FORT KNOX, Ky. –  Halfway through 1st Regiment, Advanced Camp, Cadets are tasked with a field training exercise lasting nine days.

This exercise is a culminating event designed to test leadership, teamwork and tactical skills in a contested or resource-limited environment. This is the last event that Cadets will face before Graduation.

“I am excited to get started; yesterday was a long day, but I am excited to actually get it going,” said Cadet George Vollmer, Dickinson College.

Cadets are expected to perform as though this is a real-life situation, taking leadership roles to execute a planned mission.

During the first stage of FTX, the wolverine phase, Cadre walks through the lanes with the cadets to build cohesion within the company to run through their strategy as they prepare for the next nine days of field training.

“It’s gone by pretty quickly so far and the field was the most exciting part for me, so I am happy to get this part started,” said Vollmer.

After Cadets complete this event, the next step will be graduation. Keeping this goal in mind has kept Cadets motivated to finish this challenging event.

During this final event, Cadets apply everything that they have learned during Cadet Summer Training (CST).

“It felt extremely long; it also went by extremely fast. To think that we’re at the end at this point, it is kind of crazy, considering we just got here,” said Tahze Vaughn from South Carolina State University.

For many Cadets this exercise marks both the end of their training journey and the beginning of their transition into a future commissioned officer.

“I am feeling good,” said Zander Grabel from the University of California, Los Angeles. “ I am feeling like I can almost see the finish line.”