Students joining ROTC at the end of their sophomore year, or with two years left towards an advanced degree, attend a four-week basic leadership course during the summer before their junior year.

Basic Camp is a 30-day course taught at Fort Knox, Ky. Basic Camp is a fully paid program that is designed to teach the basic skills required of leaders. This course takes the place of the basic course (first two years of ROTC).  While attending Basic Camp at Fort Knox, KY, Cadets gain an experience that runs the gamut of Army life and the responsibilities of being an officer.  The course instills confidence and decision-making abilities to become a leader, in the Army and in life.  Cadets spend their first few days learning Army basics under the tutelage of drill sergeants.  They also take their first Army Physical Fitness Test, which consists of sit-ups, push-ups and a two-mile run.  Shortly after the course begins, Cadets are introduced to working in a small-group team-based dynamic in activities such as obstacle course to accomplish set goals.

There may be scholarship opportunities available for students who attend and successfully complete the Basic Camp.

Cadet Matthew Gernetzke attended Basic Camp in Summer 2015 at Fort Knox, KY.

In the summer of 2015, CDT Genertzke attended Cadet Initial Entry Training at Ft. Knox, KY. While there, he trained with fellow MS I and MS II Cadets. The month long training included: Rifle Qualification, a Team Development course, CBRN (Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear training), Hand Grenade Assault Course, Land Navigation and Squad Level Field Training exercises. 

Every fall there is an Annual Ranger Challenge Competition held at Fort McCoy, Wis. Ranger Challenge is a grueling, non-stop competition nick named “Fifteen hours of Pain” designed to provide the ultimate physical and mental challenge to our cadets.  

10-person teams from Army ROTC Departments across the Mid-West compete; those who make it to the final competition truly represent the best Army ROTC has to offer. ROTC members team up by school to match stamina, determination and military skills in an annual competition called the most demanding intercollegiate contact is the country.

“The Warrior Spirit- That’s what Ranger Challenge is all about.”  Battalion teams leave Ranger Challenge with strong bonds, sharp skills and a definite feeling of pride and accomplishment.

• Orienteering 
• Army Physical Fitness Test 
• One-Rope Bridge 
• Hand Grenade Assault Course 
• Rifle Qualification 
• Weapon Assembly/Disassembly 
• Patrolling 
• 10K Road March

Similar to Ranger Challenge, but instead of a 10 man-team, participants compete in two-person teams. Buddy Challenge takes place during the spring in Lawrence, Kan.

The competition consists of two-person teams from ROTC Departments across the Midwest competing in the same skills against other schools and competing against cadets from their own school.

The German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency is a decoration of the Bundeswehr, the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The decoration is awarded to all German soldiers. Allied soldiers may also be awarded the badge. Any rank may be awarded and wear the badge. In the United States military, the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency is one of the few approved foreign awards, and is one of the most sought after awards to achieve. But authorization and manner of wear is based on that nation’s uniform regulations.

To earn the award, one must complete the following requirements:

• Evaluation Report – Soldier evaluation report from Commanding Officer recognizing the soldier’s physical and moral standards. The purpose of the evaluation is to show evidence that the soldier is both physically and morally fit.
• First Aid Course – Combat Life Saver (CLS) level 1 course or equivalent.

This is a three week school conducted at Fort Benning, Ga. At Airborne school, soldiers will train alongside Regular Army officers and enlisted men and women, as well as members of the other armed services, to jump from Air Force aircraft (C130 and C141).

Upon completion of the course, soldiers will earn the coveted jump wings and be parachutist qualified! 

This course is extremely safe and boosts the confidence of all who have the opportunity to attend. 

Air Assault School is held at Ft. Benning, Ga. Soldiers and cadets are trained on the types of missions performed by rotary wing aircraft, aircraft safety, aero-medical evacuation procedures, pathfinder operations, principles and techniques of combat assaults, rappelling techniques and sling load operations. Upon successful completion, the cadet is awarded the Air Assault Badge.

This course is taught at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho, VT. It is taught in two phases, each lasting two weeks. The summer phase teaches and tests Cadets on military mountaineering operations including rock climbing, rappelling, and orienteering. The winter phase teaches and tests on similar tasks but in the winter environment. It includes ice climbing, cross-country skiing, and cold weather operations. Upon successful completion, cadets are awarded the Ramshead Device, which presently can only be worn by certain National Guard soldiers.

This is a three-week course covering tactical operations in a cold weather climate. The course is taught at Fort Greeley, AK. Soldiers and cadets will be trained in winter survival techniques, skiing, snowshoeing and cold weather patrolling.

Cadet Troop Leader Training provides Cadets the opportunity to experience leadership in Army units over a three to four week period. Cadets serve in Lieutenant level leadership positions in active duty units.

