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U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — The U.S. Air Force Academy recently concluded its inaugural Cadet Warfighter Instructor Course (CWIC), an 11-day program held from July 22 to August 1, 2025. This new addition to the Cadet Military Education and Training Plan gives cadet instructors the tools to teach lower-class cadets basic warfighting skills at the individual and small-unit levels.
"Train the trainer": A vital requirement
CWIC was established to offer more comprehensive training for cadet instructors. Major James Moore, a course planner, describes CWIC's goal as "bridging the gap between foundational knowledge and operational realities, ensuring our cadet trainers can impart vital knowledge and skills to their fellow cadets at the squad level."
The impact of this training is already being felt by cadets like 2nd Class Micaela Martz, who served as a squad leader during a squad-level situational training exercise (SQD STX) and emphasized the program's future impact.
“During CWIC, we were taught to be adaptable and think critically under pressure,” said Martz. “CWIC has helped us become more effective instructors and leaders. This training will help us better teach the Cadet Wing foundational warfighter skills, better preparing us to fight and win our Nation’s wars once we earn our commissions."
CWIC module breakdown
The program was structured around several key modules, mirroring the core principles of ground warfare.
• Shoot, Move, Communicate: This module focused on warfighting tasks, squad-level tactics, and troop-leading procedures. It concluded with a practical application of what was learned at the squad level, utilizing Airsoft simulations.
• Medicate: Cadets received instruction on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) skills and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) preparedness.
• Automate: This section provided comprehensive instruction on using small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) to integrate modern battlefield tools into foundational skills.
Moore explained the modules were designed to build foundational warfighter competencies. "From honing small-arms tactics and troop-leading procedures to mastering lifesaving TCCC and CBRN tasks, and integrating modern battlefield tools with sUAS, we provided a holistic and practical foundation for our cadet trainers to train their peers," said Moore.
Green Berets: Ideal instructors for foundational skills
The decision to use U.S. Army Green Berets as instructors was deliberate due to their expertise, honed through rigorous training and extensive real-world combat experience at the tactical level.
"What differentiates and distinguishes Green Berets from other special operations units is that we are primarily combat trainers and advisors,” said U.S. Army Maj. Tom Boehm, commander, Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group. “We must be able to take someone with no military experience and train them through a deliberate instruction program to become an effective Soldier."
Their instruction ensures cadets are better equipped to train other cadets.
"Working with cadets who have never been exposed to this stuff makes our Green Beret trainers much better at their jobs,” said Boehm. “It also ties into the 'train the trainer' methodology they're employing here at the Academy—we're training upper-class cadets to teach these exact lessons to underclassmen cadets in future training iterations."
Martz emphasized the training's transformative nature. She believes the training was enhanced through the participation and guidance of the instructors from the 10th Special Forces Group.
"I enjoyed learning from the Green Berets,” said Martz. “I felt like they brought professionalism, and all the cadets around me were really focused on what they were learning, which I appreciated. It was also cool to have a leadership opportunity and realize that sometimes we will be asked to do hard things in the military.”
Cadets are better prepared to lead future training
CWIC left a significant impression on the cadets, who expressed enthusiasm for the practical skills and leadership experience gained. Their feedback highlights the program's success in preparing them to lead future training for their peers.
"Learning from Green Berets — true subject matter experts — was amazing," said Cadet 2nd Class Derek Weissinger, and a team leader for the culminating squad-level situational training exercise (SQD STX). "It showed me how to be a more effective trainer and better leader to support my teammates at the squad level. This experience will help me make training at the Academy more relevant."
Weissinger also reflected on the immediate lessons from the exercise.
"The biggest thing that I learned was how to keep command in the fog of war, specifically when we were setting up our ambush and doing the patrol before the ambush," said Weissinger. "A lot of things weren't very certain... and what I learned was, it's still important just to choose something, to make a decision, instead of being paralyzed by indecision."
Martz stressed that she is now better prepared to teach foundational warfighting skills to other cadets.
"During CWIC, we were taught to be adaptable and think critically under pressure,” said Martz. “CWIC has helped us become more effective instructors and leaders. This training will help us better teach the Cadet Wing foundational warfighter skills, better preparing us to fight and win our Nation’s wars once we earn our commissions."
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.14.2025 15:35 |
| Story ID: | 545650 |
| Location: | U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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