FORT KNOX, Ky., – Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, knew that once they climbed up the stairs of the 64-foot rappel tower in Fort Knox, Ky., June 18, 2023, there was no turning back. The only way a Cadet can get off the tower is by rappelling. At Advanced Camp, having a fear of heights is not an option because every Cadet is required to rappel down the tower during training. However, the safety instructors and Cadre members on site were ready to support every Cadet that descended the tower. Rappel safety instructor Terry Bras from the University of South […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – During field leaders reaction course training at Fort Knox, Ky., June 17, 2023, small squads from the 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets learned how to come together as they rotate from one station to the next. Capt. Eric Engel from the University of Cincinnati explained that FLRC is designed in a way that forces Advanced Camp Cadets to work together as a unit. “We have 16 lanes of squad obstacles here, and they approach each one from their own squad’s perspective, and one squad leader receives a mission brief,” said Engel. “They make decisions and communicate, and […]

“You gotta want it; if you don’t want it, you’re not gonna get it,” Cadet John Babbitts, College of William and Mary.  FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed the battle march and shoot at Fort Knox, Ky., June 16, 2023. Cadets woke up around 4:00 a.m. before stepping off for the 4-mile ruck to the battle march and shoot. A ruck is a backpack that Cadets are required to have at Cadet Summer Training. The minimum weight for a ruck is 35-40 pounds, and the point of the ruck is to provide Cadets with important military […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – The Cadets practice using an M4 Carbine in an exercise called group and zero. Grouping is when a cluster of rounds are shot consistently into a target close together. The basic marksmanship training includes teaching Cadets to have a tight shot group. When the Cadets zero, they adjust settings on the M68 Close Combat Optic to move that tight shot group onto the center of the target. Along with gaining experience, the Cadets also get to work with the Cadre and other officers. The officer in charge for the Handiboe range is 1st Lt. Dahlia Aguirre. She […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – 2nd Regiment Advanced Camp Cadets went through their last application hand-off range training before qualifying their weapons later today at Fort Knox, Ky., June 15, 2023. Capt. Aaron Ryan, 3rd Brigade United States Army Cadet Command, explains what Cadets must do during this training. “There’s three targets: the 300-meter target, the 150 and the 70-meter,” Ryan said. “There’s three magazines with 10 rounds each, and you want to put all 10 rounds into those targets to confirm your zero.” Ryan also explained that the 2nd Regiment Advanced Camp Cadets went through group and zero training yesterday, where […]

FORT KNOX, Ky., – U.S. Army Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, tackle group and zero at Fort Knox, Ky., June 12, 2023. Group and zero is the third, and final, training exercise that Cadets must go through before they can complete their weapons qualification. When his fellow Cadets had questions about where to aim on the targets for each distance, Cadet Noah Bufalini, Rochester Institute of Technology, approached a nearby Cadre member to ask if a whiteboard was available. Once he was given the materials, Bufalini drew diagrams and reviewed with his fellow Cadets. “I had some knowledge in that, […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – U.S. Army 2nd Regiment Cadets in Cadet Summer Training, Advanced Camp, attended the preliminary marksmanship instruction at Fort Knox, Ky., June 12, 2023. PMI provides Cadets with the fundamentals of rifle marksmanship through various lessons. The different lessons at PMI include understanding the basic operations of the rifle, how to change magazines, proper body positions while firing, and the correct way to squeeze the trigger. This training event is crucial because Cadets will use this knowledge to qualify at the shooting range later during CST. Cadet Joseph Walker of Lehigh University speaks on what he believes are […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp completed the confidence course where they rappelled off a 64-foot tower at Fort Knox, Ky., June 11, 2023. Some Cadets came with a fear of heights, and some did not. Regardless if they had a fear of heights or not, what helped them all get through the course today was having each other and knowing that everyone is in it together. Cadet Violet Doolittle from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire said that she joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps to build herself up as a leader, meet new people, and build […]

FORT KNOX, Ky., – Cadets from the 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, spent the day completing the engagement skills trainer exercise in Fort Knox, Ky., June 11, 2023. The EST is a simulated rifle qualification table. U.S. Army Master Sgt. Robert Points, senior military science instructor at Truman State University, explains the importance of EST training. “Some of these Cadets don’t have the opportunity to handle weapons as much,” Points said. “The engagement skills trainer is a cheap and easy way that they can learn to handle those weapons systems and practice fundamentals without having to spend ammunition and time on getting […]

2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets completed the field leader reaction course portion of Cadet Summer Training Fort Knox, Ky., June 10, 2023. This training teaches Cadets to work together as a team and is one of the first events they complete after their in-processing days. Many Cadets experience the Army for the first time through the Reserve Officer Training Corps and especially CST. However, for some Cadets such as Cadet Ian Valente from Central Michigan University and Cadet Nick Nolan from Texas A&M University, the Green to Gold program allows them to commission as officers after serving as enlisted service members.  […]