Cadet Cadre Learn About Leadership And Growth During Cadet Basic Training II

By Jorge GarciaAugust 2, 2023

During the Cadet Basic Training field training exercise, Cadets executed tactical foot marches, learned individual movement techniques, how to react to contact, treat casualties, throw hand grades, and culminated with a buddy live fire exercise....
1 / 25 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During the Cadet Basic Training field training exercise, Cadets executed tactical foot marches, learned individual movement techniques, how to react to contact, treat casualties, throw hand grades, and culminated with a buddy live fire exercise. The buddy team live fire allowed Cadets to combine everything they’ve learned to maneuver as a two-person team while engaging targets with live ammunition. Photos by Lt. Col. Travis Tilman, the USCC 2nd Regimental Tactical Officer. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Class of 2027 Cadets engage in a radio communications relay race during communications training July 17 at the U.S. Military Academy. Photo by Jorge Garcia/ USMA PAO.
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Class of 2027 Cadets engage in a radio communications relay race during communications training July 17 at the U.S. Military Academy. Photo by Jorge Garcia/ USMA PAO.
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Class of 2027 Cadets engage in a radio communications relay race during communications training July 17 at the U.S. Military Academy. Photo by Jorge Garcia/ USMA PAO.
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Class of 2027 Cadets engage in a radio communications relay race during communications training July 17 at the U.S. Military Academy. Photo by Jorge Garcia/ USMA PAO.
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Class of 2027 Cadets engage in a radio communications relay race during communications training July 17 at the U.S. Military Academy. Photo by Jorge Garcia/ USMA PAO.
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Class of 2027 Cadets engage in a radio communications relay race during communications training July 17 at the U.S. Military Academy. Photo by Jorge Garcia/ USMA PAO.
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Class of 2027 Cadets engage in a radio communications relay race during communications training July 17 at the U.S. Military Academy. Photo by Jorge Garcia/ USMA PAO.
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Class of 2027 Cadets engage in a radio communications relay race during communications training July 17 at the U.S. Military Academy. Photo by Jorge Garcia/ USMA PAO.
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Class of 2027 Cadets engage in a radio communications relay race during communications training July 17 at the U.S. Military Academy. Photo by Jorge Garcia/ USMA PAO.
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Class of 2027 Cadets engage in a radio communications relay race during communications training July 17 at the U.S. Military Academy. Photo by Jorge Garcia/ USMA PAO.
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During the Cadet Basic Training field training exercise, Cadets executed tactical foot marches, learned individual movement techniques, how to react to contact, treat casualties, throw hand grades, and culminated with a buddy live fire exercise....
12 / 25 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During the Cadet Basic Training field training exercise, Cadets executed tactical foot marches, learned individual movement techniques, how to react to contact, treat casualties, throw hand grades, and culminated with a buddy live fire exercise. The buddy team live fire allowed Cadets to combine everything they’ve learned to maneuver as a two-person team while engaging targets with live ammunition. Photos by Lt. Col. Travis Tilman, the USCC 2nd Regimental Tactical Officer. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
During the Cadet Basic Training field training exercise, Cadets executed tactical foot marches, learned individual movement techniques, how to react to contact, treat casualties, throw hand grades, and culminated with a buddy live fire exercise....
13 / 25 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During the Cadet Basic Training field training exercise, Cadets executed tactical foot marches, learned individual movement techniques, how to react to contact, treat casualties, throw hand grades, and culminated with a buddy live fire exercise. The buddy team live fire allowed Cadets to combine everything they’ve learned to maneuver as a two-person team while engaging targets with live ammunition. Photos by Lt. Col. Travis Tilman, the USCC 2nd Regimental Tactical Officer. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
During the Cadet Basic Training field training exercise, Cadets executed tactical foot marches, learned individual movement techniques, how to react to contact, treat casualties, throw hand grades, and culminated with a buddy live fire exercise....
14 / 25 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During the Cadet Basic Training field training exercise, Cadets executed tactical foot marches, learned individual movement techniques, how to react to contact, treat casualties, throw hand grades, and culminated with a buddy live fire exercise. The buddy team live fire allowed Cadets to combine everything they’ve learned to maneuver as a two-person team while engaging targets with live ammunition. Photos by Lt. Col. Travis Tilman, the USCC 2nd Regimental Tactical Officer. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
During the Cadet Basic Training field training exercise, Cadets executed tactical foot marches, learned individual movement techniques, how to react to contact, treat casualties, throw hand grades, and culminated with a buddy live fire exercise....
15 / 25 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During the Cadet Basic Training field training exercise, Cadets executed tactical foot marches, learned individual movement techniques, how to react to contact, treat casualties, throw hand grades, and culminated with a buddy live fire exercise. The buddy team live fire allowed Cadets to combine everything they’ve learned to maneuver as a two-person team while engaging targets with live ammunition. Photos by Lt. Col. Travis Tilman, the USCC 2nd Regimental Tactical Officer. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
During the Cadet Basic Training field training exercise, Cadets executed tactical foot marches, learned individual movement techniques, how to react to contact, treat casualties, throw hand grades, and culminated with a buddy live fire exercise....
16 / 25 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During the Cadet Basic Training field training exercise, Cadets executed tactical foot marches, learned individual movement techniques, how to react to contact, treat casualties, throw hand grades, and culminated with a buddy live fire exercise. The buddy team live fire allowed Cadets to combine everything they’ve learned to maneuver as a two-person team while engaging targets with live ammunition. Photos by Lt. Col. Travis Tilman, the USCC 2nd Regimental Tactical Officer. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Cadet Basic Training CBRN Training (U.S. Army photo by Christopher Hennen, USMA)
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Cadet Basic Training CBRN Training (U.S. Army photo by Christopher Hennen, USMA)
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Cadet Basic Training CBRN Training (U.S. Army photo by Christopher Hennen, USMA)
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As Cadet Summer Training continues, Cadet Basic Training II kicked off as the second iteration of cadet cadre assumed command of 1,250 new cadets and 250 seniors and juniors on July 16 during the Ice Cream Social event.

