regiment of Basic Camp were introduced to battle drills in preparation for their upcoming Field Training Exercise (FTX). Cadets started in a classroom setting, Cadre drawing battle drills on paper like plays on a whiteboard in a basketball game. They then moved out into the field, putting their newfound skills to the test; drill after drill after drill, the Cadets practiced flanking maneuvers and battle tactics. Cadre Strive to Help The Cadets are taught by a wide variety of people, enlisted and commissioned alike. “The lieutenants are super helpful,” Cadet Emily [...]

  FORT KNOX, Ky. — 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets attended Branch Orientation at Keyes Park July 30 during Cadet Summer Training. “We are at Branch Day. So, we are getting an opportunity to visit with representatives from each of the basic branches that we may choose or put on our lists after we commission,” said Cadet Karen Yurek, Queens University of Charlotte. Master Sgt. Christopher Parker, Senior Military Instructor at Florida International University, explained that Cadets have a certain number of branches they must visit. “They’ll have nine rotations in which two of the rotations they must visit the Reserve [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — Cadets from 11th Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed squad battle drill training today, to prepare for their Field Training Exercise (FTX) that begins tomorrow. Squad battle drills are the first time Cadets conduct platoon-level tactics together as one unit. It gives them the chance to iron out issues, develop their platoon identity and establish standard operating procedures (SOPs). Missouri State University Cadet Sierra Goslee, and her platoon, struggled during the training. “It was rough because it was our first time working all together as a platoon to actually do a platoon attack,” Goslee said. They have only been [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89gs6l6cV64[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. — On July 29, another regiment entered their final stage of the lengthy Field Training Exercises (FTX). 9th Regiment completed their first lane of AO Grizzly, which is the most challenging phase of the FTX due to the lack of Cadre assistance. However, this doesn’t mean the Cadre were just standing around. They were filling out Blue Cards, which is the Army’s way of evaluating Cadets. “Today we are watching key leadership, which is Platoon Leader (PL) and Platoon Sergeant (PSG),” 2nd Lt. Zane Knight, a Cadre member out of Campbell University, said. “Mainly, we are [...]

FORT KNOX, KY. – Obstacle Courses can bring out the best and worst in people. It definitely gives Basic Camp Cadets the opportunity to practice leadership and teamwork. Cadets from 5th Regiment, Basic Camp spent today going through the Dunagan Team Development Course at Fort Knox. “Today has been awesome,” Cadet Thais Rodriguez, from Puerto Rico, and attending the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, said. “We started a little bit rough, but it always starts rough and you get better.” As they maneuvered their way through the obstacles Cadets started noticing some struggles. “One of my biggest struggles so far [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Many Cadets join the military to carry on the family legacy. One such cadet is Ian House. House’s family history with the military goes back to the Revolutionary War and currently extends to his father and brother who are serving in the Navy. “My dad served for 21 years, my brother is serving right now and I’m here serving,” the Snohomish, Washington native said. For a majority House’s life, his father was a Naval Aviator, but for all of his life he has been a part of the military family. This wasn’t the only reason for his [...]

Fort Knox, Ky. – The only noises that could be heard this morning from the woods of AO Panther, were the chirping and humming of birds and bugs. And machine guns, as the raid began. Cadets from 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp spent the morning conducting a raid during the Panther portion of their Field Training Exercise (FTX). During the FTX Cadets have the opportunity to rotate through various leadership roles while being assessed by Cadre. Some of those roles included Platoon Leader (PL), Platoon Sergeant (PSG), Squad Leader, and Team Leader. Platoon Leader Cadet Aedon Hann, from the University of New [...]

  FORT KNOX, Ky. — 5th Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets learned how to group and zero their M-4 rifles at Morgan Riley Range July 26 during Cadet Summer Training. “We started with grouping and zeroing. Grouping is just get all of your shots to be together in a little group – hence grouping. Zeroing is just trying to get them as close to the center of the target as possible,” explained Cadet Gregory Cottrell, Virginia Commonwealth University. When explaining what group and zero was, Cadets created a few different similes. One Cadet found that group and zero could be explained in [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — 4th Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets progressed through training as they were introduced to Small Unit Tactics July 25 at Mill Creek Range during Cadet Summer Training. “We just went through the IMT lanes (Individual Movement Tactics) that’s basically you moving in the buddy system. The first buddy is supposed to yell out ‘Cover me while I move,’” explained Cadet Tanner Delphin, Northwestern State University. “They move and the other buddy is supposed to simulate cover fire and once that first buddy who moved is set, they’ll say ‘Set.’ Then the buddy who was laying down cover fire [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUxTzYEbCwE[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – After a long and tasking 37 days, Cadets of the 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp, graduated this morning, July 24. Advanced Camp puts MS3 (Military Science level 3) Cadets through over a month of trials and challenges that they are graded on. From the tactical to the instinctive, all skills are honed and then tested. Cadets are trained in Basic Rifle Marksmanship, physical fitness, land navigation, first aid and other events to build resiliency. Three Things  Lt. Gen. Stephen Fogarty, the commanding general of the U.S. Army Cyber Command and the guest speaker for this morning’s [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – The sun shining down, a light breeze blowing through, sounds of laughter and rejoicing filled the air. Tears streamed as Cadets of the 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp, were reunited with their families at long last. From Near and Far Family Day is a moment of love and appreciation for what you have; as cliché as that may sound, there is simply no other way to put it. To see the face of your loved ones right in front of you rather than on a screen, is a time where love can do nothing but thrive. From near [...]

