Leader's Training Course

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Showing up for training, in lime green boots

Posted on June 17, 2011 by PAO

Cadet B.F. Hammons, wearing his lime green cowboy boots, stands out in his platoon formation after arriving at the Leader's Training Course. The airline Hammons flew to Kentucky lost his bags. Photo by Bobby Ellis/LTC PAO

By Thomas Gounley
Staff writer

It was Sunday, the first day of Leader’s Training Course for Alpha Company, and Cadet B.F. Hammons stood out for all the wrong reasons.

As drill sergeants gathered Cadets outside their barracks, while everyone else wore the required gray Army-branded T-shirts and shorts, along with non-descript tennis shoes, Hammons wore a solid blue shirt and non-standard black shorts.

But what really stood out was his footwear.

On his feet, Hammons wore a pair of brown and lime green cowboy boots, complete with blue and orange accents. They rose halfway up his calves. And with every drill sergeant he encountered, he went through the same ritual.

“They yelled at me,” said Hammons, who attends the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, which is in Belton, Texas. “ ‘What are you wearing? Where is your uniform?’ ”

The reason for Hammons’ delinquency was simple, and entirely out of his hands. Sunday morning, he caught a flight out of San Antonio en route to Fort Knox. He transferred in Chicago, but lost something along the way.

“The baggage handlers did not take one of my bags off the flight,” Hammons said.

As a result, when Hammons, who is part of the Army ROTC program at Tarleton State University in Texas, caught his flight to Louisville, his bag made an unscheduled trip to Detroit. Arriving at Fort Knox, Hammons was forced to make due with only those clothes he had with him. The boots, which he wore during the flights, were the only piece of footwear he had, and thus were what he wore while standing at attention outside.

“The boots were a gift from my girlfriend,” he said. “It’s her favorite color.”

A close-up of Hammons' boots. Photo by Bobby Ellis/LTC PAO

In addition to temporarily raising the ire of every cadre member he encountered, Hammons’ colorful boots also earned him the nickname “Tex” among his fellow Cadets. And one drill sergeant now calls him “Woody” in honor of Disney’s well-known cowboy.

When he got a chance to call home Sunday night, Hammons relayed the story of his first day to his girlfriend.

“She laughed at me,” he said. “She had no sympathy.”

Hammons eventually received his missing bag Sunday night, and fit in when Cadets met Monday morning. The Harper, Texas, native looked into Army ROTC as a way to help pay for college.

“This seemed like a great way to get scholarships,” he said Thursday as he and fellow Cadets did squad tactics training.

To his credit, Hammons’ battle buddy, Cadet Antonio Lopez, said he is “very friendly.” The two first talked Sunday evening, and Hammons is helping to ease Lopez’s transition to training.

“He’s helping me with my English,” said Lopez, who attends the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez.

Although he called the first couple days of training “informative,” Hammons is looking forward to less classroom instruction and more field exercises, particularly rappelling.

For the entirety of those exercises, Hammons’ feet will be clad in the standard light-brown combat boots issued by the Army. But his personal lime-green counterparts will be making a comeback.

He plans to wear them on his days off.

LTC kick-starting martial artist’s Army career

Posted on June 16, 2011 by PAO

Cadet Wendell Groudy covers his battle buddy in individual movement training Thursday during which Cadets learn how to work in teams to move across land while under fire. Photo by Heather Cortright/LTC PAO

By Sara Nahrwold
Staff writer

This summer, Alpha Company Cadet Wendell Grouby Jr. is combining the physical and mental skills he has learned over the nine years of tae kwon do with the skills of the Army.

“These guys are pushing you to be organized, to be disciplined, to be a great leader, to be loyal, respectful,” he said. “That’s the same thing you find in martial arts.”

When he leaves the Leader’s Training Course, he will travel to China in August to compete in an Olympic qualifier with the U.S. Virgin Islands Olympic tae kwon do team.

“China is a different place to compete, its definitely a place you don’t want to lose at,” he said. “When you get beat in China, they beat you bad so you want to make sure you don’t get your butt kicked.”

Grouby, who started in martial arts, has competed in Spain and won a bronze medal when he competed in another Olympic qualifier in the Dominican Republic..

