FORT KNOX, Ky. – Advanced Camp, 5th Regiment Cadets enhanced their M-4 Rifle skills at Group and Zero on Canby Hill Range today. Group and Zero is just one day in the four-day process of basic rifle marksmanship training.  It falls after primary marksmanship instruction and is the first of three days with live ammunition. Cadets make adjustments to the weapon based on the location of hits on a paper target 25-meters away. “Grouping is allowing a tight niche of bullets that go through the same directional path and not having too much deviation from your original target,” said Cadet Wynnjones Mbwambo, [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from Advanced Camp, 3rd Regiment, worked as a team to complete the confidence course obstacles, June 17, to build certainty in themselves. The course consisted of nine obstacles the Cadets must overcome. The Tough One, the Incline Wall, Low Belly Over, the Confidence Ladder, Six Vault, Swing-Stop-and-Jump, Low Wire, High Stop Over and the Weaver. Between the Tough One and the Weaver, Cadets have the hardest time overcoming these obstacles. During today’s session, the Tough One was out of service due to weather. The Weaver still held up its reputation and challenged the Cadets physically. A University [...]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOXsyDM9aOs[/embedyt] FORT KNOX, Ky. – Through the rain and muddy terrain, Cadets from Advanced Camp, 1st Regiment swam their way through the buddy team live fire range this morning during Cadet Summer Training. Buddy team live fire training is a two-day event; the first day is a dry run through with their battle buddy. The second day is when they shoot real rounds. The overall goal of this training is for the Cadets to be able to work with their battle buddy and communicate with them while in a stressful environment. “The focus is to have full control of your movements [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from the 2nd Regiment Advanced Camp overcame their insecurities and became more self-assured at the Rappel Tower and Confidence Course today.  In order to complete their training at Fort Knox, Cadets must complete these two events. While Company C began learning how to tie a Swiss seat harness for the Rappel Tower, Company D began its day at the Confidence Course.  Through each of the nine obstacles on the Confidence Course, Cadets tested not only their mental endurance, but also used their upper-body and core strength. Some obstacles included The Weaver, where one has to maneuver [...]

Fort Knox, Ky.— Tear gas released in the gas chamber of CBRN triggered various reactions in 2nd Regiment Advanced Camp Cadets today. Cadets spent the morning at the CBRN range completing the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training. The nervous Cadets started the training with a demonstration and then were split into platoons to go through instruction on safety equipment and procedures. Lt. Col. Laura Skinner is the Commissioned Officer in Charge of the CBRN training range. “From the 1st regiment through the 11th regiment we will be here running the CBRN range so that everybody can understand what skills and [...]

Fort Knox, Ky. – Early Tuesday morning on May 21, Cadre from different college’s ROTC programs gathered to evaluate other Cadre members as they completed a Threshold to Failure mission. They also learned how to increase or decrease stress for Cadets in these situations. The assigned squad leader was expected to lead the team through the different obstacles with an end goal of retrieving and returning an injured Soldier. Cadre were there to observe this mission and evaluate the leadership skills of the squad leader. Capt. Darren Ekey from the University of Tennessee at Martin explains, “Today’s mission is what we [...]

Fort Knox, Ky. – Cadets may have taken the stairs up the 60- foot tower, but that is not how they came down. 1st Regiment Cadets going through Advanced Camp went down a series of rappels today. At 7 a.m. Cadets arrived to the rappel tower site and were given their safety brief. After the briefing they were instructed on how to construct the swiss seat harness out of rope. Once the harnesses were secured and inspected, Cadets hit the tower. Cadets went through three different rappels. The first rappel was down a small slanted wall in which they were given [...]

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. – 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 – 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 – 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. – Another obstacle out of the way! Cadets from 8thRegiment, Basic Camp tackled the Beaudoin Obstacle Course July 26. The course consists of eight obstacles designed to test the Cadets’ strength, endurance, confidence and leadership.    Like any other obstacle the Cadets face throughout their training, comradery is what keeps the Cadets pushing forward. Throughout their 31 days at Fort Knox, each Cadet pairs with a Battle Buddy, a person responsible for boosting morale and holding the other accountable. For this training in particular, Battle Buddies are their most important team member.    “It’s a mutual relationship, and [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky – As the first taste of field training, Cadets from 7th Regiment, Basic Camp began learning the basics of tactical operations July 25, 2018 during Squad Formation Order of Movement. The day started off with an early morning wake-up, an MRE breakfast, and a short trek to Training Area 7, where the Cadets were briefed and split up for individual squad training sessions. The Cadets sat in small clearings in the forest, listening to play-by-play instructions of the operation they would be conducting. “We were taught a hasty assault, which is coming up on an enemy when you [...]

FORT KNOX, KY. — Pushing yourself mentally and physically is an enormous part of being in the U.S. Army. Cadets from 8th Regiment, Basic Camp woke up early this morning July 26th, 2018, to take part in the Army Physical Fitness Test. The APFT is a way to determine whether or not Cadets are in peak physical shape during CST. Cadets are required to do a specific number of push-ups, sit-ups and a two-mile run in a certain amount of time according to their gender and age. According to Cadet Kobe Kupp, Eastern Washington University, keeping up with personal physical fitness is [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky – It was a strenuous morning for 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets, as they made their way through the Confidence Course and down the Rappel Tower July 22, 2018. To start off the day, the Cadets began with demonstrations from Cadre who lead the training, showing them the rappeling process and how to complete each obstacle. Many Cadets arrived unsure of themselves and with fear in their eyes. “I don’t like heights, so that was definitely something that I had to overcome,” Cadet Natosha Courtney from Mississippi State University said, still shaken after completing the Confidence Course. The Cadets [...]

