FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from the 8th Regiment, Advanced Camp, rotate throughout various training stations in Preliminary Marksmanship Skills on July 12 during the 2023 Cadet Summer Training held at Fort Knox, Ky.
PMI is vital to CST because it introduces the fundamentals of rifle marksmanship to the Cadets. Some have prior experience, while others may have zero.
“PMI is going really well,” Cadet Austin Drake from American University said. “At first, I thought it was going to be boring, but it’s actually exciting to be here to learn and develop skills for marksmanship. It was a good time with my squad.”
Some Cadets come to CST with prior knowledge, and those often compare the similarities and differences.
“Growing up living on a farm, we did a lot of shooting throughout my whole life, but this is what our family does. This is how we’ve always done it,” said Drake. “Actually, being here you learn how to be more professional and more skillful.”
While Drake is familiar with handling weapons, Cadet Samantha Rodriguez from Texas A&M University had no training outside ROTC.
“I do not have any experience prior to ROTC, but my ROTC program is really big with PMI,” said Rodriguez. “They would always have us do some drills during labs or classes.”
Rodriguez shared what she found was the easiest part of the drills today.
“The easiest part so far was magazine changes,” she said. “I haven’t gone through all the drills, but I think once we get the boards [barricade], I will be doing even better. My squad has been doing really well as a whole.”
Cadets will be building upon these skills regularly throughout the rest of their time here at CST.
Drake expresses his advice to future Army Cadets attending CST.
“Come here with an open mind, anything you might know from growing up on a farm or past experience, leave it to the side, let them train you, let them re-educate you, and just go from there because what they are teaching is probably going to be the best way to ensure your success.”
About the Author: Danielle Smith
