Spring training

Deep within the dense forests of Fort Lewis, the crackling sounds of branches snapping and the swaying of leaves and bushes crunching can be heard as squads of young men and women wade through the foliage. They are dressed full combat gear, carrying rifles as they plan an attack behind enemy lines. Smoke grenades explode suddenly, and automatic weapons fire nearby, forcing combatants to take cover from enemy fire.

Over the weekend of May 16, 96 cadets from the Kinnear Husky Battalion, the Army division of the UW ROTC program, and 11 cadets from the Air Force ROTC program participated in their annual spring Field Training Exercise. The exercise, known as the FTX, is a realistic battle-training simulation that gives the cadets the opportunity to dress in full camouflage, arm themselves with M-16 rifles and carry 30-pound rucksacks, all while being evaluated on their leadership, problem-solving and technical skills as they attempt various field missions.

The objective of the FTX is to give first-year military-science students, known as MS-Is, and second-year cadets (MS-IIs) the opportunity to apply their military-science classroom skills in various mock battle scenarios and to gain experience in working with others as a team in the field. But, most importantly, the purpose of the FTX is to prepare the third-year cadets, known as MS-IIIs, for the upcoming National Advanced Leadership Training Camp this summer.

In Spring FTX, the MS-IIIs were assigned leadership positions such as "squad leader," "platoon leader" and "commanding officer," in which they bore the responsibility of ensuring their cadets were prepared and ready to complete the assigned tasks. Cadets rotated through scenarios in which the MS-IIIs led the underclassmen in fighting against the enemies (Air Force cadets), while the seniors (MSS-IVs) served as instructors and evaluators.

The three-day hands-on training exercise took place on Fort Lewis' 86,000 acres, encompassing an abundance of high-quality close-in training areas, including 115 live-fire ranges.

"Spring is the best FTX because you can practice all the tactics learned in class and apply them onto the missions," said sophomore Nicholas Holtz.

Day one

After a 90-minute drive from the UW to Fort Lewis, the cadets and cadre, officers and sergeants arrived at the camp late Friday afternoon for a rigorous weekend with a schedule that called for cadets to be up at 5 a.m. to participate in various tests, which would last until 10:30 at night. The cadets worked quickly and efficiently as an assembly line, gathering all of their belongings from the buses and walking a short distance in formation to their makeshift campsite. Standing side by side in horizontal lines to show for accountability, they were given rules and told what was expected of them for the weekend.

The cadets' next task was to set up their tents in the bivouac area or camp. Cadets faced the challenge of pitching their tents within a small, restricted area that had been sectioned off by green tape. Their mission was to make sure there was enough room for everyone in that particular area.

"They have to find ways to put all the people in a small given area," said Mike Chen, a senior and MS-IV who was evaluating the MS-III students. "The objective is to have them work with one another and to build teamwork."

Working as a team was not a problem for most cadets, but pitching the tents proved difficult for some. The small olive-green tents, called shelter-halves, required two uprights, some rope and a few stakes. It is easily carried on the cadet's back as part of a blanket roll. The cadets worked in pairs and snapped the halves together to make one shelter, which holds two people.

The importance of working in twos was strongly emphasized for several reasons, but especially for safety and accountability. Cadets would always attend the bathroom in pairs and walk around the campsite with their buddies. The importance of using the buddy system, especially at night, was clearly illustrated when it was pitch black.

"If someone was knocked unconscious or seriously hurt, a buddy can get someone's attention immediately," said Andy Kim, a senior and MS-IV cadet.

Once all the tents were set up, cadets were issued their M-16 rifles. Upon receiving their rifles and magazine clips, which hold the ammunition, safety clips were distributed for the weapons. Though the clips are only loaded with blanks, safety is a strict standard of conduct. The weapons protocol is an imperative element of field training. The first thing cadets learn is never to lose control of their weapon, even while sleeping or going to the bathroom.

Next, it was time for chow. Small waterproof bags were distributed among the cadets. These bags are called MREs (meals ready to eat), which have been developed specifically for the military and packaged to military standards. Everything a person needs for a complete nutritional meal is contained within the MRE. No refrigeration, no cooking and no preparation are needed. Each meal -- approximately 1,200 to 1,400 calories -- includes an entree; crackers; a cheese, peanut butter or jelly spread; a dessert or snack; beverages; an accessory packet of condiments, which contains Tabasco sauce; and a plastic spoon.