Ft. Knox, KY- Cadets of Bravo Company, 9th Regiment were up early to receive intensive training in Call for Fire. As these Cadets rubbed their eyes and had their morning stretch, they were all concentrated on what the day had in store for them. With over an hour and a half of classroom lectures, protractors, binoculars and their trusty canteens, these Cadets received thorough training in requesting artillery fires to destroy or disrupt the enemy. Call for Fire requires Cadets to quickly locate enemy tanks and report it to an observer. After reporting coordinates, it is the Cadet’s responsibility to destroy the [...]

FORT KNOX, KY –  Even through inclement weather and gray skies, the Cadets of 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp managed to smile as they marched across Brooks Field for their graduation ceremony which signifies the completion of their training.The young college students from around the nation endured 31 days of rigorous training during Cadet Summer Training. Events like day and night time land navigation tested Cadets to manually navigate through various terrains, trusting their pace counts and road measurements to locate a pinpointed area. Weapon qualifications helped ensure a Cadet’s comfort level and concentration capabilities when aiming at a target up to 300 [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky – As their time at Fort Knox draws to a close, Cadets from 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp seized their chance to participate in the Spartan Race on July 14, 2018. “I’ve never done this and I’ve always wanted to do it,” said Cadet Christina Taylor, Austin Peay State University. “I’ve never had the opportunity. I usually do half marathons and full marathons. I’ve never done a Spartan Race.” With several heats taking off throughout the morning, the event brought in hundreds of runners and spectators from the public, including Fort Knox. The 4.5 mile “sprint” consisted of over [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky – Going under the wire and over the wall, Cadets from 5th Regiment, Basic Camp learned the importance of motivation and swift action at the Beaudion Obstacle Course July 11, 2018. “Today, we did an obstacle course that was testing the agility and strength of individual Cadets,” explained Cadet Said Eljadidi, Bryant University. “…It was all about timing, strength, and seeing who could persevere the longest.” The course consisted of 14 different activities, including a rope climb, balance beams, a net climb, and monkey bars. “This helps with a number of different individual movement techniques: how to get across [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky – With rivalry in the air and guns in their hands, Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Basic Camp, spent the morning of July 8, 2018 practicing and competing to be the top company in the Drill and Ceremony Competition. Drill and Ceremony, also known as “D and C,”  is a practice within the military where soldiers march and follow various commands, such as “right face” or “right-shoulder arms.” The squads must keep unity within their formation at all time, which requires a strong team and strict discipline. The companies practiced for two hours this morning, giving final critiques and [...]

Fort Knox, Ky – Second Regiment Cadets mastered the hip rappel seat and the 64 ft. rappel tower. Before starting the rappel course cadets had to learn how to properly prepare themselves. Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Evans, University of Arizona, provided instructions on how to properly create the Swiss Seat. Understanding the Language Brake Hand- The most dominant hand, usually the writing hand. Guide Hand – The weaker hand. Carabiner-  Coupling link with a safety closure, used by rock climbers Tie the Seat. Place gloves on the guide hand shoulder and the snap link is hooked on the brake hand side pocket. [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Hidden in the forests behind the rappel tower looms its counterpart, the confidence course. Made up of several different obstacles like The Tough One, The Weaver and The Confidence Climb, the course rightly performs its purpose: instilling true confidence in the Cadets of 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp August 8. That statement is more than true for Cadet Milynel Ortiz, a student from the University of Central Florida. While working through The Weaver, a towering, pyramid-like obstacle that doubles as a ladder, Ortiz carried herself with accuracy and speed to the top.  She said having some innate confidence [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky.—Cadets of 4th Regiment, Advanced Camp, were further conditioned in their future leader training in the Call for Fire Trainer on June 18. “Call for Fire Trainer is used to test and teach Army ROTC Cadets the skill of how to call in indirect fire. It’s a skill that’s required that can help save their lives and the lives of their Soldiers one day.” said Lt. Col. Larry Rentz, Officer in Charge. The overall objective was that Cadets would walk away with an understanding of the call and purpose for fire as well as the process, radio transitions and [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky.—Cadets of 6th Regiment, Advanced Camp took on their weapons qualification July 3 at George Blair range. “What’s required of Cadets is discipline and the fundamentals of shooting such as the firing position, the trigger squeeze, the breathing and also target acquisition, which is identifying the target.” said Staff Sgt. Austin W. Bowles, Range Safety Officer, Fort Hood, Texas. Bowles expressed that he felt as though it would be difficult for Cadets who were not familiar with firearms to qualify given that marksmanship can be a tedious task to master. Bowles also shared his advice on how he believed [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky.—Cadets of 4th Regiment, Basic Camp, put their physical fitness skills to the test bright and early during the Army Physical Fitness Test July 2. “To be honest, it’s tough, but its nice having the other Cadets around.” said Cadet Mikayla Blaska, Princeton, “We are all going through the same thing. Its nice to have unity and be going through the struggle together.” During the APFT, Cadets are required to complete push-ups, sit-ups and a 2-mile run to complete the entire test. Cadets were required to be awake well before dawn for the APFT, which is strenuous for most. [...]