Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Calvert | First Lt. Rumeal Lewis (right), an Albany, N.Y., native and UH-60 Black Hawk...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas – A handful of cadets were afforded a rare opportunity to participate firsthand in Army aviation here recently.
The cadets were participating in Cadet Troop Leader Training, a program that provides an opportunity to experience leadership in Army units between semesters at their respective universities.
Cadets eager to don a flight suit upon commissioning got an up-close and personal look at Army aircraft with the Air Cav.
“As a cadet, you’re thirsty for knowledge,” said 1st Lt. Rumeal Lewis, an Albany, New York, native and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot with Company A, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. “CTLT is the only chance these cadets get to go out during (time in the ROTC) and experience the active component firsthand. It allows them to do with their own hands and to see with their own eyes.”
During CTLT, cadets serve in lieutenant-level leadership positions in active-duty units, with platoon leader positions typically having a three-to-four-week duration, depending on the hosting unit and location.
Assignments include units that are located in and out of the continental U.S., and are branch-specific depending on the cadets’ preferences. Cadets are assigned unit mentors, like Lewis, and are provided on-post lodging and meals while shadowing their mentors.
“I’ve had three cadets so far this summer, and the goal is always the same; getting them out there with aircraft and Soldiers, so they can see and learn as much as possible about aviation and the Army in general,” Lewis said. “I remember when I was a cadet and was starved for knowledge. Participating in CTLT gave me a glimpse into the future, and I want to do the same to my cadets.”
CTLT is exclusively designed for Military Science III cadets, usually juniors in college, before and after completion of the cadet Leader Development and Assessment Course, according to the U.S. Army Cadet Command. The LDAC is a requirement for all ROTC cadets.
Cadet Quintin Lee, an ROTC cadet at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, recently completed the LDAC and has shadowed Lewis during his break from obtaining his master’s degree in public safety management.
Time that has added to his interest in aviation, said Lee, who is also a private first class serving as an infantryman with the Indiana National Guard.
“I knew flying would be cool to learn, so I really wanted to shadow a pilot during CTLT,” the Fishers, Indiana, native said. “I had the opportunity to fly a Black Hawk simulator, and it’s one of the most awesome, yet difficult things I’ve done. We died a couple of times, but I kept learning step-by-step until I got it right.”
“I have more of an appreciation for what aviation officers do now,” Lee added. “It takes a tremendous amount of skill to pilot a helicopter, and these officers make it look so easy.”
Looking back on the experience so far, Lee said he not only has bragging rights to take back to his university, but also a wealth of information garnered from his time with the Air Cav., information that he plans on putting to use immediately, Lee said.
“There are 6,000 to 7,000 cadets competing nationwide, many of whom are fighting to get the chance to be active duty pilots,” Lee explained. “From my experience in the simulator to my first time riding in an actual Black Hawk, CTLT has shown me what the Army is really like, and affirmed my commitment to becoming an active duty officer – hopefully one who gets to fly.”
| Date Taken: | 08.06.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.06.2014 11:07 |
| Story ID: | 138444 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TX, US |
| Hometown: | ALBANY, NY, US |
| Hometown: | FISHERS, IN, US |
| Web Views: | 371 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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