Cadets get special training
UA ROTC cadets particpate in special summer training
Tiffany Belacic
Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: News
While most UA students spent their summers watching Batman and daydreaming about superheroes, some top-notch ROTC students were sent to locations across the country to bring these dreams to life.
These real-life heroes were sent to undergo training in the most intense situations possible. The cadets learned to jump from airplanes, deal with toxic environments and rappel from heights.
In June, Cadet Michael Pope attended Air Assault School at Fort Knox, Kentucky. In addition to learning about basic issues concerning helicopters, Pope learned to sling loads to helicopters and to rappel from heights. Pope and his fellow cadets got to stay in the barracks, while keeping them as clean as if privates were there.
"You do something wrong--you get smoked," Pope said. Of course, the term "getting smoked" is not being referred to in the typical college sense. This refers to getting pushed to your physical limits by doing push-ups, low-crawls, etc.
At Fort Knox, Cadet Wesley Farriss attended the Leader's Training Course. "A lot of people think 'Oh my Gosh, I'm standing in an accountability formation, it's 4:30 in the morning, and I've been here for half an hour... why am I here?'"
Cadet Farriss said. The purpose of this course is to indoctrinate cadets who enter ROTC later in their school career. These cadets learned core skills at an accelerated pace.
"You get a little experience of what being enlisted is somewhat like," added Farriss.
Two cadets were especially busy in July. Cadet Mike Riendeau interned at Drill Cadet Leadership Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. During his time there he was attached to a basic training company and viewed as a second lieutenant.
Riendeau was responsible for teaching one class, in order to gain a better understanding of the officer's role in the military.
Cadet Caleb Shalala attended Air Assault School in Fort Benning, Georgia. During this time, Cadet Shalala learned how to exit an aircraft during flight with combat equipment, such as a rucksack and a weapon.
These real-life heroes were sent to undergo training in the most intense situations possible. The cadets learned to jump from airplanes, deal with toxic environments and rappel from heights.
In June, Cadet Michael Pope attended Air Assault School at Fort Knox, Kentucky. In addition to learning about basic issues concerning helicopters, Pope learned to sling loads to helicopters and to rappel from heights. Pope and his fellow cadets got to stay in the barracks, while keeping them as clean as if privates were there.
"You do something wrong--you get smoked," Pope said. Of course, the term "getting smoked" is not being referred to in the typical college sense. This refers to getting pushed to your physical limits by doing push-ups, low-crawls, etc.
At Fort Knox, Cadet Wesley Farriss attended the Leader's Training Course. "A lot of people think 'Oh my Gosh, I'm standing in an accountability formation, it's 4:30 in the morning, and I've been here for half an hour... why am I here?'"
Cadet Farriss said. The purpose of this course is to indoctrinate cadets who enter ROTC later in their school career. These cadets learned core skills at an accelerated pace.
"You get a little experience of what being enlisted is somewhat like," added Farriss.
Two cadets were especially busy in July. Cadet Mike Riendeau interned at Drill Cadet Leadership Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. During his time there he was attached to a basic training company and viewed as a second lieutenant.
Riendeau was responsible for teaching one class, in order to gain a better understanding of the officer's role in the military.
Cadet Caleb Shalala attended Air Assault School in Fort Benning, Georgia. During this time, Cadet Shalala learned how to exit an aircraft during flight with combat equipment, such as a rucksack and a weapon.
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