Advanced Camp

The RECONDO badge is awarded to Cadets who display superior skills at Advanced Camp. They must exceed the standards in the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), confidence courses, land navigation, marksmanship, first aid, CBRN and the 12-mile foot march.

Land navigation training develops, assesses and trains Cadets in basic dismounted land-navigation skills. Cadets demonstrate their ability to perform these skills during day and night conditions on a verified course in varied terrain. Cadets are also taught advanced land-navigation skills and associated tasks, including mounted land navigation, range estimation, terrain analysis and call for fire.

Confidence training includes rappel training, the slide for life, log walk and rope drop, and confidence and obstacle courses. It is designed to challenge the Cadets’ physical courage, build confidence in personal abilities and help them overcome fear. At the rappelling site, each Cadet executes one 70-foot rappel and several 37-foot rappels. Cadets demonstrate confidence in their ability to overcome a fear of heights by completing the confidence and obstacle course, log walk and rope drop, and slide for life.

Basic Rifle Marksmanship (BRM) training familiarizes Cadets with select U.S. weapons, capabilities and employment techniques. Cadets receive training to conduct zero and qualification with the M4 or M16A2 rifle and gain confidence in their assigned weapon by engaging targets on the range. Upon completion of BRM training and qualification with their assigned weapon, Cadets are prepared for future collective training and have confidence in their weapon systems.

Cadets are trained and tested on selected first-aid tasks to the Combat Lifesaver standard, including evaluating a casualty, airway management, CPR, chest wounds, controlling bleeding and treating for shock. Cadets also participate in a squad-level situational exercise that incorporates administering first aid in a tactical setting. By the end of the training, each Cadet is capable of applying lifesaving first-aid techniques and understands that every Soldier, regardless of rank, must be able to administer aid to a fellow Soldier.

The Field Leader’s Reaction Course (FLRC) is designed to develop and evaluate leadership and to build teamwork early in the training cycle. Course administration uses the established Cadet organization and chain of command. Cadet leadership potential is assessed by Cadre certified as observer-controller-trainers (OCTs). Cadets receive early feedback from the OCTs on their leadership strengths, weaknesses, styles and techniques.

Cadets are trained on CBRN tasks to develop confidence in the U.S. Army’s protective mask and chemical protective clothing. Cadets learn to correctly wear and operate their CBRN clothing and equipment. They gain an understanding of the leadership challenges and constraints associated with operating in a CBRN environment. The culminating experience is exposure to the effects of live tear gas in the CBRN gas chamber.

In the first block of tactics instruction, Cadets learn individual battlefield skills, movement formations, techniques and procedures necessary for subsequent tactical training at the squad level. Small-unit tactical training is a vehicle to teach and evaluate leadership. It introduces conditions of stress that parallel those found in combat.

Tactical training introduces new skills, provides performance-oriented reinforcement opportunities and increases the difficulty and sophistication of training events. Cadets learn the skills necessary to function in a tactical training area. This building-block approach provides the best opportunity for Cadets to learn and for Cadre to assess their leadership potential.

Approximately 1,300 Cadets participate in this program, which provides an in-depth tactical experience for Basic Course Cadets. The Advanced Camp opposing-force (OPFOR) program is approximately 30 days long and allows Cadets to test their leadership abilities at the fire-team and squad levels, from troop-leading procedures to tactical operations against Advanced Camp squads and platoons.