BY: Rachael Ward

The weather conditions for Saturday, April 16 were less than favorable. From the chilling rain to the fierce winds, it was not a day to be outside. Despite this, the members of the ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corp) packed up their gear and braved the elements.
As of 6 A.M., students from Kutztown, Bucknell, York College, and Millersville were awake and ready to begin the long day of training evaluations, preparing them for life as an officer in the US Army.
Each platoon was put into a rotation of different exercises in order to test their skills, one of which was the Leader Reaction Course. This course serves as an assessment of each squad member’s leadership skills. There were several different sections of courses, all with different mission objectives to complete.
For example, a squad would be given a mannequin to pose as an injured soldier. Working with only allowed tools, the entire squad had to assist the injured soldier across a gap to the other side, followed by the rest of the squad. While these tests seemed reminiscent of teamwork building exercises from past gym classes, these tests were incredibly more extreme in both their method of execution and conditions. Not only did they have to work together efficiently, but they also had to test their strength, endurance, creativity and most importantly, their ability to stay calm no matter the situation.
While trying to complete their task within the allotted time, a senior officer watches their progress and evaluates both the team and the squad leader’s performance. “This is our fifth one out of six total today,” commented Bryce Sheaffer, a Millersville junior.
Thanks to the hospitality of Major Craig Walker, The Snapper was allowed a look around the Forward Operating Base (FOB) of Fort Indian Gap. This is an area designed to simulate barracks that are currently being used by the army in Iraq.
Row upon row of white buildings served as the sleeping quarters, dining area and Tactical center for the ROTC platoons. Each building was stripped of the comforts that are normally taken for granted such as heaters, air conditioners, even light. Rows of eight to nine bunks lined each side of the building as the rain pounded the metal roof.
Although the building was relatively bare and cold due to the rainy weather, it was a dry and comfortable respite for the cadets as they kept dry preparing for their next examination. Cadets found in the small dining area of the camp could be seen helping themselves to MRE rations. “They’re a lot better than they used to be,” said Cadet Kneller of Bucknell University.
Along with the Leadership Reaction Course, other training exercises were already underway, such as the daytime surveillance, land navigation, and combat training. Some of these combat simulations involved protecting a mock village from attack to aiding an unarmed civilian. According to Major Walker, the key to these exercises was to not only achieve the mission objective, but to be able to stay calm and focused should new orders be given or if the situation changes.
Each and every cadet participating in these examinations are juniors in their respective colleges who have been conscripted into the army. Their commitment clearly showed: despite the miserable weather, not a single man or woman complained and each continued forward to the next challenge.
By the end of these assessments, each cadet will be told what position they will qualify for in the ranks of the army, allowing them to take another step down the road they have committed themselves to.