Platoon Leader positions have three to four week duration depending on the hosting unit and location. Assignments include units that are located in the States and overseas.

Cadets are assigned a unit mentor, and are provided lodging and meals. This program is exclusively designed for MSIII Cadets after completion of CST.

CTLT is conducted at many Army bases nationwide or in the Federal Republic of Germany or the Republic of Korea. This internship program places Cadets in actual Army units acting as real Lieutenants.

This three to five week challenge is a definite learning experience, and allows Cadets to gain a perspective on what they will be facing as future officers. Generally, Cadets are placed in platoon leader positions, leading 30+ soldiers and responsible for millions of dollars of equipment.

Cadet Field Training is a three-to-four week program of instruction that emphasizes general military skills, individual preparedness training, preparations for extended field operations, and leading, participating in, and conducting small unit tactical operations. The purpose of Cadet Field Training is to develop, train, test, and validate specific tasks. CFT is conducted at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and is available only to MS2 Cadets. CFT instills the warrior ethos in each cadet, and inspires each cadet to professional excellence through physically and mentally demanding training.

The Cadet Intern Program (CIP) is a 3 week program that allows cadets to work in specialized fields within the Department of the Army. The fields include the Army Science Board, Chaplaincy Internship Program, Research Internship Program, Public Affairs Officer Internship Program, Forensic Internship Program, Intelligence & Security Command Internship Program, Intelligence & Security Command Internship Program, National Nuclear Security Administration Internship Program, Rapid Equipping Force Internship Program, Army Medical Department Internship Program, and Engineer Internship Program.

Nursing students who are also Army ROTC Cadets have an opportunity for a unique summer nursing experience. The paid, three-week Nurse Summer Training Program assigns Cadets to Army hospitals throughout the U.S. and Germany.

The program introduces you to the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) and to the roles and responsibilities of an Army Nurse Corps Officer. Under the supervision of an experienced Army Nurse Corps Officer, you will obtain hands-on experience.

Your one-on-one clinical experience will allow you to hone your clinical skills, develop your problem-solving techniques and become comfortable with developing your professional skills as a member of the U.S. Army Healthcare Team.

The NSTP is a paid three-to-four week clinical elective for Army ROTC nurse Cadets. Attendance is voluntary.

This elective is conducted at Army hospitals in the United States, Germany and Korea. You get paid while attending NSTP during the same summer as Advanced Camp, which is usually between the junior and senior year of college.

During the NSTP clinical elective, you will receive “hands on” experience under the direct supervision of an Army Nurse Corps Officer who works with you one-on-one. Regular coaching sessions enhances your progress, while also providing feedback about your performance.

While you follow the same duty schedule as your sponsor, you could receive training in such areas as patient assessment, planning of patient care, nutrition maintenance and feeding techniques, range of motion and mobility, medication administration, emergency procedures, intravenous (IV) therapy, and other special procedures and techniques.

The Sapper Leader Course is a 28-day course designed to train joint-service leaders in small unit tactics, leadership skills, and tactics required to perform as part of a combined arms team. The course is open to enlisted soldiers in the grades of E-4 (P) (in the Army, specialist on the list for promotion to sergeant, E-5) and above, cadets, and officers O-3 (Army, captain) and below. Students can come from any combat or combat support branch of the service, but priority is given to engineering, cavalry, and infantry soldiers.

The Jungle Operations Training Course (JOTC) spans 20 days through which cadets execute a 19 day program of instruction. Subjects focus on jungle mobility training, waterborne operations, combat tracking, jungle tactics, survival training and situational training exercises at the squad level. Graduates of JOTC learn tactics, techniques, and procedures required to fight, win, and survive within any tropical jungle environment.

The most highly selective program available to cadets, the Combat Diver Qualification Course (CDQC) has less than fifteen cadet slots each year. This means that they only select the best of the best cadets. The training is physically and mentally exhausting, so preparation above and beyond the basic requirements of the school is mandatory. To get accepted into CDQC, one must complete a Pre-CDQC course. Pre-CDQC training includes an APFT and pool events, including a 25 meter sub-surface swim, a 50 meter sub-surface swim, clump retrieval, two minute water tread, weight belt swim, underwater knot tying, ditching and dawning of equipment, treading water for five minutes with a weight belt and twin 80 air cylinders, and drown proofing.

The Master Fitness Trainer Course trains selected Cadets in all aspects of the Army’s Physical Readiness Training (PRT) System, so they can be unit advisors on physical readiness issues and monitor the unit and individual physical readiness program.

The MFTC is now taught in a two phase format. The first Phase consists of 60 academic hours of Distributive Learning (dL) comprised of exercise science classes.

The second Phase is a 2 week, 76 academic hour resident course which covers all PRT exercises and drills. You will be expected to tie in the knowledge gained from the DL portion of the course and put it into practice.