Photo By Maj. Michael Reinersman | The training scenarios performed by officer candidates and cadets are assessed by Sgt....... read more read more
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GREENVILLE, Ky. - Future Army leaders from across the state joined forces to conduct a combined field training exercise at Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center training center, April 16-18, 2015.
Officer candidates from Kentucky’s National Guard Officer Candidate School along with cadets from Murray State University and Western Kentucky University’s Reserve Officer Training Corps spent three days in the field covering troop leading procedures while conducting platoon and squad level tactics.
This included scenarios such as movement to contact and platoon ambush and raids. The goal of the combined field training exercise is to assess and provide instruction to the officer candidates and ROTC cadets in leadership positions while conducting infantry tasks.
This marks the second year that ROTC programs from Western Kentucky and Murray State have participated in the field training exercises with the Kentucky OCS program. To enhance lanes training this year, cadets and candidates used the RAP-4, military grade paintball system, to simulate live fire.
“This enhancement from last year’s training will make it more realistic and environmentally friendly by using bio degradable paint balls. It is a better alternative than having shell casing all over the training area” said Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Kennedy, operations noncommissioned officer for the 238th Regimental Training Institute.
According to Western Kentucky University’s Assistant Professor of Military Science, Capt. Lincoln Ward, there are many benefits to training and collaborating with the Kentucky Guard.
“This has been a good partnership.” said Ward. “Working with new soldiers from different backgrounds provides a new challenge to the cadets.” Adding that, “The Kentucky National Guard provides us with resources that we don’t normally have at a ROTC program or the NCO support that can help access land and medics.”
Officer candidate Jennifer Steinmetz also echoed the mutual benefits of the training exercise.
“This would have been a hard training event to conduct since we don’t have the numbers. There are eight officer candidates. Training with the cadets allowed the officer candidates to participate in full platoon and squad lanes,” said Steinmetz.
“Now, that we have those spots filled, during phase three, it will not be such a shock when we conduct platoon and squad lanes.”
Phase three is the last step in the OCS commissioning process. The final phase covers troop leading procedures, infantry squad tactics, and culminates with a field leadership exercise at Fort McClellan, Alabama.
Cadet Kyle Taylor with Western Kentucky University and a member of Kentucky Guards Bravo Company, 149th Infantry Battalion, talks about the difficulty of training on a college campus.
“Since we don’t have a lot space on campus, it’s great to be in a tactical environment and run lanes. We are able to evaluate each other and work to get better,” said Taylor.
The Spring FTX was another successful collaboration between two commissioning programs to develop future leaders in the Kentucky Guard, Army Reserve and active duty.
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.22.2015 22:38 |
| Story ID: | 160926 |
| Location: | GREENVILLE, KY, US |
| Web Views: | 498 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, OCS and ROTC unite, by MAJ Michael Reinersman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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