FORT KNOX, Ky. – A plank of wood trembled in a Cadet’s hands as he attempted to place it on one of the few remaining bridge supports. His fellow Cadets waited behind him, hunched low and quiet, trying to avoid attracting the enemy’s attention, the escape to freedom securable with the final plank in his grasp during the Field Leadership Reaction Course on July 17, 2025.

Moving to place the final plank, Cadet Derek Achen, Marquette University, 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp, thinks back to why he first joined the Army ROTC.

“There’s a sense of pride that I get from being apart of a team bigger than myself,” Achen said. “That’s important to me because I don’t have anything else like that, nothing in my life can quite do what the Army does for me.”

Achen’s father was an officer for four years and wanted Achen’s brother to follow in his footsteps, but it was Achen who filled those shoes. Achen graduated high school early and went to college, there he found himself yearning for something to fill the spare time.

“ROTC just kind of came out of the blue,” he said. “My parents didn’t want me to do it, but I kept pushing and after a while, my dad gave way.”

After convincing his parents and committing his time to the Army, Achen has been pushed to develop trust and humility.

“There’s a lot of leaning on other people,” Achen said. “You have to trust your teammates if you’re going to work well as a team.”

During FLRC, leadership is key and it was because of a need to further her leadership skills that Cadet Haleisha Atalig, Michigan State University, decided to join.

Atalig’s mother encouraged her to join, citing the programs opportunities during and after college.

“I never thought of the ROTC ever in my life and then she brought it up to me,” Atalig said. “It is physically and mentally demanding, but at the end of the day I see the bigger picture.”

Atalig is pursuing a nursing degree and hopes to continue her nursing career in the Army.

“I always knew I wanted to do nursing from a young age,” she said. “I grew up with a bunch of family in the medical field and they always cared and nurtured people. Those are really great things that you also want to see in a leader.”

Knowing her current squadron for about a week, Atalig can already notice the teamwork and leadership developing between them.

“We all just came together and got to know each other on a personal level,” she said. “Every day we just keep getting closer. I believe after this course, we are just going to continue to work better as a team.”

Whether they are leading the squadron or venturing into the unknown with nothing but a wooden plank and the backing of their team, both Achen and Atalig know that they have their squads trust and faith with each step.