• 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 [...]

    Categories: CST 2023
  • FORT KNOX, Ky. – As the 2023 Cadet Summer Training program is starting up, the 581st Area Support Medical Company (ASMC), 61st Multi-functional Medical Battalion, 1st Medical Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) from Fort Cavazos, Texas, are operating a role II field hospital support at Fort Knox. Located at Logistic Support Area Baker, the role II field hospital is set up to provide medical treatment and exercises for the Cadets that are training. The groups from Fort Cavazos began to prepare for their visit to Fort Knox for the mass casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) exercise by perfecting their role II operations and [...]

    Categories: CST 2023
  • The final event hosted for Cadet Summer Training 2022 was just getting started when the day was ending.  Cadets of 11th Regiment, Advanced Camp began their final event to check-off for CST: the 12-mile foot march.  “We left Densberger and got ready for step-off around 2030, formed up, and right at 2100 we stepped off for the 12-mile foot march,” said Cadet Leo Ras, Austin Peay State University. Through the thick brush around them and gravel paths, Cadets marched through the darkness of the night. Along the way, some checkpoints provided arm immersion tanks to cool down. Once Cadets arrived back [...]

    Categories: CST 2022
  • A freshly tabbed Ranger enters the final regiment of Cadet Summer Training 2022. From April 1st to now, Cadet Daniel Walters, University of South Carolina, has had less than a week of rest due to back-to-back training including RTAC (Ranger Training Assessment Course), Ranger School, Airborne School, and now Cadet Summer Training.  Walters enlisted into the South Carolina National Guard in 2018 as a 88M, Motor Transport Operator. Early into this career he started seeing success as he graduated with a leadership award from Advanced Individual Training (AIT). Eager for more leadership experience, Walters found ROTC to be a solid path [...]

    Categories: CST 2022
  • One Cadet started the mission, another Cadet had to finish it. 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets began their movement to contact mission with the vision of 3-4 opposing forces near their objective. Minutes after contact with the opposing forces (OPFOR), the platoon scrambled – only to find themselves being surrounded from behind by more opfor.  Opfor were multiplying and appearing in all directions, but platoon leader Erika Zachary, St. Mary’s University – San Antonio, rallied everyone to gather in one area… but the forces were too strong as Zachary was taken down before it happened. Michael Numa, Virginia Military Institute, realized [...]

    Categories: CST 2022
  • Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) at Cadet Summer Training is not a timed event but remains a test for Cadets if they can quickly respond to care under fire.  Cadets are assessed on knowing the different steps of evaluating a casualty and how to utilize the different items in an individual first aid kit (IFAK) during the TCCC lane.  Ssg. Mark Bartruff, a lane NCOIC for TCCC helped to ensure Cadets know how important medical care is to learn as a future army leader. “Not everybody has a medical background,” said Bartruff. “But we give them just some of the basics [...]

    Categories: CST 2022
  • Cadet Sage Brooks, North Carolina State University, marched his platoon to the Rappel Tower to take on their next challenge at Cadet Summer Training. As they arrived, a lieutenant mentioned to them that a brigadier general was waiting for them in front of the tower and wanted to give a few words of advice. “The lieutenant mentioned there was a one-star up there, and to be respectful and make sure to salute her,” said Brooks. “I was thinking in my head – alright, all the customs and courtesies. And then I saw my step dad’s truck and was like ‘oh, my [...]

    Categories: CST 2022
  • “I told them if they hit the target, I’d be going in there just like they were,” said 2nd Lt. Jeanluc Pos.  After realizing their Platoon Training Officer was in on the muddy action if they hit their target, Cadets of 11th Regiment, Advanced Camp locked down their aim in an attempt to hit the 35 meter target during grenade training. Cadet Virginia Larsen, University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign, cheered as her peers attempted to hit the target so their Cadre would join in on throwing practice grenades.  As a Psychology major that is interested in branching Medical Services, the [...]

    Categories: CST 2022
  • M4 carbine sights may have been fogged up as 11th Regiment, Advanced Camp, went out to the Handiboe Range to group and zero their M4 Carbines, but the conditions taught Cadets that not everyday will be sunny and clear skies.  “It was a combination of fogginess and raindrops all over,” said Cadet Taylor Rice, Virginia Commonwealth University. “It started pouring so much that it got into both my prescriptions and into my eye pro.”  Rice along with her peers had to wipe off their eye protection or glasses in between firing iterations due to the intense downpour. While trying to clear [...]

    Categories: CST 2022