FORT KNOX, Ky. — No phones. No social media. No nightly calls home. 

Instead, cadets at Advanced Camp rely on their training, their teammates and a shared sense of purpose to push through the toughest days of field training.

In Charlie Company, 4th Regiment, that camaraderie earned the unit an unlikely nickname: “Cupcake Company.” Each platoon even adopted its own flavor: red velvet, chocolate, strawberry cream, and pumpkin spice. 

Now four days into ‘Panther’ lanes, Pumpkin Spice (4th) Platoon is navigating one of Cadet Summer Training’s most demanding field training exercises. There, cadets navigate increasingly complex simulated combat scenarios, testing their warrior skills, leadership and decision-making under pressure.

Without the distraction of modern technology, cadets have little choice but to focus on the mission and the reasons they chose to be there in the first place. 

Cadet Mamadou Diallo, Texas A&M University — Central Texas, quickly noticed the difference. Putting away his phone makes it easier for him to stay focused on what matters. 

“You’re just hyper-aware of everything,” Diallo said. “We use that time to better ourselves instead of wishing we had our devices.”

For Cadet Keegan Ennis, University of West Florida, unplugging has reinforced why he came, but missing his girlfriend back home reminds him what he’s working toward. Instead of sending texts each evening, he fills his notebook with thoughts and conversations he wishes he could share. The messages are never sent, but writing them down helps clear his mind. 

Realizing everyone is missing someone back home, Ennis does what comes naturally — he uses humor to keep morale up.  

“I’m always the one cracking jokes and keeping it light no matter what the situation is,” Ennis said.

Cadet Ashé Moulden, University of Memphis, believes that shared sense of humor is one of the platoon’s greatest strengths. 

Some of her favorite memories from CST haven’t come during training lanes, but on bus rides and over MREs, when the platoon laughs, sings — even breaking into High School Musical songs — and turns miserable moments into lasting memories. 

“Our jokes are kind of shared through the tough moments,” Moulden said. “At the moment we’re hating it, but when we finally sit down in our barracks we’re like, ‘Y’all remember when it was pouring rain?’ We just laugh and laugh all the pain away. It just gears us up and motivates us to go through the next struggle.”

Eventually, the laughter fades and the mission takes over. For Moulden, that’s when she returned to the same thought that keeps her moving: her “why.” 

A journalism and strategic media student at the University of Memphis, Moulden joined ROTC to honor her family’s military legacy while creating opportunities to earn her degree, commission as an Army officer and pursue a career that combines public service with investigative communications. 

Those goals help put the sacrifice of Advanced Camp into perspective. Missing birthdays, holidays, and time with loved ones is difficult, she said, but the temporary hardships are worth the opportunity to build a future. 

“I think everybody has something that they sacrifice to be here,” Moulden said. “Understanding that we’re not really missing out on a lot and what we’re sacrificing is for something bigger than ourselves, bigger than what we can even imagine our future to be. We are all looking for a greater purpose and we are not just here to play around.” 

Whether they’re writing letters they’ll never send, laughing through the rain or checking on a teammate before themselves, the cadets of Cupcake Company have discovered that Advanced Camp isn’t just about learning to operate without a phone. It’s about learning to lead with purpose.