Special Awards Recipients Military Order of the Purple Heart Badge of Merit AwardCadet Troy Bannister, Florida State University Military Order of the World Wars AwardCadet William Breen, Benedictine College Military Officers Association of America AwardCadet Maia James-Daniels, Florida A&M University AUSA Warrior Ethos AwardCadet Jordan Smith, University of Nebraska at Lincoln First Command Financial Services AwardCadet Rachel Oh, San Jose State University Armed Forces Bank Performance AwardCadet John Powers, Central Texas College Reserve Organization of America AwardCadet Delilah Kitsakos, New Mexico Military Insitute Society of American Military Engineers AwardCadet Louise Bonnimond, The Citadel Bold Leader Spirit AwardCadet Rosean Rhone, University of [...]

FORT KNOX Ky. – Cadets from 2nd Regiment, Basic Camp, participated in the Military Blood Drive at Fort Knox, Ky., August 3, 2023. The Military Blood Drive allows Cadets to have their blood drawn which is tested and collected to be given to service members, Department of Defense employees and civilian families in need. Cadet Melissa Esswein from the University of Michigan shares her thoughts pertaining to the blood drive. “I think the blood drive is important because it’s a great way to give back to the community,” Esswein said. “In a military setting, accidents happen, people get injured, and it’s [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadet Anna Johnson from Michigan State University, Advanced Camp, 8th Regiment, recovers after the Field Training Exercise, at Densberger, Fort Knox, Ky., August 2, 2023. While cleaning her M-4 Carbine Rifle, Johnson described the pressure she felt while working together with her entire platoon to complete tactical missions in the field. “When you’re under stress or under pressure, you start to see a different side of people and how they develop as leaders,” Johnson explained. “At the baseline, everyone has to know these tactics and the basics of being a Soldier, so working as a whole not [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – During Cadet Summer Training, Cadets from Advanced Camp, 7th Regiment, donate blood at the Armed Services Blood Program’s blood drive at Smith Gym, Fort Knox, Ky., July 31, 2023.   Throughout CST, the Armed Services Blood Program hosts multiple blood drives, giving Cadets the opportunity to potentially save lives through their blood donations. Sgt. Andrew Smith III from Fort Moore, Ga., explained why the blood drive is an important activity for Cadets to participate in. “These Cadets are going to be our future leaders, so we want to get it in their mind that once they become [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky., – Cadets from 3rd Regiment, Basic Camp, completed their daytime land navigation exercise on Fort Knox, Ky., July 30, 2023. Land navigation acts as a tool to teach Cadets to maneuver through various terrains while locating the intended checkpoints. “Land navigation is the practice of finding where you’re going from your current location,” said Cadet Robert Esgro, Penn State. “We don’t know where we’re going, so every step is a step into the unknown.” This exercise exists so that Cadets can develop their planning skills as well as learn to think more critically about the situations they are [...]

FORT KNOX Ky. – Cadets from the 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed their Warrior Skills training at Fort Knox, Ky., July 30, 2023. The Warrior Skills training is an event that teaches and improves Cadets’ tactical skills for the field. Cadets learn about the fundamentals of munitions and practice what they have learned in a hands-on environment. Cadet Elena Oliver from Pacific Lutheran University shares her thoughts on the Warrior Skills training. “I think I did pretty well, and it was nice to refresh our skills in the field,” Oliver said. “It was good to interact with everything, and see how [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp, engage in various tactical training exercises during warrior skills at Fort Knox, Ky., July 29, 2023. Warrior skills teach the Cadets foundational knowledge about grenades, handling an M240 machine gun, and proper field movements that are continuously built upon throughout Cadet Summer Training.   Cadet Eden Hyatt, University of Connecticut, participated in warrior skills and she acknowledges the importance of this training. “We’re essentially trying to prep for two things; both tactical awareness and leadership,” said Hyatt. “Warrior skills ensure that we are prepped so that we can teach and lead [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky., -Cadets from 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp completed their Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear training on Fort Knox, Ky., July 29, 2023. CBRN is seen as a major obstacle for Cadets to complete their training, and Cadet Keaton Silver, Ole Miss, shares his knowledge from prior experiences with the confidence chamber. “The first time I ever went through the chamber, I thought to myself, “Oh wow this is easy, I’m never going to have a problem with CBRN”. I’d been in one of the earliest groups so I barely felt it,” Silver said. “The next FTX we went on [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from the 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed their Tactical Combat Casualty Care training at Fort Knox, Ky., July 29, 2023. The TCCC is an event that teaches Cadets important life-saving strategies during a battlefield scenario. This training is crucial to becoming a well-rounded leader and Commissioned Officer in the likelihood of a battle-related injury. Cadet Robert Carr shares his thoughts on the process of TCCC. “We learned about how to use radios, about formations, and how to move injured soldiers on a stretcher to the casualty collection point and get to a medevac,” Carr said. “This [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed their land navigation qualification at Fort Knox, Ky., July 28, 2023. Armed with a compass, protractor, pencil, map, and a list of coordinates, the Cadets set out, fueled by determination, to find each of their points in under 4 hours. “Today we’re conducting a day land nav., where we are supposed to find three to four points on the course,” said Cadet David Nevarez, Middle Tennessee State University. “When I first got my points, my goal was to make some type of plan to get from my first point to [...]