Pointlife
UW-SP ROTC conducts tactical exercise
Pointlife Reporter
Over the weekend of April 10 to 13, cadets from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point ROTC attended the annual Combined Field Training Exercise at Ft. McCoy just outside of Tomah, Wis. UW-SP cadets trained with cadets from every ROTC department in both Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. There were approximately 150 cadets from each of the school’s junior classes, including UW-SP, along with another 150 cadets and cadre serving in a support role. The purpose of the exercise was to prepare the junior class for the Leadership Development Advanced Course, which they will be attending this summer. Cadets took part in activities such as land navigation, leadership exercises and squad tactical lanes.
For the fifth year in a row, UW-SP hosted the event which, for the senior class, meant extensive preparation. The Pointer Battalion Cadet Executive Officer Kyle Bender was able to sum up the planning process, describing it as “lengthy.” The senior class was tasked with creating the plan to house, feed and provide logistical support for all 300 members of the exercise. “We’ve been working on preparation for the event since January,” said Bender.
Over the weekend, cadets from the junior class were given many opportunities to lead their peers. “They served in positions ranging from company commander, leading dozens of their peers, to squad leaders, leading only a few,” said Bender.
“It was a really good field experience, it was nice to do some of the things you do in the Army which can’t be done on campus,” said Jeremy Crochiere, a member of the junior class.
The freshmen and sophomores spent the weekend as staff assistants. While these jobs may not have seemed very important at the time, it gave the underclassmen an opportunity to see how to host the event. “My time as an underclassmen [at the event] allowed me to see what is supposed to happen which made me better prepared when it became my turn to run things,” said Bender.
On April 26 to 27, the Pointer Battalion will conduct a second field training exercise to reinforce the skills that were learned at the CFTX.
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