- 3 months ago
Every summer, nearly 8,000 college students from across the country head to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for Cadet Summer Training — the largest annual training event for the US Army.
The program is divided into two camps: Basic Camp, a 30-day introduction for students exploring ROTC, and Advanced Camp, a grueling 36-day assessment that determines whether contracted cadets can graduate and commission as Army officers.
During their time at Cadet Summer Training, the cadets participate in field training exercises, obstacle course, gas-chamber immersion, 60-foot rappels, and more.
Business Insider spent four days inside Fort Knox observing both camps to see firsthand what it takes to complete these training events — and to hear from cadets about why they chose this path of military service.
The program is divided into two camps: Basic Camp, a 30-day introduction for students exploring ROTC, and Advanced Camp, a grueling 36-day assessment that determines whether contracted cadets can graduate and commission as Army officers.
During their time at Cadet Summer Training, the cadets participate in field training exercises, obstacle course, gas-chamber immersion, 60-foot rappels, and more.
Business Insider spent four days inside Fort Knox observing both camps to see firsthand what it takes to complete these training events — and to hear from cadets about why they chose this path of military service.
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00:00this college student is training like the soldiers he will one day lead sweep twist pull
00:19every summer the u.s army brings thousands of rotc cadets to fort knox
00:25to find out who has what it takes to become an officer
00:36army officers lead missions make split-second decisions under pressure and are responsible for
00:43the lives of the soldiers they command one body here two we killed one over there we have a void
00:50of leadership in some places and we need to develop those leaders that have those skills that
00:55are able to have empathy they're able to have confidence they're able to communicate across
01:00broad spectrums i think that is what the u.s army needs and what our nation needs but most of these
01:06cadets have never gone through military training before where do you go to school i go to school at
01:12the university of iowa the university of miami university of colorado boulder the university
01:16of kentucky university of north georgia i go to howard university i go to texas a&m these cadets
01:22are here to face one of the toughest challenges they've ever experienced cadet summer training
01:33the training is split into two programs the introductory basic camp and advanced camp for
01:41those preparing to commission business insider spent four days inside fort knox to see what these cadets go
01:49through and what it takes to become a u.s army officer
02:05for some cadets it's their first time facing physical challenges in this kind of environment
02:18like carmen ayala from the university of puerto rico
02:32u.s army officer talked a little bit
02:41with the
02:42I just didn't want it to go with the easy way I just wanted to try
03:12so I'm really really happy and proud of myself I have always wanted to join the
03:28army since I'm younger age but I didn't have the opportunity and my life like
03:33did a 360 360 and I've just got the opportunity this is the first time in
03:41United States fun fact about me this is my first time traveling in a plane and
03:46everything so everything is new for me and I'm just really happy to be here and
03:52have this opportunity at basic camp cadets fire a variety of weapons like the
04:04M110 sniper rifle M250 caliber machine gun and even an M320 grenade launcher
04:12you should be on one knee taking a knee right before they hit the range cadets run the M4 carbine through a
04:32state-of-the-art simulator so it's kind of like a pretty much like a video game
04:38honestly it's a we're gonna be in a really dark room and there's gonna be a
04:41projector of the simulation that we're gonna be doing and the rifles they have
04:47this long core connected to them and we pretty much just simulate what's gonna
04:50go on on the range day but just to help us get it ready and I get our grouping of
04:54our bullets right
04:57these mags have computer technology
05:09how does this compare to like a college classroom sitting in an electric hall when you're here learning how to find your name floor right now
05:28I'd say it's it's different because it's more practical and hands-on more entertaining than the college classroom
05:33just because there's so many people new faces from all over the country in the
05:40world and I've never been able to touch an M4 like I am even just today
