Training and Events

Physical Training (PT)

Vulcan Company conducts Physical Training (PT) sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings from 0630 to 0730 at Herron Recreation and Fitness Center’s gymnasium. Remedial PT sessions, for those needing additional training, are held on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 0630 to 0730 at the Army ROTC office, Frich Biology Building, Room 217. Contracted cadets must attend at least three (3) PT sessions per week, and PT attendance or lack thereof directly affects all ROTC students’ semester grade. Obviously, success on the Army Physical Fitness Test (Pushup, Situp, 2-mile run) is sought through regular PT. Gradual improvement based on realistic goals is sought for each Cadet. It is attained by training for upper-body strength and endurance improvement, lower-body and abdominal strength and endurance improvement, and cardiovascular conditioning and endurance training.

PT is an essential portion of your training as a Cadet. It is essential for a leader in any organization to understand his physical limitations and PT provides the Cadet with an opportunity to measure them. Regular physical training can serve the body as well as the mind and spirit. We encourage a “lifestyle of fitness” in our organization. That philosophy starts, just like our days, with PT.

Field Training Exercises (FTX)

Army ROTC conducts two field training exercises per academic year. The Field Training Exercise (FTX) is a practical exercise that provides Cadets a forum to apply leadership skills, techniques, and procedures learned in the classroom to a field environment. FTXs are challenging and exciting events that force the Cadet to utilize her acquired skills and thus become better for the experience. In addition, Cadets from California University get to work with Cadets from the other schools within the Panther Battalion (University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg, Robert Morris University). The events of FTXs are varied dependent upon training focus, but normally consist of the following events: Field Leadership Reaction Course (FLRC), Land Navigation, Assault Courses, Situational Training Exercises (STX Lanes), and Live Fire M16 Ranges. 

Combat Water Survival Training (CWST)

Vulcan Company conducts this training once a semester. The Army recognizes the importance of this kind of training for the survival of its personnel in water. The training is conducted once a semester and is conducted to increase the participants’ confidence in water, teach techniques to survive in the water while wearing military equipment, and to test the ability of Cadets as swimmers. Events include a 25 meter swim, 12 meter swim with weapon, blind equipment jump, equipment release, and BDU floatation methods.

Dining In

The Dining In is a storied tradition in the military. It provides an opportunity for Cadets to recognize the unique nature of their unit and thus build esprit de corps, or team spirit. Each unit holds its own traditions, as does the Vulcan Company and its parent unit, the Panther Battalion, and the Dining In is an event that puts these traditions on parade. Oh yeah, it’s also a great time! Formal Dress (Class A Uniform with formal neckwear) is the uniform…the rest you’ll just have to show up for.

Military Ball

Another storied tradition in the military is the formal Military Ball. Once an academic year, the Cadets of Vulcan Company participate in a ball held with their fellow Panther Battalion Cadets. The ball is a formal affair--Dress Blues worn by the Cadre, Class A Uniform with formal neckwear for the male Cadets, and formal gown or Class A Uniform for the female Cadets. Cadets are encouraged to bring a date and enjoy the festivities which include recognition of award winners, commissionees, a guest speaker, and, of course, music and dancing.

Summer and Additional Training Opportunities

Each year, over 800 special training opportunities are extended to cadets through the Cadet Professional Development Training (CPDT) program. The CPDT program supplements campus training with practical leader development experiences and some additional skill identifier awarding courses. Cadets train in Army schools and with Active and Reserve units. CPDT consists of two subprograms, Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT) and Cadet Practical Field Training (CPFT). In a typical year, about half our commissionees will have had at least one of these experiences.

Cadet Practical Field Training (CPFT)

Generally, the total number of CPFT allocations equals ten percent of the cadet population at large. Battalion commanders will prepare, select and send cadets with the highest potential for completing the CPFT training and for being commissioned. Cadet Command pays for travel. Billeting and mess are provided by the installation. All cadets must meet the eligibility criteria to be selected. Refer to Annex A, Figure 2 (CPFT Training Opportunities).

Leader’s Training Course (LTC)

Location: Fort Knox, Kentucky
You may attend this course if you:

• Are medically qualified to attend
• Are transferring from a school that did not offer ROTC
• Are a junior or community college graduate entering an ROTC school and have no prior active or Reserve Component military service
• Are a graduate student starting a two-year program
• Are a high school graduate entering a military junior college

Students with prior military service, or who took 3 years of Junior ROTC, may be given credit for Basic Course completion and would not be required to attend the Leader's Training Course.

Leader's Training course is attended during the summer between your sophomore and junior years of college for five weeks at Fort Knox (Louisville), Kentucky. The purpose of the Leader's Training Course is to provide instruction in the basic leadership and technical skills that will prepare you for your junior and senior years of ROTC. During this camp you have the opportunity to compete for available two year or Guaranteed Reserve Forces scholarships. All travel expenses are paid and you are paid while attending camp.

Airborne School
Location: Ft. Benning, Georgia
The Basic Airborne Course is a three-week training program conducted by the Airborne Department, USAIC, Fort Benning, GA that trains students the use of the parachute as a means of combat deployment. Successful completion qualifies cadets to wear the Parachutist Badge.

