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During the early morning hours, some upper-class cadets were greeted by a group of noncommissioned officers
donning the intimidating, yet renowned campaign hat (round brown). Inspired and challenged during their two-week
training, the cadets received instruction on basic military tactics from the drill sergeants of the 198th Infantry Training
Brigade of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.
Cadets used this experience to now teach and guide the incoming U.S. Military Academy Class of 2026 during Cadet
Basic Training, which started Monday.
CBT is a demanding progression of training requirements that form the foundation for all new cadets at West Point.
Starting with Reception Day, the six-week training regimen consists of academic briefs and rigorous testing to prepare
the new cadets for the West Point culture. The new cadets will then develop their basic Soldier tasks through
marksmanship, land navigation, patrol bases and other additional skills.
“This exercise is to ensure that these future officers get a perspective on what the basic fundamentals of the Army
are,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Brock, a drill sergeant with 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment, at Fort Benning,
Georgia. “Not only does it provide them basic tactical skill, it also allows the cadets to understand what enlisted infantry
Soldiers go through during their 22-week course.”
During the two weeks, the cadets went through the “First 100 Yards,ˮ drill and ceremony, physical readiness drills,
resiliency training and more.
The “First 100 Yardsˮ is a 90-minute event that allows trainees to demonstrate their ability to move as members of a
platoon, take responsibility for equipment, advance through obstacles and react to stressful situations. Some events that
took place in the “First 100 Yardsˮ were the tug of war, relay races, and maneuvering through obstacle courses.
Brock said every aspect of training is vital. However, he hopes that these cadets will also understand the traits and
characteristics of the team as they rise and fall based on the efforts of each individual.
“Everyone has to play their role and put in their best effort, or the whole thing fails,” Brock said. “That includes
motivation, attention to detail, attention to discipline and teamwork, which allows the mission to be accomplished.”
With the drill sergeants demanding presence, Class of 2023 Cadet Kai Youngren, as the CBT commander,
understood what message the drill sergeants wanted to convey to the cadets.
“We had to change our minds to the mentality of being a team,” Youngren said. “The Army is one big team. Within
that big team, we have a variety of little teams that need to work cohesively together so that we can accomplish large and
complex missions that are vital to our Nation’s survival and success.”
He also stated that he wants incoming personnel to understand how motivation, attention to detail, discipline, and
teamwork are not practices limited to Army standards. Instead, these character traits are things you carry with you
throughout your entire life.
“I hope these (new) cadets acknowledge the importance that moving together as a team is going to be incredibly
important for their success both in CBT but also through their time at West Point and beyond in their Army careers,”
Youngren said.
With the CBT experience providing a new perspective on teamwork to the cadet cadre, they are ready to bestow what
they learned onto the incoming cadets working diligently to become a part of the Long Gray Line, Youngren stated.
“When undertaking complex and arduous tasks, the people to your left and right want to see you succeed,” he said.
“They can pick up the slack where you are lacking and help you succeed, but it takes tight coordination and good bonds.”
While not being accustomed to receiving rugged mentorship from drill sergeants, cadets faced this new experience as
an opportunity to learn.
“This experience was tough and different,” Youngren said. “The drill sergeants will enter your personal space and
demand a variety of tasks. The challenging part was completing the task exactly how they wanted it while being yelled
at to complete a different task. This raised my level of attention to detail.”
| Date Taken: | 06.20.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.06.2022 15:42 |
| Story ID: | 424024 |
| Location: | WEST POINT , NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Drill Sergeants take charge in guiding cadet cadre, by SGT Kelvin Johnson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
