The weather could have been better. The food could have been better. The camp site could have been better. But the training was hard to beat.
More than 40 University of Houston freshman and sophomore cadets recently participated in the spring field training exercise at Camp Wallace, located adjacent to the Gulf Greyhound Park near Texas City.
Camp Wallace is home to UH's Coastal Center. For a few years in the 1940s, the camp served as a naval training base, although nothing remains of that military installation.
Last weekend, it was not the Navy returning to Camp Wallace, but a motivated and energetic band of Army ROTC cadets who braved the rain and wet conditions.
The cadets departed UH Friday afternoon. For most, it was their first experience in the wonderful world of Army tactical field training. The weekend was geared around the concept of survival.
After arriving at the site, the cadets began the chore of setting up their "camp site." The area chosen was full of thick underbrush and trees. Due to the survival aspect of training, cadets were only allowed to use ponchos and natural resources to construct their shelter for the next two nights.
After several hours of clearing brush and blazing trails, the cadets were ready for dinner. Live rabbits and chickens provided the main course, which proved to be a very good introduction to survival dining. The cadets got to put classroom training to use when they were taught to kill, clean, skin and cook their own dinner.
The night was windy and cold, which made building a cooking fire a difficult task. For those cadets whose taste buds had second thoughts, Army rations (Meals Ready to Eat) were made available.
After some improvising by adding spices to the meal (Julia Child would have been impressed) and a few good "war" stories from the more experienced cadets, it was time to sleep.
Saturday morning came early because of the many tasks that were scheduled for the day. The morning hours consisted of land navigation and orienteering where cadets used maps, compasses and terrain association to locate predetermined points in the woods.
The rest of the day and night centered around tactical training. Each cadet was issued Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System gear so the training would be more realistic.
In the afternoon, the cadets were broken down into two groups to conduct squad-sized ambushes on opposing forces. The cadets hiked through open swampy fields and were engaged by snipers on two occasions before reaching their objective.
They positioned themselves to ambush the enemy and waited. A short time passed before the enemy came into view and, within a few minutes, they were in the prime kill zone.
After a brief fire fight, the enemy was effectively and professionally neutralized. The "dead" OPFOR were searched and the group checked for survivors. One enemy soldier was rolled over to reveal a grenade simulator which went off, "killing" the cadet. A lesson learned!
As night approached, the cadets prepared themselves to conduct a platoon-sized raid on the enemy. After two hours of trudging through swampy, mosquito-infested fields and brush, the cadets arrived at the raid site, where they encountered stiff enemy opposition.
After an intense battle, the cadets overcame and occupied the position. With the raid completed, the cadets headed back to the camp site for a well-deserved rest. The next morning was used for a quick pack-up of all gear and a welcomed return to the university.
After each training event over the weekend, the cadets and their evaluators talked about the events that happened and about what was done right and what could be done better in the future. This after-action review was especially useful to those select cadets who held leadership positions over the weekend.
If you would like to experience these challenges and this type of leadership development, you might think about becoming an Army ROTC cadet.
Cadet Jared Khawaja summed up the weekend with these words: "Overall, this was definitely a learning experience for me. I rediscovered the importance of team work under extreme conditions. I hope everyone was able to benefit from this field training exercise as well."
Erenbaum is an assistant
professor of military science at the University of Houston.