Evworth Charles, his instructor of about 15 years, said Grouby is one of his most disciplined students.

“He knows what he wants,” Charles said. “He’s a hard worker and very dedicated. He’s the first to come to practice and the last to leave.”

Grouby was an instructor for one of Charles’s classes because he is one of the most qualified of his students.

“He relates to younger students, older students and is very good at communicating with others to get the technique across,” he said.

Grouby is attending the Leader’s Training Course for two reasons — to be part of the Army and for martial arts training.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to get experience here at LTC to condition myself,” he said. “It’s good to train with them until I get to train with my team back home.”

Although he’s only been at LTC less than a week, Grouby has learned a lot in the short time.

“I like that they emphasize teamwork, but not just teamwork,” he said. “I like that they always push you. I’m usually not the kind of person who makes a lot of mistakes, and since I’ve come here, I’ve made some mistakes and they discipline me for it big-time.”

Although yelled at from drill sergeants for doing wrong, Grouby’s strong mental focus from his martial arts background is useful when it comes to the Army.

“I’ve seen people who couldn’t break a twig but if you put them in the right set of mind, I’ve seen them break bricks,” he said. “The hardest thing and the best thing to do is to get in that right state of mind.”

Grouby said he picked up marital arts easier than most people, but it was still a challenge.

“Martial arts is a way of life,” he said. “It teaches you not only how to control your body, but how to control your mind and control your energy.”

Charles credits Grouby’s attitude toward tae kwon do to his success.

“He eats it, sleeps it, drinks it,” Charles said.

The master’s student in biomedicine at Florida Atlantic University is using the Army to help pay for his education and pursue his passions.

“I want to become an officer,” he said. “All my passions and dreams that I want to follow, LTC is an open door to pursue it.”

Grouby said tae kwon do is one of the military sports he could participate in and he would like to follow that path in his future.

“Its my dream to stay fit, stay academic and pursue both of my passions,” he said.

Reserve drills play key role in developing Cadets

Posted on June 16, 2011 by PAO

Drill sergeants with Alpha Company, all of whom are Reservists, instruct Cadets through physical training Thursday. Photo by Dorothy Edwards/LTC PAO

By Caitlin VanOverberghe
Staff writer

For the first time in the Leader Training Course’s 46 years, Reserve drill sergeants, rather than active duty troops, are acclimating all Cadets to the life of a Soldier.

To fulfill requirements that drill sergeants must be used to train Cadets, for years LTC had relied on Fort Knox-based 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry, a basic training outfit. But with Base Realignment and Closure, the 1/46th uprooted after the close of last year’s course and settled in a new home at Fort Benning, Ga.

In anticipation of the battalion’s loss, course leaders had Reserve drills oversee training of the final two LTC cycles in 2010 with guidance from their active counterparts. It was as much a move to acclimate the new drills to the training regimen as much as it was to identify potential hiccups.

Cadets in all four companies in 2011 will be under the tutelage of drills from the 2nd Battalion, 485th Infantry of Orlando. There are 20 drills per company.

Maj. Mark Reed, chief planner for the Leader’s Training Course, said representatives with the 2/485th knew well in advance this summer’s mission and were able to visit the course last summer to learn about LTC and smooth the transition. Command Sgt. Maj. Luis Vila, the battalion’s top noncommissioned officer, was one of those who came to Knox to observe the 1/46th in action and oversee those final two companies.

“They got a flavor of LTC with the 1/46th Infantry drill sergeants still working with them, so that this year they weren’t just thrown into it,” Reed said.

After returning this year, the battalion went through a quick period of drill sergeant proficiency training, where they were reminded of their role as drill sergeants for the Leader’s Training Course. They also learned the ins and outs of training at Fort Knox and how to conduct that training safely.

While the transition will not affect the Cadets’ training, there are some differences in the way drill sergeants behave at LTC compared to basic training.

“The thing that makes LTC unique from what these drill sergeants are normally used to is that those companies operate somewhat independently,” Reed said. “But when you come to LTC, that structure changes. So there is a marriage of Cadet Command and drill sergeants, and they are brought together and ultimately speak with one training voice to the Cadets.”

