By Guest Author: Cadet Kyle Griffin, ND '13
Two and a half years into my ROTC
career, I knew what to expect going into the Fall Field Training Exercise (FTX)
at Fort Custer. There would be
land navigation, leadership positions, and not too much sleep. Knowing this did little to ease my
nerves. Being a junior in ROTC would
be a completely different experience compared to my first two years, as alumni
know well. It is difficult to
prepare for the stress of leadership, of having accountability for everyone and
everything beneath you, and of getting results above all else.
Luckily, I am a firm believer in
the idea that these types of situations bring out the best of people who
provide the effort. By tossing
cadets into situations that they have been trained to handle, but have not
actually experienced in real life before, the FTX prepared us for a multitude
of situations. The ability to take
a job head on, feel the responsibility, and come out the other side with a new
understanding of what you can handle, is vital to officers in the Army, as well
as in the civilian sector.
For example, junior cadets
experienced “garrison positions” for the first time this past weekend. Those in these leadership roles must
determine how to accomplish all of the scheduling and tasks surrounding
training during the FTX, including time for food, hygiene, and equipment
issue. After getting all the
leaders on the same page, the timeline must be communicated and enforced at all
levels. This task does not seem
overwhelming on the outset, but putting all of the responsibility on a few key
shoulders adds to the pressure.
Platoon Sergeants and First Sergeants have to maintain
accountability of their people at all times, and if you mess up or drop the
ball on a task, your mistake is very visible. On top of this, you know that any mistake you make as a
garrison leader will lead to discomfort felt by your troops (your fellow
cadets), whether it means they only have five minutes for breakfast or they do
not have time to shower. This
pressure can bring the out the best and sometimes the worst in us as leaders,
but either outcome helps us development for the future.
The FTX was a valuable chance for
ROTC cadets to employ all of the training we have received over the past few
months. The younger cadets were
able to learn more technical and tactical skills of being in the field, while
the older ones were put into situations to apply leadership skills and solve
problems under pressure. This
weekend was a prime example of us all rising to the occasion to develop as
leaders.
Our author, Cadet Kyle Griffin, leads his Squad during Situational Training Exercises.
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