West Point Cadets learn duties, responsibilities of junior officers

Photo By Master Sgt. Krishna Gamble | U.S. Army 2nd Lt. William D. Gowin, a platoon leader with Company C, 602nd Aviation Support Battalion shows Cadet Justin Langreck, senior at West Point and majoring in biology, how to track the $5 million of signal equipment in the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade.  

CAMP HUMPHREYS, SOUTH KOREA

06.10.2009

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Krishna Gamble 

2nd Combat Aviation Brigade

CAMP HUMPHREYS, Korea - For approximately three and a half weeks, six cadets from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point will be the newest, and quite possibly the youngest, platoon leaders in 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade.

These juniors and seniors are participants in the Cadet Troop Leadership Training program. This program provides U.S. Military Academy and Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadets with an active-duty leadership opportunities and experience by placing cadets in platoon leader positions.

"CTLT offers cadets the chance to shadow a platoon leader and learn from them by watching them handle different situations," said 2nd Lt. Kirstin Strobel, project officer for the 2nd CAB CTLT program and former CTLT participant.

Strobel, a graduate of Penn State, participated in the ROTC CTLT in the summer of 2003 in Brunssum, Netherlands. She was assigned as an executive officer for a headquarters company that supported the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

"I got to plan their organizational day even though it happened after I left, but they sent me pictures," said Strobel who is the 2CAB medical plans officer. "It was interesting and a lot of fun."

That's the same sentiment the West Point Cadets have about their experiences with 2CAB.

"This is a great opportunity to see what a platoon leader actually does on a daily basis, and how he interacts with Soldiers. It's very interesting and very different," said Justin Langreck, senior at West Point majoring in biology. Langreck hopes to get medical services as his branch and eventually go into pharmacy.

Langreck is assigned to 2nd Lt. William D. Gowin, a platoon leader with Company C, 602nd Aviation Support Battalion. Godwin is a signal officer and his interaction with Langreck gave the 21-year-old cadet from San Antonio, Texas, a second option for branch selection.

"As the most deployed company in the brigade, I'm showing him what it takes for us operate," Gowin said. "I'm showing him proper accountability procedures for the more than $5 million worth of signal equipment in 2CAB."

The 2nd CAB will host cadets from the United States Military Academy and Reserve Officers' Training Corps in four iterative groups until August 18. Cadets will receive an officer evaluation for the time spent in the unit.

"This is a good program. We didn't have this opportunity in officer candidate school," Godwin said. "I hope [the cadets] enjoy it and get as much out of it as [they] can."

"The general told us to listen twice as much as we talk," Langreck said of the advice Brig. Gen. Walter M. Golden, recently imparted to them at a private luncheon held in the 2nd CAB dining facility. Golden is the assistance division commander for maneuver for the 2nd Infantry Division.

"My dad was career Air Force and my brother is in the Navy ROTC at the Citadel in Charleston, S.C., but I wanted to be in the Army," Langreck said. "He is happy and my mom preferred I joined the Army."

• Date Taken: 06.10.2009
• Date Posted: 07.01.2009 01:56
• Story ID: 35827
• Location: CAMP HUMPHREYS, KR