By: Cadet Marcos Sanchez
On the 21st of February 2020, Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) Cadets traveled to training site “Waterworks” to conduct the seventh lab of the Winter quarter. The purpose of this lab was to have the Cadets demonstrate their ability to execute Ambush, Recon and Break Contact to standard in order to prepare them for the upcoming winter Field Training Exercise (FTX).
Cadet Chad Triplett was the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the lab and he went about executing this by splitting the two platoons into two separate Area of Operations (AO), which had four objectives in each. At each objective there was a different task that needed to be complete; the Ambush, Recon, Break Contact and Setting up an Objective Rally Point or ORP. The MSIII Cadets were then graded on their ability to do these to standard based on the Ranger Handbook.
The MSIII Class, which is comprised of Junior level students, will be attending the Cadet Summer Training (CST) within the next 6-7 months so it is crucial that they get the most realistic training as possible. In order to accomplish this, OIC Triplett had them perform land navigation from one objective point to the next. This is something that will be done at CST so building confidence now helps them tremendously. Another, method which was used was to have the Cadets set up a proper ORP and conduct a leader’s recon. Two things that will be tested repeatedly at Advanced Camp during CST.
This lab was also conducted at the Waterworks which is where the Winter FTX will take place. As the MSII’s and MSIII’s have been in this area in years pasts, this helps the MSI class become more familiar with the area because they have only seen this AO a handful of times. Cadets will continue to work in this AO for the remainder of the quarter in order to get used to wooded terrain similar to what they will experience during CST at Ft. Knox, Kentucky this summer.
Note: You can see more pictures from the training below and at this link.
Eagle Strong! Go Fighting Eags!
