OCR Text |
Show assigned, as well as M-16 rifles and MREs (meals ready to eat). Then company leadership issued orders about the next day's activities to subordinates. The land navigation took place on the special forces course. There were steep mountains and impassable brush. Cadets were given a map, compass, protractor and coordinates, which they were supposed to find. "It is critical for us to learn good means of survival and orientation," Nelson said. While one company was participating in the landnavigation exercise, the other company was participating in a weapons exercise. Here, cadets learned to zero their weapons. They were given 10 rounds of ammunition and a paper target. In order to excel at the exercise, cadets needed to fire six shots; all close together on the target. On the last day of the training, cadets were sent on a 10k rucksack march. Each cadet was required to carry a 30- to 45-pound sack. The command was given to remove all cold-weather gear, because usually on a rucksack march the body heats up from the movement and does not need the extra clothing. However, the weather took an unexpected turn and began heavily snowing. Cadets in the march described it as "a blizzard." For 6.3 miles, cadets dealt with hilly terrain and cold weather, all the while carrying their sacks. ; out the other team ent and the camaraeater than anything cause you have ex'e extreme suck to, Army ROTC, along )TC, participated in p Williams in Eagle :OTC cadets to pargy, is a four-year cale weekend's event: )r precombat check. per gear needed to hen the gear check briefing to go over ter the briefing, the mp Williams. Upon ?.ping quarters were Mike Goonan, freshman in biology, is a first-year Army ROTC cadet. This was his first time participating in the FTX, and he said that no one gave him any details on what exactly the training was going to be like. On how he felt about what our deployed men and women go through every day, Goonan said, "I have a (stronger) appreciation for what they do. I just got a taste." Jamen Woodstock, junior in business administration, said the training was a challenge due to the extreme terrain and distance between the points. The rucksack march was the most memorable part of the training for Woodstock. He said the march was made harder by the weather conditions. "The snow killed morale, but we sang cadences to keep us moving along," Woodstock said. USU's Air Force ROTC cadets were invited to join the training. Kirk Smith, senior in Spanish, said the experience was "eye opening." There was a lot of training that Air Force cadets never get to go through. Smith said that in working with the Army, he realized how different of a mind-set it has than the Air Force. "They are blunter with their training. They are focused on the carrying out the mission, while the Air Force is focused on leading the mission," Smith said. My view now If the ROTC cadets taught me anything, it is respect. Being around these young people working their lungs out, I've learned that what I hear or experience in the past shouldn't determine what I feel about certain subjects. Sure, there is an odd Rambo in the mix somewhere, but most of the people working in the armed forces are individuals with values matching that of the military's seven: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. Over and over again, I find myself thinking that you cannot teach this stuff in classrooms. It is in the field that these characters are revealed. I don't mind labeling myself as a wimp. In the end, this physical and mental intensity is not for me, but I acknowledge this type of training and discipline would be priceless in anyone's life. - petesmiths@gmail.com, - doniell.mojazza@aggiemail.usu.edu — — • ;0-ar• arr- ••y&I!. - Elm • ••■•■•., .0•1111,-- -■■ ••••■- a P SMITH 'H and. UK |