Fort Knox, Ky. – At approximately 4 p.m. on August 3rd, 1973, Richard Spencer raised his right hand and recited the oath of an Army Officer after graduating from Jacksonville State University and completing the Army ROTC program. This newly commissioned lieutenant was heading to Airborne School that afternoon full of excitement. Little did the then 2nd Lt. Spencer know what the next 50 years would hold. Spencer began serving in the Active Duty Army in January of 1974 as a Military Police Officer. “My first duty assignment was very unique since I had a college degree, which was very unusual [...]

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., – 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 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 [...]

FORT KNOX Ky. – Cadets from the 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed their Rappel Tower training at Fort Knox, Ky., July 28, 2023. The 64-foot Rappel Tower teaches Cadets to trust in their equipment and themselves to descend the tower. Cadets learn to be confident and brave when faced with the challenges presented at this training event. Cadet Kade Blackwell from Tarleton State University in Dallas, Tx, shares his thoughts on the Rappel Tower. “I was pretty confident at this event, and I knew most of the process for the rappel tower,” Blackwell said. “It is exciting to jump off the [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 10th Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed the Confidence Course at Fort Knox, Ky., July 28, 2023.  The Confidence Course consists of ten obstacles that are designed to physically and mentally challenge Cadets. Despite how intimidating the obstacles may look, the purpose of the Confidence Course is to build confidence in Cadets.   One of the obstacles from the confidence course was named the belly over. It’s where Cadets have to get their stomach on top of a log, then roll over to the opposite side. Cadet Alexis Rivera from Central Michigan University talked about her personal experience [...]

FORT KNOX, Ky., – Cadets from 8th Regiment, Advanced Camp, entered the second stage of their Field Training Exercise at Fort Knox, Ky., July 26, 2023.  Spending a total of 12 days in the field, Cadets complete groups of exercises, which are divided into 3 parts: Wolverine, Panther, and Grizzly. The Cadets are challenged mentally and physically before their skills are graded on the last day.  “We’re on our second mission, on the first day of Panther, and we’re completing an area defense,” said Cadet Phillip Jones, Alabama A&M. “Leadership is still processing the last few parts of our plan to [...]