GRAFENWOEHR, Germany - Six Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) cadets stood in silence on a 15-foot tall platform. One by one they glanced to the next platform, measuring approximately the same distance across. Their eyebrows raised as various scenarios danced in their heads.
Their goal was to get their whole team across, safely.
Numerous wooden planks lay beside them, although none were the full length of the divide.
Then, in something resembling a "MacGyver" episode, the team began shouting ideas, strategizing and eventually executed a plan to negotiate the obstacle.
The exercise was part of the Leaders' Reaction Course at Camp Kasserine in the Grafenwoehr Training Area and led small groups of cadets through various scenarios that tested their ability to work together and solve problems creatively.
For the past 15 years, cadets have participated in events like this during the 10-day Cadet Leadership Challenge, affectionately called "summer camp," by many in attendance.
Retired Maj. David Schwab, senior Army instructor at Baumholder High School, said the activities at the camp test the young cadets both physically and mentally.
"The purpose is to challenge the cadets, to exercise their muscles and give them the confidence to complete these tasks," said Schwab. "There is no reward for being the best and no penalty for being the worst. It's all a learning experience."
Although majority of the 112 cadets represented neighboring Department of Defense high schools, including Vilseck, Patch, Vicenza and SHAPE, a handful traveled from Calumet and Lake Linden high schools in Michigan to participate in the elite challenge.
During the Cadet Leadership Challenge, cadets participated in events such as canoeing, drown-proof training, rock climbing and rappelling, urban orienteering, a drill competition and klettersteig, where they traversed boulders in the uniquely European sport.
Cadets woke every morning at 5 a.m. to prepare their barracks for inspection and spent the entire day participating in training activities. The 10 p.m. "lights out" call could not come faster for many cadets.
"It's all been amazing and we are learning a lot," said Samantha Burrow, a 16-year-old cadet from Baumholder High School. "But the days are long and at times a bit rough."
"Plus, it is summer vacation, we should all be sleeping in," she added, garnering laughs from her fellow cadets.
The schedule was grueling, but for many, the long days and early hours are preparing them for a future in the military service.
"The skills I'm learning here will surely benefit me later," said 17-year-old cadet Aaron Steffen from Heidelberg. "I'm learning a lot through my interactions with the cadets, which will help me with interaction with Soldiers in the future."
Schwab agreed.
"Our main goal is to motivate the kids to become better citizens Aca,!aEURc now and in the future," he said, adding that the JROTC program prepares high school students for responsible leadership roles while making them aware of their rights, responsibilities and privileges as American citizens.
"You see the cadets motivating each other and working together," said Schwab. "They are becoming a team and are more confident than when they first arrived."
Statistically, summer camps around the world, both military and nonmilitary, are often a place where relationships are strengthened and lasting friendships are made. The Cadet Leadership Challenge was no exception.
"In only a few days we all got past the stranger phase," said Steffen. "We are now family."
The Cadet Leadership Challenge is sponsored by Department of Defense Dependent Schools-Europe and the U.S. Army, with support from Army JROTC instructors, the Joint Multinational Training Command, the U.S. Army Reserve, the Grafenwoehr Outdoor Recreation Division, the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr Dining Facility, the 69th Signal Battalion, Grafenwoehr Directorate of Public Works and the Tower Inn.
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