­FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 3rd Regiment, Advanced Camp, conducted a simulated raid mission as a part of their situational training exercise, known as STX, during Cadet Summer Training, at Fort Knox, Ky., June 28, 2023. At the STX, Cadets worked together as a platoon to practice various combat tactics with simulated field missions. These combat tactics included conducting a mock raid, attack, ambush, reaction to contact, and defensive positions. Cadet Nathan Taake from Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University explained the purpose of the STX lanes. “STX is to keep us trained in the fundamentals of Army tactics and leadership,” [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. –  On June 23, 2023., Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, engage in situational training exercises (STX) starting off at the Wolverine phase as part of Cadet Summer Training. They will move though three phases, Wolverine, Panther, and Grizzly. The STX are meant to put the Cadets in a fast-paced environment where they plan and communicate as a team to successfully complete the mission at hand. Cadets camp out in the woods for three days. STX prepares the Cadets for a bigger event called the field training exercise (FTX). Cadet Zoe Routh, University of Oklahoma, is following the [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky.- 1st Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets completed a simulated raid mission as part of their platoon tactics training during their situational training exercises, Fort Knox, Ky., June 18, 2023.  Cadet Faith Miller, from University of Texas at Austin, acted as one of the squad leaders during the training exercises.  “We are out here running platoon lanes,” Miller said. “We’re getting ready to go into Panther and Grizzly phase. So walking through them, making sure everybody’s comfortable in the platoon and working as a team and all that good stuff.” These training exercises in the field are one of the [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – The Cadets from 1st Regiment, Advanced Camp, worked on practical skills during the squad tactical exercise in Fort Knox, Ky., June 17, 2023. The squad tactical exercise, also called STX, is where Cadets are challenged in the field to work together as a squad to practice tactics, firing and maneuvering by teams and reacting to unexpected situations. Cadet Ryan Struss, University of Illinois, enlisted in 2018 as a human intelligence collector and linguist for the Army. “I chose that at the time because it gave me an opportunity to do what I really wanted to do,” Struss [...]

10th Regiment, Advanced Camp ROTC Cadets conducted movement to contact in their situational training exercise (STX) lane. Each Cadet was required to wear a vest equipped with a Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System, commonly referred to as MILES gear.  Upon being fired, the M4 carbine released a laser which was recognized by the sensors located on the vests of the Opposing Forces (OPFOR) if contact was made.  “But if the OPFOR shoots them, then they know that they need to work on like cover and concealment,” 2nd Lt. Jackson Graham from Auburn University said. “They need to be better at covering [...]

From fleet to field, Sergio Almeida, 4th Regiment, Advanced Camp, made the shift from enlisted Navy Sailor to Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Cadet.  “I chose to enlist the first time around for a sense of that typical, wanting to find yourself, wanting independence, wanting to be my own person,” said Almeida.  After being the first member of his family to join the military, Almeida trained for a year in San Diego before being stationed in Norfolk, Virginia on the USS Truxton in 2012.  “I got to really learn what the military was,” he said.  During his six years in [...]

A big talking point at Cadet Summer Training is how to communicate with one another. There is no such thing as a single-person squad, and Cadets going through the program must learn how to effectively communicate with each other, or else risk failure in the field. The situational training exercise (STX) the Cadets go through at Fort Knox aim to test just that, with freshly formed squads being required to scout or capture objectives within a time frame. Cadet Jordan McIntyre from Michigan State University was part of a squad participating in the drills that day. “Our first one that we’ve [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqwSxGOyQsw[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets of the 11th Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed their first ambush this morning, July 31, in the AO Wolverine FTX. AO Wolverine presents Cadets with the “crawl” portion of their time in the field; Panther will be their “walk” stage, Grizzly, their “run.” Each stage gives Cadets different benefits, honing skills they previously had and gaining new skills in the process. The crawl portion grants Cadets the most help from their Cadre. Crawling is a Necessity “Today, we’re doing the crawl phase of the crawl, walk, run method of teaching,” Cadet Anthony Burgess, a Richmond, [...]

[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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp began Situational Training Exercises on July 27, entering the crawl phase of Field Training Exercises. This phase of training is heavily guided by Cadre and serves as instruction for Cadets. Cadet Karli Ring, a student at George Washington University, called what the Cadets were being taught the “doctrine, know-how” way to carry out the mission set before them. As a small group of Cadets set off for a leader’s reconnaissance patrol, Ring explained, the Cadre had the rest of the Cadets follow and observe rather than post security, as would normally [...]

Fort Knox, Ky. – Cadets with 1st Regiment, Basic Camp conducted squad level situational training exercise lanes on June 27th, at Area of Operation Badger. They are conducting these STX lanes during their field training exercise. For the FTX, the Cadets spend five days in the woods while conducting practical classes, moving tactically, and living in patrol bases. They set up a patrol base by securing an area so that they can maintain their weapons, eat, and prepare for their missions. They maintain a level of security at all times and attempt to mitigate their signature while living in the field. In [...]