“You gotta want it; if you don’t want it, you’re not gonna get it,” Cadet John Babbitts, College of William and Mary. 

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed the battle march and shoot at Fort Knox, Ky., June 16, 2023.

Cadets woke up around 4:00 a.m. before stepping off for the 4-mile ruck to the battle march and shoot. A ruck is a backpack that Cadets are required to have at Cadet Summer Training. The minimum weight for a ruck is 35-40 pounds, and the point of the ruck is to provide Cadets with important military items needed for camping outside and to make movements more challenging. The pace for the ruck march was 17-20 minute mile pace. Cadets needed to have gloves, two magazines, water source, eyewear, and healing protection on them.

When Cadets arrived at the battle march and shoot, they had 2 rounds of firing where they shot at 10 targets on one board that were in all different sizes to simulate different distances. 

Cadet John Babbitts from the College of William and Mary said that he joined the Reserve Officers’ Corps as a part of the Simultaneous Membership Program Cadet. SMP allows you to do ROTC while being in the National Guard or National Reserve. He said he wanted to serve his country and see the world for the better or worse without anyone sugarcoating it for him. He said that the military provides a good lens on how things are done, how to take care of yourself, be independent, but also learn how to help others grow as people, as well.

Growing up, Babbitts had a lot of experience shooting. He said remembering to breathe helps him stay focused. Babbitts also described the importance of maintaining a consistent sight picture and following the basic fundamentals of shooting, to include breath control and trigger control and a smooth trigger squeeze.

Tensions can run high on the range as Cadets are put in a stressful environment, Babbitts gave advice on how to handle the stress.

“I do mess up every once in a while, but I have the basics down, it’s just practicing the basics in a stressful environment,” Babbitts said. “If you can do it in a non-stressful environment, start working your way up to a stressful environment. I think that’s the best way to do it, just little by little, but practice makes permanent, and if you have your basics and your fundamentals down to a good set, those ‘permanents’ are going to be good,” Babbitts said.

Babbitts grew up living by the saying, ‘You gotta want it; if you don’t want it, you’re not gonna get it’ and explains how he used this saying to help him during the battle march and shoot. 

“I want to become a better shooter. I want to always improve in everything that I do. For this event, when I get down there, I should be taking it seriously. I shouldn’t be joking around or messing around. I’ve got a great opportunity here. I’m blessed to do it and I gotta put in all of my effort. If I’m here, I am going to be using this (phrase). Make sure that I learn everything I possibly can, and I practice those fundamentals as much as possible,” Babbitts said.