Fort Knox, Ky.—Echoes of gunfire, sound-off, and the chatter of nervous Cadets crowded the tense air, but for a few Cadets these distractions were silenced. The repetition of steps they must complete to fire an M240 machine gun or deploy a claymore mine flooded their minds, muddling all other distractions. Cadets in 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp, were tasked with mastering three different weapon systems at warrior skills training during Cadet Summer Training, August 1, 2025.

Warrior skills teaches Cadets how to safely operate weapon systems and provides crucial field techniques for a variety of tactical situations, but for Cadet Antonio Darpino, University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Cadet Daylan Stubblefield, Morgan State University, it was an opportunity to practice what they had trained for years to accomplish.

Darpino, a prior service behavioral health technician, joined Army ROTC for a chance to fund his master’s degree in public health and gain discipline. He explains that his time serving has encouraged him to become a more driven leader.

“In high school I wasn’t the greatest student,” he said. “I focused more on sports and socializing. My grades suffered because I didn’t take my time or prioritize the right things. As an individual, I tend to rush things; here (at CST), I try to take my time.”

Stubblefield is also entering CST with prior experience, although not in the Army. Working for over a decade as a retail crime investigator, he has dealt with high pressure situations daily.

“As someone who has a lot of experience in the real world, I feel like all my experience has prepared me for CST,” Stubblefield said. “I’ve always been meant for the Army; it gives me purpose.”

At 37, he brings a wealth of knowledge in civilian leadership and situational awareness that he channels into his training.

“The key is to pay attention to detail—I learned that as an investigator and, obviously, it transfers to training,” Stubblefield says. “The small things are what get people hurt; they can turn a mission from a go to a no go.”

Darpino agrees that considering small tasks affect your outcome. Specifically, he says, it is important to address mental health, an important aspect of his life he finds easy to forget.

“I have to remind myself to take my own time,” he said. “Whether that is calling my family or just taking time to myself to decompress, balance is key. Finding that balance and scheduling time for joy is only going to make you better.”

For Stubblefield, prioritizing mental health looks like managing his goals by taking things one step at a time.

“I think we tend to want to jump in feet first and just go,” he said. “I remind myself to take time through one question: ‘how do you devour a whale? one bite at a time.’ Every time I’m on a task I’m thinking about that task and that task alone. It may seem slow, but slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Go slow. Take your time. Do it right.”

Darpino agrees that CST has encouraged him to take his time, although often difficult. Doing so, he says, has made him more patient and accurate.

“I don’t naturally have a lot of patience, but CST is making me a more methodic leader,” he said. “I have to remind myself to take my time. It has been a big adjustment, but I’m better because of it.”

Throughout CST, both Cadets have learned that the title of warrior is not earned through speed or brute force. Instead, true warrior skills come from knowing when to pause, assess, and act with purpose. For Darpino and Stubblefield, the discipline of slowing down is what makes them stronger, faster, and better leaders in the end.