05:46after attending basic camp cadets have the choice to stick with ROTC or walk away
05:53it may not be their path in life and that's okay I tell them it's a
05:57recruiting endeavor it allows them to try it and see I'm amazed by how many actually
06:01stick it out but those that don't I that's great I have no problem with that
06:05because I think they're they're gaining an experience that they're once again
06:08their peers are not
06:14the summer before their senior year contracted ROTC cadets endure the 36-day
06:21gauntlet known as advanced camp graduation is required in order for them to go on
06:29and commission advanced camp is 36 days it's long it's arduous it's it's tiring
06:34mentally demanding physically it's tough on them this is their culminating event
06:41from a leadership standpoint and a training standpoint they've got to
06:45actually show that they have the attributes we need of a leader so we're
06:48gonna assess them if they don't meet those standards we have to take a look at
06:51it and say are these individuals we want as leaders in the United States Army one
06:56rite of passage is seaburn or chemical biological radioactive in nuclear
07:02training we need to be you know ready for all the different challenges that
07:07modern-day battlefield presents one of those being seaburn
07:11it'll be fun they said go to summer camp they said summer camp 25
07:16you're gonna be a business insider
07:19yeah let's go
07:22I've been excited since day one to go in the gas chamber
07:26this kind of helps one our cadets learn about trusting their equipment and that it functions
07:35and then two you know helps them understand the serious you know the severity of the modern day
07:41battlefield
07:43let's go let's go let's go let's go come on let's go let's go let's go
07:46let's go
07:48three
07:50four
07:52four
07:54five
07:58four
08:00five
08:02four
08:04four
08:06four
08:08five
08:10four
08:12five
08:14What is it, this D1?
08:43Oh, it's like a burning sensation.
08:45So it started on your neck, and then as soon as you took the gas mask off, it was all
08:49over your face.
08:50When you breathed in, you just kept coughing, and you couldn't breathe, but it was a fun
08:54experience.
08:55It sounded annoying, but it was an awesome experience to go through.
08:58I snotted out the mouth.
08:59I never snotted out the mouth.
09:00Snotted out the mouth, cough, crying.
09:03It was a very different experience.
09:06I think I will only do this one time if it's this bad.
09:09Why did you join the ROTC?
09:10Okay, so two things.
09:12I am a mother of twin girls.
09:15They motivate me.
09:16They push me.
09:17After I graduated college, I was like, I have to get something going financially, and so
09:22I fell back on the military.
09:24The second reason, I'm prior enlisted.
09:26So I came in as a specialist, and then I said, you know what, I'm going to get out.
09:30I don't know.
09:31I can't balance both, but my goal was to come in and be an officer, so I took the opportunity
09:35to do the green to go active duty route, and I did it, and I'm here, and I'm loving it.
09:39How does, like, CST compare to basic?
09:42It's luxury.
09:43There is luxury.
09:46Very luxurious, very relaxed from my basic training experience, but it's still on you.
09:52It still makes you focus.
09:53It still makes you lock in.
09:54You still get the same training, you just don't get smoked.
10:03Cadets spend a day rappelling down a 60-foot tower.
10:06In the Army, you're going to have to do things that are tough, especially when you're scared
10:10to go out.
10:11There's going to be really hard days, and so for some cadets, this is their first hard
10:15day in the Army.
10:16All right, here we go.
10:17Face the center of the tower.
10:18Go down.
10:19Raise for me.
10:21I got you.
10:24As leaders, you're going to be stressed out, so this is one way to test personal fortitude
10:30and the courage to do something that's uncomfortable.
10:32This is very high.
10:35All right.
10:36What's your last name?
10:37Irvin.
10:38Irvin.
10:39Put your left hand right here for me.
10:40Where are you going to school?
10:41Marion Military Institute.
10:42Marion Military Academy.
10:43Okay.
10:44Here we go.
10:45Step back.
10:46Spread your feet apart.
10:49No more.
10:51Put your right foot back a little bit.
10:54Oh, that's my last.
10:55Okay.
10:56Good.
10:57Lean back.
10:58Lock your knees.
10:59Locking your knees.
11:01Walk down three steps for me.
11:04Two.
11:05Two.
11:06No, that's one.
11:07No, one.
11:08Good job.
11:09Go.
11:14Straight back.
11:15Not out to the side.
11:16I definitely feel better than I did going up, so that's good.
11:19What was going through your head as you went over that edge?
