September 29, 2010
Media Advisory -- ROTC Training Exercise
Cadets from Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s U.S. Army Reserve Office Training Corps will conduct their fall field training exercise, Friday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 3, at the SIUC Department of Public Safety Firearms Range, just south of the SIUC farms.
Cadets will ruckmarch from Kesnar Hall (1225 Douglas Drive) at 5:30 p.m., Oct. 1. Over the next two days approximately 80 cadets will become familiar with basic Army concepts including foot marches, day and night land navigation, weapons familiarization, cultural awareness, and field craft. The exercises allow the cadets to “develop confidence in themselves and fellow cadets while enhancing their leadership abilities and instilling the Army values,” according to an SIUC Army ROTC news release.
According to Illinois Army National Guard Capt. Jonathan A. Cape, an SIUC Army ROTC enrollment officer, the ruckmarch is a 2.5-mile tactical movement cadets will do along the road and trails to get them from Kesnar Hall to the training area. When cadets arrive they will learn how to set up a proper area to stay in the woods overnight.
The field training exercise will conclude Sunday afternoon with hands-on training with a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crew from the Illinois Army National Guard, and a 10-minute ride for cadets in the aircraft. The helicopter will land in a field adjacent to Stone Center.
Reporters, photographers and camera crews are welcome to cover the field training exercises. Training events, however, are limited to ROTC cadets unless prior arrangements are made. Participating cadets and ROTC officers will be available for interviews. For more information on the exercise or to make arrangements for interviews, contact Capt. Cape or Sgt. First Class Joshua Lueker at 719/661-1122 or by email at cape@siu.edu. Capt. Cape asks the media to call in advance of their arrival.
To get to the training exercise area, take McLafferty Road south to Pleasant Hill Road. Turn west onto Pleasant Hill Road to Union Hill Road. Turn south onto Union Hill Road and continue to Mine Tree Lane. Turn southeast and continue. The police range is on the east side of the road.