10A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PHOTO ESSAY
FRIDAY,APRIL 18,2003
ROTC weekend warriors
Story and photos by Kelley Weiss The University Daily Kansan
Will Chuber, Leavenworth senior at Saint Mary's College, cleans a weapon April 6. Chuber and the other cadets were stuck inside because of cold, wet conditions.
ABOVE: Eric Holbrooks, Arkansas City senior, helps Amy Southard, Lansing senior at Washburn University, get on the obstacle course rope bridge Saturday. The bridge is approximately 10 feet above a creek, and Lt.Col. DeToy said the bridge was one of the hardest obstacles to complete.
During the last two weekend's Spring Field Training Exercise, the University of Kansas Army ROTC cadets trekked through woods, fired guns, rappelled off towers and ran through obstacle courses.
Approximately 50 KU students and students from other smaller schools such as Saint Mary's College, Washburn University and Baker University, devoted two weekends to improving their skills for the Army ROTC.
On the weekend of April 5 to 6, the cadets went to the Fort Leavenworth base to do field exercises in the woods and night land navigation, an orientation exercise done in the dark.
Cody Johnson, Larned sophomore, and Sara Garlick, Sanford, Maine freshman, remove their camouflage after a day of Spring Field Training exercises in the woods on Saturday April 5.
The exercises the cadets did at Fort Leavenworth were challenging.
After running through the woods to simulate Army land missions for several hours, James Burke, Leavenworth freshman, said carrying his 40-pound backpack was harder than he expected.
"For a lot of us, this is the first time we had to hump our rucks around," Burke said. "After a while it really starts taking a hold of your body."
The Spring Field Training
adventure in Fort Leavenworth was a first for Mike Rumford, Lancaster junior at Washburn University. He said he liked being able to apply his ROTC skills, and the terrain and intensity of the exercises were surprising.
"I didn't think it would be so hilly—it was more chaotic than I thought," Rumford said. "I was surprised with how much walking we did. They don't mess around."
The cold, wet conditions on April 6 caused the rappelling, live firing exercises and obstacle course to be canceled and rescheduled for Saturday.
Although the weather postponed the exercises scheduled for April 6, Lt. Col. Brian DeToy said the training weekend had still been successful.
"I thought it was an outstanding training event," DeToy said. "The seniors did a great job of organizing it and doing evaluations. The enthusiasm of the underclassmen was high and was a great learning experience."
The cadets finished their Spring Field Training Saturday by shooting M-16 rifles, repelling and running through an obstacle course at the Lansing Correctional Facility. Fewer cadets went to Lansing during the second weekend of training than went to the training at Leavenworth the weekend before.
All cadets were invited to go, but only the junior class was required. DeToy said the purpose of the training was to build confidence in the cadets for the National Advanced Leadership Camp. Juniors attend the camp; it will be held this summer in Washington and will last for 31 days.
Edited by Amber Byarlay
ABOVE: Philip Hickson, Lansing freshman, inspects Sgt. Clark, an active duty service man at the Fort Leavenworth base, pretends to be dead in a movement-to-contact exercise. The cadet did a casualty inventory on Clark to make sure he did not pose a threat. Clark volunteered his time on April 5 to help train the ROTC cadets.
LEFT: Cadets practice rappelling off a 60-foot tower at the Lansing Correctional Facility Saturday.
BELOW LEFT: As a smoke grenade fills the woods with cover Mike Rumford, Lancaster junior at Washburn University, moves closer to his enemy in a movement-to-contact exercise.
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