Cadets will navigate through the woods and compete in survival competitions
MARQUETTE TWP. -- For most of us, a navigation trip in the woods with freezing temperatures doesn't sound like the best time, but for ROTC cadets, it's what they wait for all school year.
They're using protractors, compasses, and grid maps to locate specific sites in the woods for their semester survival trip...all with leadership in mind.
"The main thing we focus on here is teaching leadership, so we're using the simple tasks that have been around the Army forever and really getting them to try to lead each other, learn how to follow, as well as lead. That's what the ROTC is known for--the best leadership that the U.S. has to offer," said Cadet Rockne Belmonte.
They'll first start navigating in the daylight, and once night falls, they'll do it all again in the dark.
Their freshman year, the cadets are actually participating in the navigation, but as they get older, they do the planning.
"It's hard when you're a freshman, but as you get older, you have different jobs, and it's more exciting. We get to plan and execute instead of actually being the people who are going through the event," said Cadet Catie Eldridge.
For the next 24 hours, the cadets will be navigating through Forestville in snowshoes. But Friday is when the real fun and competition begins. They'll spend the night sleeping outside, then they're competing all day in rescue competitions, such as bridge building, sled pulling, and mock casualty assessments.
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