Mississippi State University ROTC cadets are preparing for a possible future in the war against terrorism with a lesson in leadership. They left for Camp McCain in Elliott, Miss., April 4, for their leadership training exercises. MSU Army ROTC Capt. Mike Smith said that this visit is a preparation for training camp this summer at Fort Lewis, Wash.
“This is a joint field train exercise,” Smith said. “We do this training in conjunction with the University of Mississippi, University of Memphis, Jackson State University and University of Alabama.
“All of these colleges take their junior and senior cadets to Camp McCain and train specifically for the junior cadets who are headed to Fort Lewis, Wash., this summer,” Smith said.
All cadets must go to Fort Lewis for five weeks of leadership training between their junior and senior years. Smith said the cadets have an intense session ahead of them. “They’re going to Camp McCain with these other schools to exercise their leadership skills in various scenarios,” Smith said. “We try to put them into positions where all the key events will be graded on this summer.”
This weekend gives the cadets a chance to practice and work on improvements before the summer.
“They’ll have a chance to be exposed to those to see how he or she will do this summer,” Smith said. “It also will highlight their strengths as well as those things they need to work on to better prepare themselves for this summer.
“This summer is like the Super Bowl event for them for their commissioning goal.”
The cadets learn how to be better leaders. Smith emphasizes how important the skill of leadership is in any field of study.
“Leadership is one of those traits that transcends anything,” Smith said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re going into the Army; if you have leadership, you can take that with you into whatever skill or profession you go into.”
These cadets are training with the reality and the expectation of fighting in war soon.
“The helicopter they’re getting on and off of right now is the same one they’re using in Afghanistan,” Smith said. “It’s the same one they’re using over in the Philippines.”
“It’s high speed. It’s real world. It’s serious. It’s training, but they have fun,” Smith said.
Smith said the cadets will become second lieutenants if they’ve completed ROTC, “an officer-producing program,” when they graduate.
“The leadership skills they learn here, they’re going to continue building on them their senior year, and then when they get commissioned, they go to their officer’s basic course for about four months,” Smith said. “After that, they’re set, and they’re put in charge of a platoon.”
They may move anywhere when they finish and begin leading a platoon.
“They could go to Hawaii, to Alaska, to Louisiana; they could stay anywhere in the United States,” Smith said. “It just depends on where they’re needed.”
The amount of time they stay in these tours varies with location.
“A tour in Korea is typically one year,” Smith said. “If they get a duty station in the United States, it’s typically three years.”
Many of the cadets gained experience before entering MSU’s Army ROTC.
Smith said, “We have about 20 to 25 with previous experience, whether it be in the National Guard, Army Reserve, or Air Force.”
Cadet Capt. Lennie Adams has previously been through this training and will be commissioned this May.
“I’m going to do regular Army ROTC training tactics, such as land navigation, to prepare for camp this summer,” Adams said. “Actually, I’ll be supervising other cadets.”
Adams expresses his thoughts on his involvement with the Army.
“I already knew what I was getting into before I got involved in the military and stuff,” Adams said. “I just want to do whatever it takes for my country.