Red Wolf Battalion Cadets Head to Field Training on Army National Guard Blackhawk Helicopters
Red Wolf Battalion ROTC Cadets prepare to board the Blackhawk.
JONESBORO – While experiences for students outside the traditional classroom environment are always valuable, few offer as much potential for career preparation as one that took place today (Friday, Oct. 19).
Army ROTC “Red Wolf” Cadets from Arkansas State University wrere transported on UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters as part of a field training exercise (FTX) near Jonesboro. The helicopters landed at a site on the west side of Jonesboro to pick up the ROTC cadets.
The Arkansas Army National Guard’s 77th Aviation Brigade provided the aircraft and crews. Each Blackhawk, which has a crew of four and transports 11 troops, flies at up to 140 miles per hour.
“Not many ROTC Cadets in America get an opportunity to fly a tactical mission on Army helicopters,” says Lt. Col. Cecil Clark, professor of military science at ASU. “This air mission was possible because of the terrific working relationship ASU ROTC enjoys with the Arkansas National Guard.”
Once per semester, ROTC students at A-State participate in a challenging, two-day FTX to apply the skills they learn during classroom and lab training.
The FTX includes day and night land navigation and squad tactical exercises (STX) that depict realistic scenarios requiring cadets to solve problems and make leadership decisions under stress, Clark explained.
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