Niagara University ROTC Cadets Have Busy Summer

Cadets in Niagara University's Purple Eagle Battalion returned to campus after a busy and successful summer.

Two cadets who joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps as juniors attended the Army ROTC Basic Camp at Ft. Knox, Ky., a 32-day training event designed to introduce cadets to the Army. While there, they developed cadet leadership skills, were trained on individual and junior leader tasks, and developed and reinforced the Army Values and the Warrior Ethos, a set of principles by which every soldier lives.

All 11 juniors successfully completed Army ROTC Advanced Camp at Ft. Knox, Ky. This 35-day training event is designed to develop cadets' critical thinking and problem-solving skills and to forge them into tough, adaptable leaders who can thrive in ambiguous and complex environments. Advanced Camp is the capstone leader development event before the cadets graduate from college and are commissioned into the Army.

Three cadets successfully completed the Army Air Assault course at Ft. Drum, N.Y., and one completed the course at Ft. Campbell, Ky. During this rigorous 10-day course, soldiers are trained on the missions performed by helicopter, aircraft safety, aero-medical evacuation procedures, pathfinder operations, principles and techniques of combat assaults, rappelling techniques, and sling-load operations.

One cadet successfully completed the Army Rappel Master course at Ft. Drum, N.Y., which trains and certifies Air Assault graduates to become technical experts in helicopter and tower rappelling.

Additionally, four cadets did an internship and spent three weeks with active duty units in Washington, Kansas, Korea, and Alaska to get first-hand experience of what it's like as a lieutenant in the Army.

Niagara University's Purple Eagle Battalion consistently ranks in the top 10% of all Army ROTC programs in the nation and the percentage of seniors selected for active duty service exceeds the national average. To find out more about NU's ROTC program and its scholarship and training options, please visit https://rotc.niagara.edu/.