WEST POINT, N.Y. (March 9, 2011) -- The 1st Regiment of the Corps of Cadets participated in Super Saturday March 5, which was designed to complement the military training they receive during Unit Training times and reinforce the basic Soldier skills learned during Cadet Summer Training.
First Regiment took a new approach when they conducted a split-based training scenario with each battalion engaged in concurrent training at two separate locations. While 1st Battalion trained at Camp Buckner, 2nd Battalion trained at Camp Smith.
The training scenarios were enriched by the addition of an aerial insertion for 2nd Battalion cadets training at Camp Smith. At both locations, cadets cycled through four sites: a battalion-level cordon and search, a platoon-level raid, a squad-level force-on-force and a squad-level range.
Each site was developed by a member of 1st Regiment's operations staff. Firstie Aaron Trobee, Company D-1, designed the battalion cordon and search operation to challenge leaders at all levels. The battalion commanders were given the mission, concept of the operation and intelligence report two weeks in advance and had to create their own plan to implement on Super Saturday.
West Point Class of 2012 Cadet Casey Weliver, Company G-1, created the platoon raid operation. The cadets in training did not receive the mission until arriving at this site and developed a hasty plan of attack in an urban environment. West Point Class of 2011 Cadet Kristen Griest, Company C-1, developed the squad force-on-force site, which, according to many cadets in 1st Regiment, was the highlight of Super Saturday because it incorporated paintball guns and equipment.
West Point Class of 2012 Josh Matthews, Company H-1, created the squad range site, which mirrored a combat firefight by forcing the squad to take cover behind obstacles, assign sectors of fire and engage pop-up targets.
The 1st Regiment cadets were challenged physically, militarily, intellectually and emotionally at each site. Super Saturday not only tested their basic Soldier skills, but also required them to think tactically and work as a team.
The intent of the training was to create realistic situations that paralleled what the cadets will soon face in combat upon deployment. According to Class of 2013 Cadet Susan Kiernan, Company C-1, the training accomplished that goal.
"Having OPFOR firing back at you with paintball guns adds a whole new perspective to clearing rooms and the battalion level raid gave us a more realistic idea of missions that we are likely to face than the platoon level raids we did during Cadet Field Training," Kiernan said.
Class of 2011 Cadet Caleb Reilly, Company F-1, agreed.
"I thought that the training was the best eight-hour training that has ever been done here," Reilly said. "I really learned a lot and liked that I was able to make choices. Also, the paintball was great because it was the first time I ever got any sort of negative feedback; (like) the pain from getting hit by the paintballs-in a tactical setting."
At the company level, cadets had been preparing for Super Saturday since January. A robust training plan consisting of Soldier First Responder skills, urban operations tactics and negotiations skills was developed and implemented at the start of the semester.
Regimental Operations Officer Firstie Travis Zahnow, Company E-1, obtained the support of Maj. Aram Donigian of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership for the negotiations training. Donigian held four classes for 1st Regiment to train cadets on methods for negotiating with civilians in a combat zone.
The day ended with a regiment-wide barbeque in Legion Square organized by company, battalion and regimental activities staffs.
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