Also contained inside the MREs is a flameless ration heater (FRH). According to the manufactures of an MRE, the FRH is a water-activated chemical heater designed to heat the entree of an MRE by raising the temperature of the 8-ounce entree by 100 degrees Fahrenheit in 12 minutes.

Happy to receive their MREs, the cadets have adapted to the vacuumed-sealed meals and do not mind them. Some traded for their favorites and tried to stay away from the least popular entrees, such as meatloaf.

"For the taste, the poundcake is great; the rest of it will help you survive," said freshman Kyle Hawes, an MS-I cadet familiar with MREs.

"One MRE has enough calories to sustain a soldier in combat for about a day," said a MS-IV cadet, adding that MREs cause a major case of constipation and gas. He jokingly advised not to go on any dates for a couple days after eating an MRE.

When the cadets finished eating, at 10:30 p.m., they were ordered to bed to get as much sleep as possible. They would need to rejuvenate themselves in preparation for the day's worth of obstacle courses, which would begin at dawn.

Day two

At 5 a.m., cadets woke up and took advantage of the 30 minutes allotted for breakfast and personal hygiene. The cadets were next separated into two platoons and placed into multiple integrated squads, in order to go through the obstacle courses, known as "lanes." The lanes were designed to evaluate MS-III cadets on their leadership skills and problem-solving abilities. The leadership positions rotated for each lane and leaders had no idea what type of mission they would be directing, except that the lower-level cadets would help complete each operation according to the squad leader's orders.

"Everything we do is as a team," said Katherine Deffer, a MS-III cadet. "I rely on them for everything, like they rely on me."

The five lanes, varying in difficulty, lasted about two and half hours. The squad leaders were issued geographic points and an explanation. Cadets were required to find their way through the backwoods of Fort Lewis using only a compass and a map. Cadets applied their land-navigation skills learned from classes and labs and found specific points on the course.

Before each squad set out on its mission, squad leaders were expected to both formulate a plan and coordinate their teams while in battle. But because of time constraints, squad leaders did not carefully walk every member of their squad through all possible events. The best they could do was present a five-point contingency plan for the most likely events that would occur and run a few quick rehearsals of the tactics to be employed, making sure that each soldier knew what course of action what was necessary.

"Rehearsal is key. It helps to reduce confusion on the ground and against the enemy," said Yin Ting Chen, a MS-IV who evaluated platoon one, squad two. "Understanding the orders is crucial because not knowing them can jeopardize the squad's mission and put them in a life-or-death situation."

"My success as a squad leader is dependent on the success of the squad," said Deffer, who relied on her members and successfully led her squad through an enemy bunker.

Throughout the FTX, teamwork was heavily emphasized, but during the lanes, the concept of working as one unit was especially necessary. The cadets ran through the lanes, encouraging each other physically and emotionally, helping their teammates if necessary. The training provided them with mock cases in which the cadets were forced to work together

to find logical solutions to given problems.

Even though the lanes were all simulations and the artillery was non-lethal, the effect was real enough. The "enemy" Air Force cadets were under orders to follow scripted scenarios during the attack. Throughout the scenarios, the strengths and weakness of the cadets became increasingly evident. In one scenario, cadets had to deal with a "Colombian hostage" who was possibly friendly or hostile. To find out, one of the cadets had to communicate with the Colombian in Spanish to complete the objective.

"I found that when I was in the lanes, many things came naturally to me; my command presence and ability to make decisions in the field were traits I didn't expect to come out in me as well as they did," said David Huntoon III, a junior and a MS-III. "A weakness I noticed was my tendency to want to do everything myself. I should have used my fellow team members more."

Throughout the exercises, the enemy always had a better position, so it was essential that the squads make well-orchestrated maneuvers, often through rough patches of weeds and bushes in wedged formations. In some cases, reconnaissance, or "recon," of an area, would be conducted to gather information about the enemy. While patrolling and quietly walking through the forests, hand signals were used to inform others to freeze or to move slowly to the ground.

The cadets had to take out each position and "shoot" the enemy with blanks. Once enemies, referred to as "enemy prisoners of war" (EPWs), were taken under control or killed, the cadets would search their bodies for intelligence. In some cases, a bomb was hidden underneath the EPW, resulting in a cadet fatality. In other instances, EPWs who were still alive were cuffed and forced to place their arms over their heads. Cadets also gagged the EPWs in order for them not to communicate with other possible enemies nearby.

