On Saturday, April 20th, FTP and POC cadets from Det 465 joined cadets from the University of Nebraska-Omaha Det 470 for a Joint Training Exercise (JTX) at Camp Ashland in Ashland, NE. This exercise was a voluntary single day training event, where sophomore cadets from both detachments were intermixed, and exposed to several training events to prepare them for attending Field Training this summer. The event was coordinated and planned entirely by junior cadets from Det 465 and Det 470, showcasing joint operations at its finest.
Waking up before dawn broke, sophomore cadets from Det 465 met at JBRD to pile into a van for the 30-minute drive over to Camp Ashland. Once they arrived, they were met by their joint team of Det 465 and Det 470 upperclassmen trainers and quickly organized into new teams with their counterparts from Omaha. The day kicked off with a PT session, where they worked on events that will be implemented into a new physical fitness evaluation at Field Training this year, such as hand-release pushups and kettlebell farmer carries. Next, they gathered their gear, donned weighted vests, and completed a 1.5-mile ruck march across Camp Ashland’s grounds to a land navigation and training range where they completed numerous Leadership Reaction Courses (LRCs), and Group Leadership Projects (GLPs) with their Det 470 teammates. After a quick grilling break, for lunch, they conducted daytime land navigation practice and wrapped up the day with some paintball mission scenarios. By conducting this training exercise and working with fellow cadets from Det 470, our FTP cadets were able to push themselves mentally and physically and get valuable practice leading teams with people they are unfamiliar with, simulating some of the challenges they will have to overcome to lead and perform at Field Training this summer.
