FORT KNOX, Ky. — Fierce, explosive and teamwork — all words that cadets assigned to Bravo Company, 8th Regiment, Advanced Camp used to describe their Field Training Exercise experience as their time at Cadet Summer Training comes to an end.

Now, the only thing that stands between them and graduation is the 12-mile foot march.

However, as the cadets boarded the Light Medium Tactical Vehicles that would take them from the field to Densberger, where they will conduct the foot march, they were able to reflect on their journey through FTX — and how they feel about their upcoming ruck.

“I feel amazing,” Cadet Rayhan Nabi, assigned to 8th Regiment, Advanced Camp, from UNC Charlotte, said. “There were some hard points, hard times, but I think we all bonded and came together, finished pretty motivated and we are all happy to be here at the end.”

Another cadet, Hudson Uebel, assigned to 8th Regiment, Advanced Camp, from Western Kentucky University, shared a similar perspective.

“I think we really came together toward the end. Our camaraderie was high. Morale is really high right now, and it was a lot of fun,” he said.

Despite the challenges that these cadets faced, from communication problems during lanes to struggling to stay motivated, these cadets are eager to finish CST and officially earn their title as commissioned officers.

“We are ready to get back to Densberger, get refitted, hopefully get some dry uniforms on and then knock out this 12-mile,” Uebel said.

With the hope that the high morale amongst their fellow cadets will help push them towards the finish line, 8th Regiment is more confident than ever before.

“This is what we train for,” Cadet Ismael George, assigned to 8th Regiment, Advanced Camp, from the University of Delaware, said. “This is what we live for. This is our moment — [the] 12-mile, we are going to kill that.”