To accomplish that training, drill sergeants tone down their behavior significantly compared to their behavior at basic training. The intent is to give Cadets a peek at the life of the Soldier and to decide whether they ultimately want to be part of the Army ROTC program – and a future Army leader.

“They volunteered to come here and try it out,” Reed said. “They’ll go back to their college campuses to make that choice. So there are intense periods, but it’s not like basic training – there is still an element of recruitment.”

Vila described teaching elements that exist at LTC that are not present in basic training. Since LTC exists as a 29-day program to catch up students who previously did not take ROTC classes at their schools, there are certain time constraints.

“In basic, the first two weeks are dedicated to converting a Soldier from a civilian to a military person,” Vila said. “Here, it’s an effort to show these Cadets what military life is all about and understanding that we do have values and discipline, but everyone is still treated professionally.”

Combating summer heat a challenge to all

Posted on June 15, 2011 by PAO

Second Lt. Jonathan Hudson performs one of the hourly checks on the wet bulb to determine the current heat level on Fort Knox. Photo by Sammy Jo Hester/LTC PAO

By Noelle Wiehe
Staff writer

The summer heat can wear down anyone, making them exhausted and dehydrated. For Leader’s Training Course Cadets, the heat is one of the most dangerous issues they face.

“I just can’t express how serious we take training and prevention of heat casualties,” said Lt. Col. Colette McKinney, LTC’s chief nurse.

Though the area has experienced a reprieve from the heat this week, with highs topping out only in the low- to mid-80s, Fort Knox’s hottest temperatures will occur in the coming weeks, according to reports.

Because Cadets are constantly in fatigues — with their arms and legs fully covered, wearing heavy boots, long socks and usually an undershirt — cadre and medics at the course are readying themselves for potential casualties in the upcoming weeks.

While there are experienced medical practitioners on each training site, ensuring Cadets’ well-being in potentially oppressive conditions is still not the easiest of jobs.

“I’m dreading it,” McKinney said.

McKinney was living in Alaska before she came to Fort Knox in September. This being her first summer away from the dry Alaskan weather, she herself has had some trouble adjusting to the heat.

In her home state, daily average summer temperatures usually range from 55 to 65 degrees. In Kentucky, the summer averages go from the upper-70s to mid-80s, with highs regularly topping out in the upper-90s.
Add in high humidity, and acclimating to Kentucky weather can become even tougher for non-natives.

“The way our body cools down is we conduct heat, we radiate heat,” McKinney said. “Our primary method of losing heat is through sweating. It evaporates, and it cools us down. But when there is a humid climate, the air is already full of moisture and that’s why we look at what the humidity is each day. Our bodies have to acclimate to that, and it can take up to two weeks for your body to adapt to that hot, humid environment.”

Hudson measures checks the temperature and measures the humidity in the air to determine the heat category. Photo by Sammy Jo Hester/LTC PAO

Course cadre address heat illness prevention to Cadets early on — and at every opportunity possible. At Alpha Company’s in-processing Monday, a registered nurse emphasized hydration to the newly arrived Cadets while drill sergeants of each platoon periodically order Cadets to drink from their canteens.

When temperatures reach 78 degrees or higher, Cadets are urged to consume at least a ½ to ¾ quart of water per hour while performing easy to hard work. That amount increases as conditions become more grueling.

The way the Army determines how much work should be done, how much fluid should be replaced and what time of day to hold training each day is through the wet bulb globe temperature, or WBGT, which is obtained by reading a wet bulb. A wet bulb is used help prevent troops from becoming heat casualties.

The wet bulb is read every hour by a trained Soldier. There are three bulbs which measure different things in the atmosphere: a wet bulb (WG), a dry bulb (DB) and a black bulb (BB). Each bulb is read and all numbers coincide to provide a WBGT reading. The reading is only used when temperatures reach 78 degrees and higher.

“The fun part is while you’re using it, you look like a chemist,” said 2nd Lt. Jonathan Hudson, who works in the LTC tactical operations center and who is trained to read the wet bulb.

When the temperature rises to 90 or higher, it is considered heat category five and cadre will typically start using extreme caution with their troops while working in the heat and doing physical training.

