FORT KNOX, KY. – “Simon says, ‘Freeze,’” a Cadre member yelled as Cadets quickly closed their fists and raised their arms up. A chorus filled with cheers and disappointed exclamations rise through the air intermingling with the humid rays of the sun beating down at the round robin event on Fort Knox, Ky., July 23, 2025.

At this event, Cadets assigned to 2nd Regiment, Basic Camp, are introduced to foundational skills integral to Army training. From learning how to crawl under enemy fire to utilizing military hand and arm signals, Cadets are equipped with the knowledge to pursue their respective military careers and beyond.

At the hand and arm signals lane, Cadets are introduced to basic signals to communicate with their team when they must be silent. Cadets will use the knowledge they have gained here at the field training exercise, where they will be assessed on all the knowledge they have gained at Cadet Summer Training.

To help the Cadets get more practice and confidence in using hand and arm signals, Cadre put together a “Simon Says” championship game, yelling out terms queuing the Cadets to act out the hand signs. Cadet Daniel Kim, Auburn University, placed second in the championship and connects the concentration and self-discipline he used to his future Army goals.

“I think discipline is contained to the medical field,” he said. “If you’re not disciplined within yourselves, we can’t really focus on what we’re trying to do on the patient.”

Kim has exemplified self-discipline based off his passion in helping those in need, which is also why he joined ROTC.

“I want to help people, serve people in the third world countries that don’t have proper dental care,” he said. “That was my purpose behind me joining the Army but my purpose in my civilian life as well. I wanted to pursue my career, but also pursue a purpose in my life,”

In one of the most complex career fields, these skills are particularly important. Kim feels that those qualities and his passion for serving others were first instilled in him by his parents, which then prompted him to pursue a career in healthcare.

“They’re great role models to me, and I’ve learned a lot from them as I’ve grown up as an adult, and so just learning from them is just giving me a lot of good life experiences,” he said.