  FORT KNOX, Ky. — 7th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets achieved one of the final must pass events July 23 during Cadet Summer Training – the 12-Mile Road March. “For CST, we have to complete several must pass events. Today was our final must pass event of CST and that was the 12-Mile Ruck March,” explained Cadet Jake Beretta, Slippery Rock University. “As a company, we marched all the way to the finish line from where we were placed out in Grizzly.” The road march was considered tactical for this event, which, according to Cadet Courtney Craig, University of Central Florida, [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – 11th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets spend a very humid morning, July 22, out at George Blair Range to qualify on the M-4 rifles as part of their Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky. To qualify on the M-4 rifle, Cadets must go through multiple days of training. They start out at group and zero where they learn to group their shots together both with and without a laser. They then move on to qualifying the weapon. Cadets shoot 40 rounds at different distanced pop-up targets. To make Marksman, they must hit the target at least 23 times [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — First Regiment, Basic Camp, Cadets graduated today, completing the final event of their 31 days of training. Cadets sent to Basic Camp learned about different Soldier and leadership skills they will need as future Army Officers. “Basic Camps purpose is to give people who are interested in the Army a start,” Cadet Celeste Doiron, from Monument, Colorado, and attending California Polytechnic State University, said. “It kind of gives them a taste of the Army and [helps them decide] if it is something they want to do in the future.” “Get Up There and Lead”  Some Cadets came [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets of the 8th Regiment Advanced Camp completed their final day in the Panther FTX site today, July 22, before moving onto Grizzly. Their morning began with a Movement to Contact drill, a mission in which Cadets maneuver through the FTX area in search of their enemy. Once the enemy is spotted, the fire begins. Mental Agility There’s a lot that goes into making an FTX mission successful; from keeping your squad’s spacing in tact to ensuring communication between the platoon is clear, there’s a lot that can be learned from these drills. Perhaps the most important [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets attended Branch Orientation, a time where the different branches of the Army hold informational briefs to showcase different career paths, July 21 during Cadet Summer Training. “They’re just giving us an overview of career paths that we can choose from along with guard and reserve options. Basically, we get to active, reserve, and guard officers about what they do and it helps us figure out what we want to do,” explained Cadet Austin Pfennig, Eastern Washington University. Cadets glean new information as they visit each branch’s tent and listen to the Cadre [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — Spirit and morale were high within 7th Regiment, Advanced Camp, Bravo Company, 4th Platoon yesterday, as they completed another Field Training Exercise mission and took another step toward graduating. Cadets performed a platoon-level deliberate attack on an enemy strong point. Penn State University Cadet Brian Hobbs, from Fairfax, Virginia, said his platoon’s mission went according to plan, with only a few hiccups. He claimed it could not have gone that smoothly without the platoon’s teamwork. “I had a lot of support from all of my peers so that made it all run a lot smoother,” Acting Platoon [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — 4th Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets studied and performed practical application of first aid and care under fire July 20 during Cadet Summer Training. “We’re learning how to do combat first aid, apply tourniquets, work with chest wounds, stopping bleeding, detecting burning, and any other first aid needs to get someone help before the medic could arrive,” stated Cadet Chad Crook, Western Oregon University. Cadets were presented with a hypothetical scenario where a Cadet and their battle buddy are on patrol and are suddenly under fire. Then the battle buddy is hit, explained Cadet Brooke Thompson, Westminster College [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUkESwRqd08[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. — Fifth Regiment Cadets took another step toward commissioning as Army Officers today as they graduated from Advanced Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Cadets spent the last 37 days completing Advanced Camp. Advanced Camp is the training they must complete in order to continue in their university’s ROTC program and eventually commission as an Officer. The training gave Cadets experience in everything from basic soldiering skills, like rappelling, to organizing and executing platoon operations during the 10-day Field Training Exercise (FTX). After 37 days, Cadets were eager to have finished and head back home. “I’m excited [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — 1st Regiment, Basic Camp held an inter-regimental Drill and Ceremony (D&C) competition July 19 during Cadet Summer Training. “We just completed a drill and ceremony competition, otherwise known as D&C,” said Cadet Maabendu Sirleaf, New Mexico Military Institute. “D&C is getting uniformity and helping us dress across each other because that’s really essential in the Army, that uniformity, and that’s what D&C teaches us.” The first part of the competition was between companies and held in the form of a knockout drill as Cadet Erin Wolfe, an attendant of New Mexico Military Institute, explained. Cadets were given [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHExjYDZooA[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Sixth Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets woke up before the sun had risen to conquer the 12-mile ruck march July 18. The 12-mile ruck march is the last must pass event they have to complete for Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky. Cadets ruck the 12-miles with 35 pounds in their ruck sack, along with their rifle, advanced combat helmet (ACHs) and Fighting Load Carrier (FLC). Before they are told to put all of the equipment together they were woken up at 1 a.m. to start their day. Cadets start at TA Densberger and walk [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc2b0hZyYQI[/embedyt]   FORT KNOX, Ky. – Today, July 17, Cadets from 4th Regiment, Basic Camp, learned map reading and other basic aspects of land navigation during Cadet Summer Training. 4th Regiment, Alpha Company, learned about terrain association and basic land navigation by diligently engaging their Cadre with questions concerning map reading and compass usage. The Cadets relied heavily on their instructors and trainers to teach them these important skills. MS3 Leader Trainer Gabriel Gonzalez, from The Citadel, volunteered to stay longer at Fort Knox after his training (at Advanced Camp) in order to develop Basic Camp Cadets. “I really wanted [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. — 11th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets persevered through the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Confidence Chamber July 16 during Cadet Summer Training. “We had our classes where we learned how to trust our gear and how to utilize it properly. Then, the proper steps if we were ever in the environments and need to use it,” explained Cadet Brandon Milburn, Norwich University. “After that, we did the practical application of it where we went inside the gas chamber and were exposed to the chemical substance.” During the introductory classes, Cadets were shown a demonstration of what the Chemical [...]