Fast Leadership Reaction Course

I think I got that right...

This past Saturday, our ROTC battalion had the opportunity to get on a big blue bus, drive out to our local Airforce base, and participate in a squad-based obstacle course-of-sorts.

The course consisted of four individual obstacles with an accompanying scenario (ie: A pilot is down in our area. We need to get him across this river with "these" supplies and "this" pole). Squad Leader and Team Leaders changed each time. The true objective is to judge how the squad leaders reacted physically, emotionally, etc. to the challenge and how they delegated movement and security to their two team leaders.

Our squad did exceptionally well, and all of the MS3s scored highly.

I got to be a team leader for one scenario. We didn't finish that particular objective in time, but the squad leader still scored well because of the solid plan he had developed and the effective way he communicated the plan to us (the team leaders).

Overall, a really effective exercise.

After the challenges came to an end, the MS4s performed a "lane" (one of the four individual objectives) as an example for us. They skirted a few corners here or there, but the point was to see how well these experienced cadets worked together; they finished the lane with time to spare, despite one or two time penalties.

After the demonstration, the battalion changed into civis and fell into line under one of the picnic pavillions for a cookout. Hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, cookies...the MS4s and cadre brought everything. The food was excellent, though that could have been because we were all so incredibly starving, heh.

We played volleyball, soccer, and football after the food for about an hour and a half or so and then came back to school.

Overall, it was a great learning experience and a really fun afternoon. Though it'll be entirely different, I'm now really looking forward to STYX in another month or so. Hopefully the rain stays away like it did this weekend.

Hooah.