Leadership Training Course (LTC)

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Four Weeks, Four Phases, For those who want to lead

There are scholars among you who aspire to achieve something even greater than a college degree. They aspire to be leaders. They are Army ROTC Cadets - and you can join them by attending the Leader's Training Course (LTC).

LTC is four weeks of intense classroom and field training held in the summer at Fort Knox, KY. This course is an accelerated version of the two years of leadership development training Cadets receive in the Basic Course. By transforming yourself through this rigorous training, you will qualify for enrollment in the Army ROTC Advanced Course on campus-provided you have two years of college remaining (undergraduate or graduate). Once you successfully complete LTC and agree to contract and enter the Advanced Course, you may also qualify to receive a $5,000 bonus.

At LTC you experience the Army firsthand. You will receive the kind of leadership development training that is unmatched by any other program. How? By developing your potential in the most important of ways-mentally, physically and emotionally. You will be grouped into squads where you will gain experience in all leadership roles-culminating in verbal and written feedback on your improvement. You will also receive a stipend, transportation to and from Fort Knox, housing and meals. The four weeks and four phases of LTC can lead you to the ultimate goal: becoming an Army Officer.

The benefits of this leadership training will extend well beyond your college years into any career you choose. You may even qualify for a two-year scholarship that may take care of your college tuition and many other expenses.

External Link: http://branchorientation.com/rotc/leaders_training.jsp

Cadet Rappling a 40 foot tower


Caption: A cadet attempts to rappel down a 40-foot campus wall as a LTC exercise. They not only rapel during LTC course, but goes through many rigorous trainings. Such as if enlisted would go through basic, future officers must go through this phase to become commissioned and are evaluated based on their performance.

Army ROTC LTC course overview Video


Caption: A look at Army ROTC's Leadership Training Course (LTC). They conduct various exercise. PT, rapel, obstacles, teamwork, and many missions to gain confidence and leadership qualities. In this video, it shows the highlights of LTC and how it is conducted yearly by many ROTC sponsored universities.

Field Training Exercise (FTX)

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Fall FTX

The Fall Field Training Exercise (FTX) is a weekend long event that is used to provide MS III Cadets with an insight into what the rest of the year’s expectations will entail, as well as what the Leader Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) is going to be like. MSI’s and MS II’s were introduced to many different concepts that provided them experiences that will prove useful in their future training this year, and in the years to come.

On Friday, the MS III’s began the weekend by conducting the Night Land Navigation (NLN) course in the woods surrounding Saint John’s University. Upon completion of the NLN course, the MS III’s were moved to a different location to conduct rock drills, which are mock battle drills performed step by step so that the Cadets can learn and understand how to perform the important steps in each drill. On Saturday, we were given an OPORD (Operations Order) class that taught us the finite details of briefing the Squad you are in charge of during the Situational Training Exercise (STX) lanes that would follow that afternoon.

Following the OPORD class, we conducted Day Land Navigation and STX lanes. These lanes were the first opportunity for the MS III’s to lead a tactical exercise in their ROTC training. These lanes were also an opportunity for the MS I’s and MS II’s to become familiar with these tactical exercises. After the completion of the STX lanes, the MS I’s and II’s were released for the weekend while the MS III’s received a class on Patrol Base Operations. After our class, we moved into the woods to apply what we had learned. In the early morning hours of Sunday we set up an Ambush for one of the other squads that was moving down a road. All MS III’s that completed this weekend’s training gained insight and knowledge that will prove incredibly useful for their Warrior Forge training at Ft. Lewis, WA.

External Link: http://www1.csbsju.edu/rotc/current_events/2008%20Fall%20FTX.htm

ROTC Cadet conducting FTX with his m-16 rifle


Caption: Spc. Kynan Sherman, Co. A, DSTB inspects his weapon after reacting to enemy contact June 4 during a exercise near Dongduchon. The exercise tested the signal Soldiers' war-fighting abilities. One purpose of the training was to get the Soldiers certified on the Satellite Tactical Terminals, Joint Node Networks and Satellite Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Tactical Terminal, also known as the Smart-T. The Soldiers understood the importance of achieving proficiency on those machines.

Virginia Tech Army ROTC - FTX


Caption: Virginia Tech ROTC cadets conduct field training exercise. The Fall Field Training Exercise is a weekend long event that is used to provide Cadets with an insight into what the rest of the year’s expectations will entail, as well as what the Leader Development and Assessment Course is going to be like. Were introduced to many different concepts that provided them experiences that will prove useful in their future training this year, and in the years to come.

ROTC

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The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S. Armed Forces and a number of other national militaries, particularly those countries with strong historical ties to the United States, have ROTC programs.

The Republic of the Philippines established its program in 1912, with the creation of the first unit at the University of the Philippines during American colonial rule. ROTC in the Republic of Korea started in 1963.ROTC produces officers in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces except the U.S. Coast Guard. ROTC graduates constitute 56 percent of U.S. Army, 11 percent of U.S. Marine Corps, 20 percent of U.S. Navy, and 41 percent of U.S. Air Force officers, for a combined 39 percent of all active duty officers in the Department of Defense. The Philippine-based National ROTC Alumni Association (NRAA) estimates that 75 percent of the officer corps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines come from ROTC.With the exception of the U.S. Coast Guard, each of the U.S. Armed Forces offer competitive, merit-based scholarships to ROTC students, often covering full tuition for college in exchange for extended periods of active military service.

For example, in the U.S. Army ROTC, students who receive an Army ROTC scholarship or enter the Army ROTC Advanced Course must agree to complete an eight-year period of service with the Army after college. U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force ROTC students are referred to as cadets, while U.S. Naval ROTC students are known as midshipmen; these terms coincide with their service academy counterparts.

The Naval ROTC program commissions both U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps officers. The U.S. Coast Guard sponsors only a JROTC program.Army ROTC units are organized as brigades, battalions, and companies. Air Force ROTC units are detachments with the students organized into wings, groups, squadrons, and flights, like the active Air Force. Naval ROTC units are organized into Naval battalions. If the Marine students are integrated with the Navy students, there are companies; but having the Navy students in departments and divisions like a ship, and the Marines in a separate company is only done when an ROTC unit has sufficient members to warrant an extra division.

External Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserve_Officers

Cadet conducting Field Training Exercise


Caption: Cadets not only do labs and Physical Exercises on campus. Each year during the summer, they attenend different trainings. In this case, this ROTC Cadet is doing a Field Training Exercise (FTX) in which you have to go through many obstacles just as if you would have to do in basic training for enlisted personnel. They vary from jumpschool to Leadership training courses and gets tougher each year.

Promo Video on ROTC events


Caption: A short promo video re-capping the events of 2009 at the UCLA Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). This is a collection of material shot over a year including a promotions ceremony, FTX, and graduate officer commissioning. They have many events not only FTX and commissioning but also fun barbeques and playing in the beach as physical training.