You begin your first week on the ground, learning the basics of parachute landings, and start a vigorous training program. During the second week, called tower week, proper exiting of the plane will be mastered. As a cadet, you will be then given the opportunity to parachute from a 250 foot high tower. The third and final week is the jump week. Cadets make five jumps from either a C-130 or C-141, including one night jump and two combat jumps with full combat gear.

Air Assault School (AAS)
Location: Ft. Campbell, Kentucky
The AAS is a 10 day course of instruction that trains cadets on Combat Assault Operations involving associated equipment and U.S. Army rotary-wing aircraft. Successful completion qualifies cadets to wear the Air Assault Badge.

This is available at a number of installations, but the largest is located at the air assault home of Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. This eleven day course is very demanding both physically and mentally, involving obstacle courses and several long ruck marches. You will learn the basics of aircraft familiarization and recognition, slingload operations, and rappelling.

Pre-Combat Diver Qualification Course (Pre-CDQC)
The most highly selective program available to cadets, the Combat Diver Qualification Course (CDQC) has less than fifteen cadet slots each year. This means that they only select the best of the best cadets. The training is physically and mentally exhausting, so preparation above and beyond the basic requirements of the school is mandatory. To get accepted into CDQC, one must complete a Pre-CDQC course. Pre-CDQC training includes an APFT and pool events, including a 25 meter sub-surface swim, a 50 meter sub-surface swim, clump retrieval, two minute water tread, weight belt swim, underwater knot tying, ditching and dawning of equipment, treading water for five minutes with a weight belt and twin 80 air cylinders, and drown proofing.

Mountain Warfare School (MWS)
Location: Jericho, Vermont
A two-week program conducted at the Ethan Allen Firing Range, Jericho, VT. The course teaches cadets the skills needed to operate in a mountainous environment during the summer and fall.

Mountain Warfare introduces you to the techniques and tactics required to operate in a mountainous environment under hostile conditions. The emphasis is on field exercises where you learn mountain-related skills. The instruction includes advanced navigational training, special mobility training (with special operations forces mountaineering equipment), and mountain tactical instruction.

Northern Warfare Cadet Orientation Course (NWCOC)
Location: Ft. Wainwright, Alaska
A two-week program conducted at the Northern Warfare Training Center at Fort Wainwright, AK. The course is designed to train cadets in the skills required for conducting military operations in typical mountainous terrain found throughout the world. Special emphasis is placed on basic military mountaineering skills.

This course focuses on mobility in mountainous terrain, rappelling, and climbing skills. The training is demanding both physically and mentally but also extremely rewarding. Those who live up to the challenge come away with not only a vast knowledge of climbing skills but also a new level of self confidence born from facing adversity and overcoming it.

Combat Survival Training (CST)
CST is a 20 day program that affords the cadet the opportunity to practice employing the principles, procedures, techniques, and equipment that enhance survival and evasion prospects, regardless of hostile or adverse climate conditions.

United Kingdom Officer Training Camp (UKOTC)
A three-week program hosted by British Army ROTC counterparts. UKOTC provides cadets the opportunity to conduct ROTC training with a foreign nation.

Cadet Troop Leadership Training (CTLT)

CTLT provides select Leader Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) graduates the opportunity to increase their leadership experience by assignments to platoon leader or like positions with Active Army units or with government agencies for three weeks (Continental United States, CONUS) to four weeks (Outside the Continental United States, OCONUS).

Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT)
You may find yourself anywhere in the country, or overseas, involved in the Cadet Troop Leadership Training Program. This internship program places you in actual Army units acting as a real Lieutenant. This three to four-week challenge is a definite learning experience, allowing you to gain a perspective on what you will be facing as future officer. Generally, you are placed in a platoon leader position, leading 30+ soldiers and responsible for millions of dollars of equipment. You receive a rate of pay and allowance similar to that at LDAC, you stay at the Bachelor Officer Quarters on that specific base, you train and lead soldiers, and receive an OER upon completion of the program. If you are assigned to a unit on jump status, and you are already airborne qualified, you may participate in unit jumps on a permissive basis if approved in advance. CTLT is the best way to become familiarized with a branch before having to choose your branch preferences during the accessions process at the beginning of the MS IV year.

Drill Cadet Leader Training (DCLT)
Training is conducted in Basic Training and One Station Unit Training (OSUT) for four weeks. Cadets work closely with Drill Sergeants as they train soldiers in basic skills. This is an excellent opportunity for future leaders to see how U.S. Army Soldiers are initially trained and to serve in a leadership position with experience NCOs that will teach them skills necessary at their initial units. The cadets leave with an evaluation of their duty performance.

Advance Individual Academic Development (AIAD)
Cadets train for three weeks as interns with the Army Corps of Engineers or other government agencies.

Cadet Intern Program (CIP)
Cadet Intern Program (CIP), an initiative of ASA/MRA, allows cadets to work with the Department of the Army (DA), the Secretariat, Office of the Chief of Army Reserves (OCAR), National Guard Bureau (NGB), and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) for three weeks. These cadets receive an evaluation at completion.

Nurse Summer Training Program (NSTP)
This training is only available to nurse cadets and provides opportunities to develop and practice a clinical phase of instruction at Army Medical Command Treatment Facilities worldwide. The cadets receive an evaluation upon completion.