Warrior Forge is a nationally sponsored training
exercise conducted each summer. This camp is considered the
most important training event in a cadet’s preparation
for an army career. Students from 272 college campuses nation-
wide come together for 32 days of training. To which they adhered
to Army procedures and were evaluated as potential leaders.
Warrior Forge tests a cadet’s intelligence, common sense,
initiative, and vigor. Students are challenged in a 24-hour-a-day
spotlight, physically and mentally, as individuals, soldiers,
team members, and leaders.
On arrival, students were assigned squads and organized into
platoons. They would reside with these platoons during their
stay at Fort Lewis. Students come into
the platoons knowing no one, and leave having formed reliable friendships and
become stronger and more efficient as a team.
The core events of this summer included land navigation (night/day),
the Army Physical Fitness Test, the grenade assault course,
the Individual Movement Techniques
course, Basic Rifleman Marksmanship, NBC Training (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical),
the Confidence Course, and Squad/Patrolling Field Exercises. Each day students
rotated through leadership positions, and were evaluated by senior training officers.
These evaluations are part of each cadet’s file. Warrior Forge is not all work. Between training and evaluations,
though, cadets find time to enjoy other things appropriate
to camp. Fort Lewis is known for
its towering ant hills, which in some areas can be found every few yards. These
ants are well organized and demand much attention from cadets who get in their
way. While the ants may not have been fun, the slide for life was. It’s
a cable that runs from one side of the lake to another, starting on a high platform.
Cadets grab on to a metal bar and hold on as they slide down the cable, eventually
dropping off into the water.
By the end of camp, students have an understanding of how well
they militarily performed certain tasks and are better prepared
to make decisions under pressure.
They learned not only to be leaders but also followers. “By the end of
Warrior Forge I felt like I had grown as a person and had a better understanding
of what kind of leader I wanted to be,” said HPU student Laurie Holmes.
So if you would like to trade your beach barbecues in for
more excitement next summer, Army ROTC is the place for
you. ROTC is always looking for good students
and leaders.
Anyone interested in the program or a scholarship call (808)
956-7766 or e-mail wcrawfor@ hawaii.edu or gblt@ hawaii.edu
or check out our Web site at www.hawaii.edu/armyrotc/ |
