As I write this, Cadet Summer Training 2023 is in full swing. Thousands of cadets from across the 50 states and territories are taking part in a huge array of training opportunities, not the least of which is Advanced Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
For the second summer in a row, I got the opportunity to serve as an Observer-Controller/Trainer for 1st Regiment. My platoon of cadets graduated on the 4th of July and are now either back at their homes or taking part in follow on training, so my summer’s CST activities are complete. After a brief vacation, I returned to my home and am reflecting on my time at Fort Knox. There were many changes to the way that Advanced Camp was ran this year, so I will write about those changes, as well as some things that I learned. The best way I believe I can do this is by telling the story of four cadets that were in my platoon that were at risk of failing Advanced Camp but, due to policy and rule changes, were given credit. Some I whole-heartedly agree with, while others I am attempting to understand how they were allowed to pass.
It is not my intent to drag any of these cadets- they were all honestly trying their best within their capabilities. None of these four cadets were slackers, nor were they bad people. I believe their stories can help others learn how to be better Soldiers and Leaders, and how to best navigate Cadet Camp.
A few admin notes, for those cadets yet to travel or looking forward to when they go next year:
1. Take your PT seriously. Many of the issues we had were cadets who clearly did not do their part on training for camp. If you know you struggle with ruck marching, then you need to get out and ruck up. If you are a lightweight and the ball throw is challenging, then focus on that (even at the expense of other events). Too many times did cadets put themselves in a risky position for no reason- nearly failing camp for their lack of preparation.
2. Thicken your skin. When I say this, I don’t mean to be able to take your OC/T or PTO team’s criticism. Though you should (as yes, we are always right and you can usually win the next engagement by listening to us), this is not the important point. The thing that held cadets back more often than not was an inability to put their pride aside with their peers and create positive communication. Cadets would often enrage each other unnecessarily and ended up focusing on bickering with each other instead of focusing on accomplishing the mission. I can’t tell you how much arguing my platoon did on the correct way to cross an LDA instead of coming up with “a” standard and just going with it. Believe me, Advanced Camp is not Ranger School. Get the tactics to “ok” and execute with audacity.
3. At a minimum, don’t become a burden. There can only be one top cadet in each squad, and one top cadet in each platoon. But that means that their also must be one bottom cadet as well. The bottom cadet in peer reviews, without fail, were those cadets that were a burden on others. They were the cadets who only looked out for themselves, who kept their rain-gear on during ruck marches, who didn’t volunteer for heavy weapons duty, and who fell asleep on guard duty. You don’t have to make friends with the rest of the squad (though it does help), but you had best pull your weight.
4. Know what PCC’s and PCI’s are, and have a plan. I want to write a whole article on this one, but suffice it to say, many key failures of missions were a result of poor checks. It is not that checks were not being conducted, but that there was very little thought going into them. It is easy to fall in on the same checks that occurred yesterday (eye pro, ear pro, water ect…). But what about mission specific checks? For example, did you check weapons status prior to leaving the patrol base?