Fort Knox, Ky. – Cadets assigned to Charlie Company, 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp, left no one behind as they took on the engagement skills trainer at Cadet Summer Training, June 29, 2025.

The EST requires Cadets to fire at virtual shooting targets to demonstrate a basic understanding of their weapons, ammunition and skills needed to accurately hit a target.

They will put this practice to the test later in CST when they attempt to perfect their aim at group and zero and then qualify with their M4 carbines.

Individually, the Cadets share a range of skills and experiences. Many of them have prior military experience and are more knowledgeable about this type of training than some of their fellow Cadets who are experiencing EST for the first time.

This gap in experience did not stop them from helping each other while practicing for EST.

Cadet Diana Taylor, Ouachita Baptist University, says CST creates a collaborative environment that everyone can benefit from despite their experience levels.

“My platoon is just fantastic,” Taylor said. “We’re all encouraging and that’s something that’s so vital here.”

She values those with a military background for their helpfulness. The Cadets do not hesitate to ask each other for assistance, and those who are more experienced happily offer it.

“They lend their expertise,” she said. “They’re not saying, we need to do it my way or the highway. They’re very much like, here’s what I know, and here’s how we can use it.”

Taylor highly regards Cadet Desmond Noel, Fayetteville State University. As a former noncommissioned officer, he uses his five years of Army experience to help guide those with less experience.

“I do it for the Cadets who are just getting into the Army,” Noel said. “I give them some free chicken (advice) on how to conduct yourself as an officer and what your NCOs are going to look for.”

The transition from Sergeant to Cadet is tricky for Noel. He is learning to adapt his leadership style to those around him.

“You can’t be as assertive as an NCO coming into the Cadet world,” Noel said. “I just give them spot corrections, but I do it in a way that is valuable.”

Noel approaches leadership respectfully. He takes into consideration that the people around him share a variety of backgrounds and have unique communication styles.

“Being able to have some empathy for people definitely goes a long way,” he said. “Having that switch to be able to understand that is vital.”

Being a more seasoned Cadet, Noel’s past mistakes fuel his approach to mentoring others. He wants them to learn from his setbacks and become more resilient as they grow with their training.

His goal is to leave a legacy, setting an example for anyone that follows his steps.

“Maybe they could take some of the good things that I’ve done or even the bad things that I’ve done (and) use that to make themselves better,” Noel said. “I just want to leave an impact for people to emulate and be able to positively influence their souls.”