Photo By Sarah Windmueller | A team from the Virginia Military Institute will become the first ever Army ROTC team...... read more read more
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Next week, nine cadets from the Virginia Military Institute become the first ever Army ROTC team to participate in Exercise Cambrian Patrol, considered NATO’s most challenging patrol test. Held October 4-13, 2024, this annual event gathers over 100 international teams – each venturing out for a tactical patrol, pushing squads physically and mentally through difficult terrain and real-world scenarios.
“What makes the Cambrian Patrol special for this team is this is the first time that a Cadet Command team has ever been able to go to this event,” said Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Lopez, a military science instructor at VMI and one of the team’s coaches.
“There's a lot of eyes on us, as far as the training goes and the things that we're able to bring to the table for this international event.”
This years’ Cambrian Patrol, executed by the British Army, marks the 65th anniversary of the exercise, and squads train year-round to compete and show their worth in this grueling event.
Due to the high volume of international militaries competing, the patrols are sent out on a staggered schedule throughout the week – each patrol receiving 48-hours to complete the exercise. VMI’s execution of the patrol takes place October 8-10, and during this timeframe, teams will navigate 60 kilometers of terrain through and around Brecon Beacons National Park while carrying 77 pounds of gear.
Teams are cut off from the outside world and enter an intense tactical bubble of reality with the sole focus of completing their mission.
“We’re tested on our land navigation skills, our ability to conduct tactical and medical lanes while being followed by a grader,” said Cadet Ethan Fogle, a senior at VMI. “Throughout the patrol there will be OPFOR [Opposing Force] which are enemies put in place by the graders to see how we react and how we work as a team and our leadership throughout.”
VMI may be the first Army ROTC program to try their hand at the Cambrian Patrol, but many other U.S. Army squads – to include a team from the United States Military Academy – have consistently faced the challenge. Most of the patrols are made up of full-time soldiers that train and work together year-round.
“Time has definitely been our biggest challenge,” said Cadet Kevin Garroway, a senior and the team’s platoon leader. “We haven’t had a whole lot of time since we’ve been back from the summer to train…we all know each other very well, but actually getting into our roles within the team, that’s been difficult.”
In between managing their studies as full-time students and cadets, the team has added three to four hours of training into their daily routines, to include Saturdays, in preparation for the event.
“We have to be physically and mentally prepared for this, if we’re not and we go in sort of half-heartedly, we’re not going to make it and the team is going to fall apart,” said Fogle.
The training is heavily focused on physical endurance interlaced with tactical exercises.
“Compared to a Ranger Challenge, which has more sprints with lighter weight for the rucking, this has so much more mileage – longer runs, longer rucking with heavier weight – just getting used to the load on our bodies and seeing how our bodies will react,” said Cadet Bradford Seery Jr., a senior at VMI. “We’re shocking the system to get ready for this.”
Despite stepping into the unknown of the Cambrian Patrol, the added training time – the so-called “shared suffering” – has accelerated the camaraderie and cohesive bonds needed as VMI’s Army ROTC program forges a path for others to follow.
“I’m looking forward to seeing myself act as a leader within a unit, seeing how I react under pretty austere conditions, and working with my team members,” said Garroway. “We want gold, and with gold comes all the lessons learned and everything we’ve learned about ourselves that’s going to make better future lieutenants.”
Because Exercise Cambrian Patrol is not considered a competition, teams who complete the exercise receive either a bronze, silver, or gold medal for the points earned at different events throughout the duration of the patrol. Teams whose points fall below a certain level will receive a challenge coin.
Most of the VMI team is comprised of seniors, already seasoned contenders, having been part of the Ranger Challenge teams that advanced to the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition in both 2023 and 2024. While they aren’t strangers to a challenge, many of these cadets have never left the United States, let alone set foot on international soil to face off against NATO squads.
“We’re going there as underdogs. We’re cadets and no one’s going to feel bad for us – and we love that,” said Cadet Cody McGuire, a senior at VMI. “We don’t want people to give us an easy route, we want a challenge.”
“We want to be able to come back from it and have this be something we are able to pass down to our underclassmen at VMI so next year they can send a team, and maybe encourage other ROTC schools from around the nation to go.”
As the kickoff to Exercise Cambrian Patrol edges closer, VMI’s dedication will be tested as they face a new adventure with unwavering determination.
“We don’t have some of the experience that other teams do because they’re active military, but we want it more than anybody else,” said Garroway. “We’re cadets currently, so there’s nothing to lose and everything for us to win.”
“We're hungry to prove ourselves, and that’s going to come out.”
To keep up with the VMI Army ROTC team on their journey, make sure to follow U.S. Army Cadet Command’s social media: @armyrotc
Photos from the event will be updated frequently and found in an Army ROTC Flickr album here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBL5ER
| Date Taken: | 10.03.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.03.2024 13:18 |
| Story ID: | 482458 |
| Location: | LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 124 |
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