FORT KNOX, Ky. – The sound of boots dragging through the mud of Heard Park cloud the humid atmosphere, cadets, assigned to 4th Regiment, Advanced Camp, complete their tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) training on Fort Knox, Ky.

Cadets work through a variety of lanes aimed at teaching them an assortment of skills to ensure they are prepared for any situation the future holds. Some of the lanes include applying tourniquets, inserting assisted breathing systems, and calling for assistance over radio.

Cadet Mia Destival, University of Rhode Island, hit the ground running despite the heat of the summer and the tough challenges of Cadet Summer Training (CST).

Destival originally went into her college career with goals to become an officer from the start because her father figure back at home.

“My dad was in the Army. He was a first sergeant and he got deployed twice,” Destival explained. “He told me a lot about it and I was like, Oh, I definitely want to do that.”

Destival’s father was deployed in Iraq, before she was born. With his love for the Army, he would rejoin several years later to finish his 20 years of service. Through the stories he shared, Destival found a clear sense of purpose with the Army.

Back at her university, she is studying mechanical engineering, a challenging major that opens a variety of opportunities all around the world.

With the things she’s learned through her education, like fluid mechanics and system dynamics, she finds that her time in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is a good balance, providing both physical and mental challenges.

Through her mentors in her program back at college, Destival felt more confident and prepared for Advanced Camp this summer.

“I’ve gotten a lot from the past [seniors], they were very helpful, talking about their previous camp experience,” Destival said.

At her university, cadre also worked to prepare cadets running through the program, setting up practice events similar to the TCCC training done today. Despite this preparation, sometimes there are things that cannot be accounted for.

Cadets must push through despite these unforeseen obstacles, Destival has a simple, yet dynamic mindset to get through the hard days.

“Show up and try your best,” Destival explained. “Just keep after it.”