Photo By Sgt. Kelvin Johnson | Instructors at the United States Military Academy (USMA) conducts land navigation for...... read more read more
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Story and photos by Kelvin Johnson Jr.
40th Public Affairs Detachment
Normally, their uniforms are professional civilian attire, but for these few days in the late spring, they suited up in Army uniforms with tightly laced boots.
Instructors at the U.S. Military Academy attended the inaugural Civilian-Military Experience (CME) from June 1-3 at West Point.
During CME, instructors took part in the water confidence course, Marne confidence course, land navigation, patrol base operations, and warrior task and battle drills so they could better understand the cadets’ experience.
Some instructors at USMA have never served in the military before and were getting a quick look at what their cadets learn outside the academic school year. They received a better perspective of the cadet lifestyle within an immersive military training experience that resembles Cadet Field Training.
Yasmine Kalkstein, a psychology instructor at USMA, came up with the idea of this program to provide this experience to civilian instructors because they are a part of the Army’s profession and mission.
“I felt like we were missing something, we do not understand what the cadets go through in the summer,” Kalkstein said. “We did not understand their language and we only knew our side of their story.”
Instructors will now have a different way to communicate with cadets than ever before.
“I can now connect and use examples they can understand and relate to,” Kalkstein said. “I can talk about anxiety on the ‘slide for life’ or walking across the ‘balance beam’ and how I faced it.”
Kalkstein added that not only do instructors earn cadet’s respect for trying to understand what they are going through, it also allows them to give respect for doing what they are doing.
Going through this experience not only helped the instructors learn about their cadets but it also gives them a chance to learn about themselves in the process.
“I have learned how to embrace the hard times and go out and attack what you are doing,” Kalkstein said. “I was outside of my comfort zone a variety of times, however, I pushed through with the motivation of the other instructors.”
She also stated, being able to trust and help one another was something new as well for the instructors.
“Being in charge of your peers and having them look to you for what to do next was challenging,” Kalkstein said. “Even being led by your peers, having to sit and wait and not know what is going on but having to trust one another to guide you to the right path.”
Capt. Marc Meybaum, a military instructor at the USMA and a CME staff member, explained the overall success of this program.
“Having to adapt to the military lifestyle can be challenging, and I believe these instructors have done their best to obtain the full experience.” Meybaum said. “This experience was very similar to what the cadets go through.
“Teaching civilians is great, they are coming in with a broad range of experience, many do not know about the tactical level of military skill or even the oath we take as commissioned officers,” Meybaum added. “So seeing them out here putting their all into it brings back a lot of great memories.”
At the end of a challenging two days, the inaugural CME event was complete; however, the memories of going through the events will last.
This experience was not just bringing back memories for Meybaum, it was also giving memories to the civilian instructors.
“My favorite experience was getting things done, knowing that you have completed something is no better feeling because you really put your all into it,” Kalkstein said. “Overall, this experience helps feel ownership and that you are actually helping the Army’s mission.”
For more details and videos on CME or Cadet Summer Training, visit https://www.westpoint.edu/military/department-of-military-instruction/cadet-summer-training.
| Date Taken: | 06.03.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2022 16:59 |
| Story ID: | 423008 |
| Location: | WEST POINT , NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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