FORT KNOX, Ky. — Aiming through their iron sights, Cadets assigned to 3rd Regiment, Advanced Camp, fired on simulated targets during Engagement Skills Training, June 19, 2025.

As Cadets progress through Cadet Summer Training, they step into the roles of leaders, navigators, medics, and marksmen. Following preliminary marksmanship instruction that emphasizes fundamentals, EST puts those skills into practice in a controlled, virtual environment.

Cadet Madalynne Dobbs, Middle Tennessee State University, rose from her firing position after completing her final qualification round with the M4 carbine. After verifying her results, fellow Cadets applauded her accuracy—she hit 38 out of 40 targets, earning an expert rating with her primary weapon.

“I feel like the people around me make me more confident,” Dobbs said. “They’re always reassuring me that they’re there to support me.”

Dobbs joined the Tennessee National Guard as an air traffic controller, continuing a family tradition in aviation. “I absolutely loved it,” she said. “Fort Rucker was amazing.”

Dobbs earned the Army’s Minuteman Scholarship and enrolled in MTSU’s aerospace program to pursue her passion for aviation.

While at the university, she enrolled in ROTC, driven by a desire to lead and support Soldiers—and to set an example for women in uniform.

“I like the idea of being able to be a leader and do better for the Soldiers that are enlisted,” she said. “I want more women there and to show that, ‘If I can do it, so can you.’”

While her fellow Cadets support her through the challenges of CST, her family continues to encourage her in the civilian world as well.

After CST, Dobbs is preparing for her next milestone—the Federal Aviation Administration dispatch oral exam.

Her husband, a Black Hawk pilot in the Tennessee National Guard, is a key source of motivation.

“He’s already gone through all of this,” she said. “He’s just like, ‘I know you can do it. I’ve seen you do Air Assault. I’ve seen you do harder things than what you’re doing now.’”

As the days come and go quickly, Dobbs finds strength in her growing confidence. For Cadets yet to arrive at Advanced Camp—or those already in the thick of it—she offers a message of encouragement.

“I know you can do this. I know it seems hard at the moment,” she said. “You’ll look back on it and laugh about how silly you thought it was when you were freaking out about it.”