AU's ROTC program was part of a two-day training mission in Fort Ambrose Powell Hill, Va., this weekend. The mission involved 21 cadets from AU as part of a force totaling 129 ROTC cadets.
Cadets were involved in activities ranging from a three-hour night march to a simulated rescue mission of an injured American diplomat in foreign territory. While the rescue mission ended with the simulated death of the diplomat, cadets learned from the experience.
"Not all missions were a success, but that's what we are here for. We are here to make mistakes and to learn from those mistakes," said Cadet Patrick Finn, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Other activities included detailed courses on battle tactics and a land navigation course that lasted up to five hours. The mission started at 4:30 Saturday morning and lasted until Sunday afternoon.
Cadets, instructors and embedded reporters spent the night in the woods without tents or sleeping bags, most getting less than two hours of sleep.
"The night portion is probably the most exciting part," said Cadet Brian Capra, a senior in CAS. "Marching in the complete dark, without flashlights, and in the woods without a trail is an experience unlike any other."
The AU program is part of the larger Georgetown ROTC program, which also includes cadets from Georgetown, Catholic, Marymount and George Washington Universities.
Georgetown ROTC instructor Master Sergeant Robert Frye stressed the importance of the training mission.
"This is probably the most intense training event we'll do with the cadets this semester," Frye said. "Here is the place to make mistakes because no on is going to get shot or blown up because of a mistake here."
The Georgetown program was also joined by cadets from Howard University and the University of Maryland.