Following this, the cadre worked hard to provide a dynamic training experience while instilling qualities that promoted team building, team cohesion, resilience, and personal courage, among other traits from July 17-30 at Camp Buckner and the U.S. Military Academy.

The cadre included Class of 2024 Cadets Daniela Etzel, Anusha Pakkam, and Wil Tearman as they guided new cadets with the support of West Point tactical officers and enlisted Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Liberty, North Carolina.

During CBT II, new cadets learned how to treat casualties, operate radio communication devices, and received Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense training, among other training events.

Etzel served as the cadet command sergeant major, ensuring that motivation and discipline were carried out across the nine companies. She also worked closely with Tearman, who served as the cadet commander, to help execute his vision during various training events.

"I would go out to the training lanes and engage with the first sergeants specifically and the cadet noncommissioned officers and see how they're running it and see specifically how they're implementing discipline, and ensuring that they're focused on the tasks at hand," Etzel said.

Pakkam was in charge of managing staff shops that coordinate training operations, logistics and personnel accountability.

"We have a team of both staff shop heads and assistants within the regimental staff and that's our key area of focus," Pakkam explained. "Making sure that everyone has a place to go, they know where the location is, and they have the supplies and materials they need to be there and execute training properly."

Before CBT II began, the three cadets spent 11 days participating in the Leadership Training Program, where they received instruction on how to lead the new cadets.

After the training, the cadre adjusted to their new leadership roles while applying everything they learned during the LTP into their training strategy. However, that process came with complex challenges.

" ... During the LTP, we were practicing to lead new cadets," Etzel said. "Then, there was a bunch of friction points that we met when we received them during CBT II. One of the challenges was figuring out how to assume our new roles in the presence of cadets."

Pakkam shared the same sentiments as Etzel, adding that the experience involved brainstorming and developing efficient strategic methods.

" ... You need to learn not only how to do the job but how to think effectively while doing your job," Pakkam said. "At least for me, I've never been in an executive officer position. It's a very different leadership style than being in the field with your unit and watching the training unfold. You need to learn how to think ahead through the next 24 hours.

"You need to be planning 48/72 hours ahead and think of all the minute second and third order details that come up like, 'hey, what is this situation going to look like, or what are we going to see when we get out there? So, learning to think in multiple ways just adds a lot of depth to your leadership style and ability," Pakkam said.

Tearman added to Pakkam's statement addressing the "cognitive switch" he and his team made to sharpen their leadership qualities.

"At the XO level, (Pakkam) is talking about planning 48/72 hours in advance for things that you have never seen," Tearman explained. "For me in particular, it's 'how do I lead with vision rather than with direct action?' And then with (Etzel), 'how do you take nine companies and ensure that there's a consistency of discipline met across all levels?

" ... At this level, we need to understand how do we act differently than how we've acted in the last three years to impact an organization of 1500 people rather than an organization five people, which is what we've been leading previously," Tearman added. "So, there's actually a cognitive switch that you have to make in order to do that."

Despite planning for outcomes 48/72 hours in advance, the cadre said there were moments when they had to address issues immediately. However, the challenge was being less reactive and more proactive.

Tearman said that transportation was a great example of an immediate friction point that the cadre could not have planned for. The cadre added that collecting information on what led to the transportation issue is essential. Moreover, disseminating it to other chains of leadership that deal with fixing problems post haste is part of the experience needed to one day envision a viable training plan complete with counter-measures to prevent setbacks.

"We talked about moving formation and breakfast time by the minutes," Tearman said. " ... And eventually we hit a sweet spot with the schedule that we knew worked, but those are the type of margins that you're working with when these immediate problems come up."

As new cadets continue to develop and adjust, leading to Acceptance Day, Etzel, Pakkam and Tearman mentally prep themselves for the final chapter of their West Point experience armed with the knowledge they have gained leading CBT II.

"West Point itself is a journey ... the end of the six weeks is just the beginning for the new cadets and they have four years afterward to grow. For me personally, I am starting to realize that my time here is coming to a close, and everything is coming full circle and I see a lot growth not just in me but in all my classmates and counterparts," Pakkam concluded. "What I take away from this experience is finally feeling like I'm somebody who can go out into the Army and execute."