Adam Best, a sophomore and member from the Air Force ROTC, gladly volunteered to spend the weekend with the Army ROTC members as an enemy. Best said the reasons he wanted participate were to "[see] the Army's way of things and to learn what they do." Best figured the easiest way to truly comprehend the Army's tactics was to play the bad guy.

"We will be saving each other and working with them in the future all in brotherhood," he added.

After each completed lane, the fourth-year cadets and Army personnel gave advice and provided detailed feedback. Despite the high standards for performance during the training session, the supervisors and MS-IV evaluators stressed it was OK for cadets to make their mistakes now, rather than later at Advanced Camp.

For cadet Mike Kim, a junior and MS-III, the advice, practice and feedback from others did not make him worried about the evaluations. Kim said the ROTC has helped him build confidence and helped people to grow mentally and physically.

By the end of the long and strenuous day, platoon one, squad two had worked out all minor kinks and worked like clock-work, drawing much praise after the final lane.

"My favorite lane was the movement-to-contact lane. It was the last lane that my squad performed and it was probably our most successful," said Hawes, a member of platoon one, squad two. "By this time, we were working as a team and this helped us execute our mission successfully."

Lafleur, who supervised the squad during its final lane, agreed.

"Definitely the best-working squad I've seen today," he told the squad members. "You guys helped each other, cared about the squad leader, multitasked, showed the most cohesiveness among all squads."

Day three

Around 6 a.m., cadets formed two platoons of about 36, instead of their multiple squads, for a platoon-assault simulation that Hawes declared "the high point" of the weekend. Huntoon was one of two cadets chosen out of all MS-IIIs to act as a platoon leader for the assault.

"I have faith in the training that I have been given, and of course I have some level of anxiety, but I'm going to have fun," said Huntoon before leading his platoon.

Cadets concluded their weekend with a trip to Camp Murray, adjacent to Fort Lewis, to clean their weapons. Each cadet meticulously disassembled his M-16 and used Q-Tips, pipe cleaners and toothbrushes to wipe away the grease -- all in all, a five-hour process.

Later, with a weekend of arduous training behind them, cadets gathered around a small campfire. They socialized and told jokes while trying to dry off their boots and socks. The cadets seemed more like a close-knit family than a group of friends.

"The friendships built here are everlasting," Sorrell said.

"People are very supportive and I don't feel dumb for not knowing something," said Sarah Thompson, a sophomore and a MS-II cadet. "Joining the ROTC has been a personal challenge because I have never done anything like this before."

"The hardest part of the weekend was probably never having a moment to breathe," Huntoon said. "I only had one of those when I looked at the stars for a brief second before getting five hours of sleep. The pace is very fast and you have to keep up, taking care of yourself becomes a task, rather than second nature."

Now, as a cadet who has successfully finished the Spring FTX as an MS-III, Huntoon can give advice to the sophomores who will be evaluated next year.

"Take the initiative; now is the time to step up and be the leader you've been training to be," he said. "Don't hesitate to take command. Ask questions. Draw on the experience of your cadre and MS-IVs. It is invaluable and pertinent to you."

As the FTX came to a close, each of the cadets walked away from the weekend with new skills and leadership experience. For Huntoon, the weekend allowed him to discover that commanding troops in the field is what he would like to do in the Army.

"I felt truly in my element in those lanes out there," he said. "I learned a great deal about myself as a leader, the fact that I am one."

"What I learned this weekend was how the leadership works in a real-time scenario," Hawes said.

From the front lines of each mission to the cadets working behind the scenes, the FTX was a learning experience for all.

Senior Ronan Kennedy, an MS-IV cadet who spent the weekend evaluating and planning the missions for the squads, said the planning and coordinating was a learning experience in itself. After watching others complete the demanding missions, Kennedy realized his favorite year was as an MS-III.

"During the third year, [cadets] learn the most and receive the most valuable part of the program," he said. "You get to learn from yourself and others."

The majority of cadets clearly knew the tactical information they had been taught in class and were willing to help those who needed a little boost with their tactical training. The cadets had high levels of motivation and always seemed fired up and ready to go, despite the cold weather and lack of sleep.

For Tom Henderson, supervisor and a freshman instructor for the Army ROTC, the FTX was his first experience with college ROTC students. He said the cadets fared "as well or better than enlisted soldiers."

"These are people with their heads on straight," he said. "They did very well."