Fort Knox, Ky. — On the sweltering night of July 27, 2024, the sky was filled with bursts of light and the echoing rattle of machine gun fire. In the midst of the chaos, Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Basic Camp, undertook the Night Infiltration Course (NIC), an event during Cadet Summer Training that tests their limits in complete darkness.

The NIC, often referred to as “Nic at Night,” pushes Cadets to crawl beneath the nerve-wracking sounds of live gun fire. The 100-meter sandpit, dimly lit by flares and gunfire, gives the evening’s event an unnerving backdrop.

The night begins with Cadets putting on tactical vests and attending a briefing outlining the task they are about to endure. As they sit in anticipation, the tension builds, with many Cadets fidgeting anxiously. Among them, Samuel Orzolek of Dickinson College distinguishes himself, radiating confidence. 

“Some events you feel like you were meant to do,” Orzolek says, “this is one of them. I never had a doubt in my abilities to endure something as hard as this.”

As the briefing concluded, Cadets lined up at the starting point, eyes fixed ahead, waiting for the M240 machine guns to signal the start. The moment the guns come to life, Cadets launch forward, crawling on elbows and knees. They maneuver through sand, dirt, and obstacles such as logs and bunkers, all while being intensely aware of the gunfire above their heads.

As the Cadets completed the course, a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration fell across each of their faces. Some visibly relieved, others still shaken by the event, and yet a sense of accomplishment brings them together. As the floodlights lit up the course, each platoon gathered, cheering and congratulating one another, exchanging high fives.

Arianna Benavides of the University of Houston captures this feeling: “It’s one of those things where you’re not exactly sure why, maybe you’re crazy, but you want to immediately do it again.”

For these Basic Camp Cadets, the Night Infiltration Course is more than a training exercise; it’s a pivotal event during CST that forms traits of resilience and camaraderie, certainly leaving a mark on everyone who conquers it.