11:21Just think break hand.
11:22Break hand.
11:23If I feel like I put a ball, break hand, reposition feet, walk down a little bit, and then just keep
11:29doing the break hand.
11:30After that, I was like, okay, you can do it.
11:31I jumped a little bit.
11:32I jumped a little bit.
11:33I'll come back, walk a little bit, jump.
11:34And I get bigger jumps as I was going, and I just got more confident.
11:37After conquering the wall, they descend another 60 feet on a single rope.
11:42Oh, my God!
11:46That would be, you know, representing coming out of a UH-60 or a Blackhawk helicopter to
11:54kind of get them ready.
11:55Hopefully, if they go to air assault or do any air assault operations in their future.
12:00Heat!
12:01Sweep!
12:02Twist!
12:03Pull!
12:04Break it up!
12:05Break it up!
12:06Break it up!
12:12Goddamn!
12:13Cadets are also tested on a grenade assault course.
12:20Break it up!
12:22That's just giving our cadets some warrior tasks and skills that we would ask our soldiers,
12:28and so we're putting them through the same thing that they're going to ask their soldiers
12:32to do, those level 10 tasks.
12:34Peep!
12:36Sweep!
12:37Twist!
12:38Pull!
12:39Break it up!
12:40Oh, shit.
12:41That's off.
12:43How hard is it to throw those things?
12:46It's not hard for real.
12:47You just got to make sure you aiming it correctly, for real.
12:53Peep!
12:54Sweep!
12:55Twist!
12:56Pull!
12:57Break it up!
13:01Okay, let's fucking go.
13:02He sees me.
13:05I'm down!
13:06I'm up!
13:07He sees me!
13:12Shit!
13:15I'm up!
13:16He sees me!
13:21I'm up!
13:22He sees me!
13:23I'm up, if he sees me, is my mama going to be able to see that?
13:48On the field leadership reaction course, teams work together to overcome a series of obstacles.
14:04You're going to have to tie that fucking loop around the other side in that monkey crawl,
14:09and then that's going to be your next shimmy, I guess.
14:13So each obstacle is led by a different squad leader, and they manage their squad,
14:18and they learn how to be a leader, a squad leader, and also a follower as well.
14:23We follow one platoon tackling an obstacle known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
14:29It's a horizontal post supported by two vertical beams, and the object here is to get someone boosted up onto the pole,
14:39shimmy across the pole, avoiding the razor-sharp gold vertical bar in between the horizontal bar.
14:47The platoon has just ten minutes to complete the mission.
14:51Are you safety?
14:52Yeah.
14:53Climbing up, that's actually not like the hardest part, it's more the nerves you get when you're up there.
14:57I'm not really that scared of heights, but I mean, you see it, it's like what, 12 feet tall?
15:05It's still a considerable drop.
15:07I mean, you could easily break a bone if you fell, like you could break your wrist or something.
15:12What now?
15:13You know, I started getting sore because I'm on a steel pole.
15:16At least I got to sit though, that's what I'm happy about, you know, got my five minutes of sitting.
15:25Guys, there's nowhere for me to go.
15:27This is crazy!
15:29Oh!
15:30Um, I was really scared.
15:31I'm scared of heights, so this is not like fun for me.
15:34Um, it was just nerve-wracking.
15:36I just kept looking at the other cadet who was up there, so I wouldn't look down,
15:40and just kind of focusing on his voice and like what he was telling me to do.
15:43Alright, and now is your time.
15:47Slowly lower the equipment down, don't just drop it.
15:49And then you guys can slide down the pole, you don't have to come all the way back down.
15:59Alright, let's go, let's go!
16:03Advanced camp culminates with a field training exercise,
16:07in which cadets put everything they've learned to the test
16:10in scenarios designed to mirror real combat.
16:14Move, move, move!
16:16Instructors grade every move.
16:19To graduate, and commission, all cadets must pass.
16:24They're rated on an excellent, proficient, capable, or unsat, like unsatisfactory.
16:29It means you essentially just failed your position.
16:31Yeah, what would somebody have to do to fail?
