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. – Cadets from 1st Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed the field leader reaction course at Fort Knox, Ky., June 12, 2023. The FLRC challenged the Cadets today on thinking critically, solving problems, working under pressure, and learning more about each other as a leader. Some obstacle courses had a solution, and some did not have any solution, but the whole point of the FLRC is to teach Cadets on how to work together as a team while assimilating the Army values. Staff Sgt. Matthew Hernandez is an active-duty member of the U.S. Army. His military occupational specialty used to […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Armed with a compass, protractor, pencil, map, and a list of coordinates, pairs of Cadets in the 1stRegiment, Advanced Camp, set off on their last day of land navigation practice to find at least two pinpoints in under 90minutes, Fort Knox, Ky., June 10, 2023. One pair that completed the event under the allotted time are Cadet Rebecca Galan, from the University of the Incarnate Word, and Cadet Akilah Austin, from the University of Idaho.  “Land nav [navigation] is basically an adult scavenger hunt,” Austin said. “I’ve never thought of Land nav as ‘hard’, instead it’s [your] judgment […]

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. – On June 12, 2023, during observer controller training, the Observer Coach Trainer Academy instructors of Fort Knox, Ky., laid out the expectations they had for the Cadre with the 4th Regiment, Advanced Camp, who will be in charge of the incoming U.S. Army Cadets at Cadet Summer Training. Lt. Col. Dan Hurd from the University of North Carolina explained why OCT takes place before Cadre receive their assigned Cadets.  “Today’s training is to get them onboarded onto this process, so they learn the technical and tactical tasks that they need to teach Cadets,” said Hurd. Hurd explained […]

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 […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – During Cadet Summer Training, the 1st Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets took the land navigation practical exam in Fort Knox, Ky., June 11, 2023, to teach them how to use a map, compass, and other techniques to navigate through various terrains and locate specific pinpoints. The land navigation practical exam is a single attempt event, in which Cadets must locate at least three of the four grid coordinates within a four-hour time period. Before the exam, Cadets are shown a large, three-dimensional terrain model of the surrounding area, and they are given a map, compass, protractor, and a […]

FORT KNOX, Ky.- 1st Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets marched four miles to Schroder Range to complete their battle march and shoot training, Fort Knox, Ky., June 11, 2023.   “We did a tactical road march in full kit, so we had our 45-pound rucks on, our eight-pound rifles and our 10-pound ACHs, which are Army combat helmets,” said Cadet Luke Bausler from the University of San Francisco. “It’s supposed to be a stress and shoot, so the four mile is supposed to stress you out, and then, by the time we get to the range, you should be pretty tired and then, […]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – The 1st Regiment Cadets started off their day with a battle march and shoot in Fort Knox, Ky. June 11, 2023. BMS starts at 5:30 a.m. with a four-mile tactical road march and ends with stringers of shooting practice. The BMS tests the Cadets marksmanship skills while under pressure. The BMS is just one of multiple smaller-scale training events Advanced Camp Cadets experience before the qualification test. After having multiple opportunities to work on their skills, the Cadets are beginning to thrive out at the range. Sgt. Maj. Andrew Porch from Georgia Military College commented on the […]