FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Basic Camp, completed the Night Infiltration Course. This course tests Cadets’ physical and mental stress as they crawl through terrain with live machine gun rounds firing over.
Cadet Logan Fredericks, University of Southern Alabama, described his experience after finishing the course.
“Oh my god, it was terrifying. When they first started shooting, I was scared for my life,” Fredericks said. “It’s super loud. But as soon as you get in your head that you’re fine, you just got to get through it.”
Fredericks joined ROTC with the goal of making a difference by becoming an Army psychologist and helping soldiers get the support they need. Completing the NIC was a significant achievement for him, pushing him past a big fear.
Cadet Chelsea Amedza, Morgan State University, shared a sense of accomplishment and reflection after finishing the course.
“There were a lot of different emotions. It was tiring. It was exciting,” Amedza said. “It was a lot. Compared to hearing about it, it was like ‘wow, is this real life?’”
She described the experience like being in a movie, and never would’ve thought to be crawling under the rounds of an M249 machine gun. Amedza joined because of her interest in the military, finding her way into the program during her freshman year.
Cadet Mischael Paul, Citadel Military College of South Carolina, found the NIC to be a test of endurance for his regiment.
“Throughout the event, I was sweating my life away. It was a little challenging, when on paper, it seemed pretty simple,” Paul said. “But with all the additional weight and gear and equipment and the speed you have to go at, it got pretty tiring.”
Paul found inspiration from his other Cadets on the course. He recalls seeing others pushing through the challenge, stating that there was “no excuse” to stop. He joined ROTC to pursue a commission, following in the footsteps of his father, who served in the Marine Corps.
“He gives me a lot of advice. Sometimes it is too Marine-wise,” Paul said. “But when it comes to trying to qualify, going down to a range, or just giving advice on how to work and talk to people and being a good human being, he’s always prevalent.”
For Cadets, this course is a moment of realization about their limits. It pushes them to overcome their fears, proving to themselves and their peers that they have what it takes to succeed in the Army. As the 2nd Regiment, Basic Camp, moves forward in their training, the lessons learned will stay with them, shaping how they react to future challenges. The course is not just a physical test, it embeds in each Cadet a deeper understanding of becoming a future leader, and the demands and rewards of military life.
In the words of Cadet Amedza, “Just keep going. It’s worth it.”