16:34Uh, I mean anywhere from like, putting your fellow cadets in points of fratricide,
16:41I mean you're not obviously building a positive environment that way, right?
16:45Um, and then obviously if your team's not working well with you,
16:50um, and you just kind of give up, essentially like,
16:53hey, I don't want to do this anymore.
16:55Um, that would be an unsatisfactory performance.
16:58I have some recovery trail mix with beef jerky.
17:03And then, in my little heater meal, I have some elbow macaroni.
17:09Probably one of my, uh, my sweets is either going to be sour skittles or twitzlers.
17:16Good choices!
17:18So, I'm eating meatballs and marinara sauce.
17:21Um, this is definitely not the best MRE, but you know, it's still food, it's still calories.
17:26I got two teriyaki beef sticks.
17:29Norris for giving me a beef stick.
17:31Um, yeah.
17:32Uh, it's baked snack crackers, uh, crackers, but they're Cheez-Its, skittles,
17:38and I got chili and macaroni.
17:40So, my whole family is, uh, Navy.
17:42My brother just recently commissioned and my mom was a, uh, 06 in the Navy.
17:45My dad was also enlisted.
17:47And I was like, I just don't want to be on a boat.
17:49So, I joined the Army.
17:51Picture this.
17:52After the meal, designated leaders huddle to plan a movement to attack on an oppositional force,
17:59or OPFOR, played by active duty soldiers.
18:03So, this straight line right here, Security and Weapons Squad,
18:07you guys are going to be the main base of fire.
18:09I need you to push your people through that vegetation.
18:12You guys are going to be the main base of fire.
18:14Hey, come on.
18:15Keep on knocking.
18:16I'm the才能.
18:17Why are you playing it for是我?
18:18I will be playing it for you.
18:19You guys are going to be playing it for me.
18:20You guys are going to be playing it for me.
18:21Hey.
18:22I will be playing it for me.
18:23Stay up.
18:24I will pass for someone for you.
18:26Keep it on the car.
18:27I will be sharing it for you.
18:28I will be sharing it.
18:29I will be sharing it.
18:31base of fire down to your watch go salt one up salt one up base of fire go
18:52hey extend out stand out base of fire set assault one on your feet
18:57work it's up
19:11P.L. P.L. do you want 2-1 to go?
19:21P.L. P.L. P.L.
19:25Hey, base is fire.
19:27Look where our assault is going.
19:29Where do you want us to go?
19:31The guidance is not clear.
19:33Go, go, go!
19:39Let's go!
19:42We've got our partners from the active component out there as opposing forces,
19:45so it provides that realist realism and some ambiguity of things
19:50that they're going to have to consider as leaders as they're out there.
19:54OPFOR has been subdued.
19:57We've got one body here, two.
19:59We killed one over there.
20:02What are you missing?
20:07What are you missing?
20:08An arm you said?
20:09Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
20:10Cool, cool, cool.
20:14What's wrong?
20:18Good, lost the right arm.
20:20Lost his whole arm?
20:21Lost his whole arm.
20:22Lost his whole arm.
20:24Lost his right arm.
20:26Medic has placed the tourniquet on at 15-17.
20:30I will do my duty.
20:32After graduating from advanced camp, cadets return to their universities.
20:37They'll finish their degrees before officially commissioning as U.S. Army officers.
20:43The bottom line is we're training in the profession of arms.
20:51We're training your second lieutenants that are going to lead from the infantry units
20:56all the way to cyber warriors.
20:58But at the end of the day, it's all about lethality.
21:00It has to be.
21:01That is what our profession is.
21:03So we have to train hard, and we've got to stress these cadets,
21:07let them know what's going to be expected of them.
21:09I often tell them, I'm like,
21:11this may be the hardest thing you've ever done to this point.
21:13And then at the end of it, I say, congratulations,
21:15now that you've done the easiest thing you're going to do in the Army.
21:23Peak, sweep, twist, pull, break it up!
21:31Okay, let's fucking go.
21:33My mama going to be able to see that?
21:35Okay.
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