“If it (hits) heat category five, I put out a black flag,” Hudson said. “That let’s everyone who passes by know it’s hot outside.”

When WBGT readings are in the fifth category, Cadets are urged to drink at least one quart per hour while performing any work.

The Fluid Replacement and Work/Rest Guide advises work-to-rest ratios, as well as how many quarts of water per hour should be consumed when the WBGT is high.

“It’s all about safety,” McKinney said. “There are people out there who just to push themselves and keep going, and those are the ones we have to be cautious of.”

One tip McKinney has is to always remember to eat. When it is hot and a person is out in the heat, they most likely do not have much of an appetite.

But, McKinney points out, that to replace the salt and fluid lost from sweating, Cadets need to sit down to eat a healthy meal once in a while and stay hydrated.

Thus far, LTC 2011 hasn’t experienced any heat casualties, officials said.

“In my tenure here, I have not seen a heat stroke,” said Lt. Col. Craig Wells, safety officer for LTC.

Although it was not during LTC, there has been one heat-related injury so far this summer involving the course. Earlier this month, when temperatures spiked into the 90s, a Junior ROTC Cadet at the high ropes course began feeling nauseous and was removed from the obstacle course just before the final section.

She was taken to Fort Knox’s Ireland Army Hospital, where she stayed a few hours for testing. It was determined that she was dehydrated, was released and returned to duty the same day.

To prevent LTC Cadets from suffering similar problems, they are provided a Heat Injury Prevention pocket guide that lists the hazards of dehydration and of being a heat casualty, lays out those who are at the highest risk for heat illness, ways to prevent heat illness, warning signs and the fluid replacement and work/rest guide.

To manage the impact of extreme heat even more, time is built into the Cadets’ training and work schedules for changes to avoid placing them in activities that might directly expose them or might require maximum physical exertion during the peak heating of the day.

The Cadets are not alone in the field, either. If one shows signs of heat illness and becomes too weak to seek help, medics, cadre and even other Cadets are there to assist.

“You have a battle buddy, you have cadre and everyone is just kind of watching out for everybody,” she said.

Let them eat cake: Alpha marks Army’s birthday

Posted on June 14, 2011 by PAO

Members of Alpha Company and their cadre gather Tuesday to eat cake and celebrate the U.S. Army's 236th birthday. Photo by Dorothy Edwards/LTC PAO

By Caitlin VanOverberghe
Staff writer

After a quick ceremony honoring the completion of their first phase of training, the 198 Cadets of Alpha Company continued their celebration Tuesday to honor America’s Army.
They filed into a small building caddy-corner to their barracks. Some were lucky enough to get seats; others stood against the wall.

At the front of the room sat a sheet cake with small, plastic Army men dotting its iced surface.

Like many Soldiers around the world, the Cadets took time to celebrate the Army’s 236th birthday.

“Without it, we probably wouldn’t be here today,” answered one Cadet when his drill sergeant asked about the significance of the birthday.

Per tradition, the oldest and youngest in the room – Sgt. 1st Class Julio Palmer and Cadet Michael Blasberg – cut the cake together with a saber.

For Cadet Nicholas Lucca of DePauw University, the celebration was a nice break after two days of hard work.

“It’s a big, important thing not only for us, but also for the whole country,” he said of the Army’s birthday. “It celebrates the beginning of our nation defending itself.”

Master Sgt. Shane Stamper, Alpha Company’s tactical NCO, urged the Cadets to eat as much cake as they wished.

“I will burn this off of you tomorrow,” he said, warning the Cadets of the work out he had planned for them the Wednesday morning.
Lucca said that while he was looking forward to physical training, he was just taking every day in stride. He doesn’t know what to expect from the course, but he’s just looking to having fun.

While Alpha Company Cadets honored the Army’s history, they were reminded that they would be part of its future.

Stamper encouraged the Cadets to see the challenges of the Leader’s Training Course through to the end.

“If this is something that you’ve been thinking about, if this is something that you’ve wanted to do, why would you quit?” Stamper asked. “When it comes time for graduation, we’re going have all 198 Cadets.”