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LDAC:

ROTC Leader Development and Assessment Course is the most important training event for an Army ROTC cadet. The 31-day camp incorporates a wide range of subjects designed to develop and evaluate leadership ability. The challenges are rigorous and demanding, both mentally and physically. Leader Development and Assessment Course tests intelligence, common sense, ingenuity and stamina. These challenges provide a new perspective on an individual's ability to perform exacting tasks and to make difficult decisions in demanding situations.

The camp places each cadet and officer candidate in a variety of leadership positions, many of which simulate stressful combat situations. In each position, cadets are evaluated by platoon tactical and counseling (TAC) officers and noncommissioned officers. In addition to proving their leadership ability, cadets and officer candidates must meet established standards in physical fitness, weapons training, communication, combat patrols and demonstrate their proficiency in many other military skills. Cadets and officer candidates must excel at camp to be considered competitive for a commission as an Army officer. Over 5000 Army ROTC cadets from throughout the nation will attend the ROTC Leader Development and Assessment Course. The camp will consist of 12 ROTC and 2 OCS training cycles with the first cycle beginning in June and the last cycle graduating in August. Since 1993, the Fort Lewis ROTC Leader Development and Assessment Course has conducted Army National Guard Officer Candidate School Phase III training concurrently with Advanced Camp training. The ROTC committee cadre will provide leadership position evaluations of the candidates, using the same criteria as for ROTC cadet regiments.

One special aspect of Leader Development and Assessment Course is the Regimental Affiliation Program. Each cadet regiment is affiliated with an established and honored Army Regiment. The cadet battalions adopt the honors, lineage and heraldry of their respective active regiments. The purpose of the program is to infuse each cadet with regimental esprit de corps and pride.

LDAC Preparation
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LDAC Overview

Field Leaders Reaction Course

FLRC is designed to develop and evaluate leadership and to build teamwork early in the camp cycle. Course administration is accomplished using the established cadet organization and chain of command. Cadet leadership potential is assessed by committee evaluators. Cadets are provided the opportunity to get early feedback on their leadership strengths, weaknesses, styles and techniques.

Basic Rifle Marksmanship

Future Army Leaders must know the characteristics of the basic Army rifle, how to fire it accurately, and how to employ it in combat. Rifle marksmanship training teaches cadets to engage and hit targets on the battlefield. Cadets are required to fire for record. Qualification is a camp completion criterion.

Automatic Weapons

Squad Automatic Weapon / M60 machine gun training teaches cadets the characteristics, functions and employment of the weapons. This training provides skills used in later tactical phases of camp.

Land Navigation

Land navigation training must be mastered early in the camp cycle for the cadets to be fully successful in the tactical training which follows. The land navigation evaluation consists of three portions totaling 100 points. The written examinations is worth 30 percent. The day land navigation test is worth 50 percent. Night land navigation is worth 20 percent. Each cadet must earn 70 percent on each test to pass this event. A passing score in land navigation is a camp completion criterion.

Individual Tactical Training

ITT is the first block of instruction in tactics at National Advanced Leadership Camp. It covers individual battlefield skills, combat movement techniques, and procedures necessary for subsequent tactical training at the squad and platoon level.

Fire Support

Fire Support teaches cadets the importance and lethality of artillery fire on the battlefield, employment of indirect fires, and gives them the opportunity to perform the duties of howitzer crewmen.

Hand Grenade

Basic understanding and use of hand grenades is an important facet of weapons and tactical training. Cadets learn to identify major types of grenades. They learn the grenades' characteristics and uses. Cadets also employ live grenades.

Nuclear, Biological, Chemical

NBC training provides basic soldier skills that cadets must master to meet pre-commissioning requirements. Cadets learn characteristics, maintenance and employment of NBC equipment. They also develop confidence in defensive equipment during mask confidence exercises.

Squad Situational Training Exercises

Squad STX is a five-day, two-phase event. The first two days, the Squad training phase, are designed to train squad battle drills and collective tasks. The last three days, the Squad STX lane phase, are designed to evaluate leadership using tactical scenarios. Each cadet receives two formal evaluations of their performance as a squad leader during this phase. Squad operations builds on and reinforces all previous instruction. Cadets use knowledge of land navigation, terrain association, weapons systems, and all individual training previously presented.

Patrolling Situational Training Exercises

Patrolling STX is a three-day event that provides cadets practical experience leading soldiers at the section level. The first day is a training day on which cadets are taught the fundamentals of patrolling missions. The following two days are designed to evaluate leadership potential using tactical scenarios by giving cadets opportunities to utilize the training as patrol leaders and assistant patrol leaders. Patrolling STX builds on and reinforces all previous instruction, and teaches cadets the basics of air assault operations. This event culminates cadets' training at National Advanced Leadership Camp.

Infantry Platoon Tactical Standing Operating Procedure

This publication is an extract from FM 3-21.8 Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad. It provides the tactical standing operating procedures for infantry platoons and squads and is tailored for ROTC cadet use. The procedures apply unless a leader makes a decision to deviate from them based on the factors of METT-T. In such a case, the exception applies only to the particular situation for which the leader made the decision.

Advanced Camp Survival Tips

Advanced Camp Survival Tips
This list is a result of previous Advanced Camp graduates. Pay attention to these bits of advice from those who have gone before you. Using these tips will lead to better performance and a more enjoyable experience at advanced camp.
1. Do not pack for Advanced Camp the day before you leave. Do it at least one week prior to your departure. The more time you give yourself, the more time you will have to acquire anything you find yourself lacking.
2. Upon arrival, remember the importance of first impressions.
3. When you get there, find a highly motivated cadet to work with during Advanced Camp. This helps make the days go by faster and keeps you excited about what you are doing.
4. Give everyone you know your camp address and write to everyone. Have them send you packages, cassette tapes, newspapers, etc. You will be amazed at how starved for information you and everyone else will be; even your TACs. Be sure to share any papers or magazines you receive.
5. Write down any Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) that are adopted by your squad or platoon. A good idea is to write them neatly on butcher block paper and have them posted where everyone can easily refer to them.
6. Initiate a plan to pass down a book of hints for the Company Commander (CO), Executive Officer (XO), First Sergeant (1SG), and Platoon Leader (PL) positions to aid successive chains of command. It helps them do well and makes camp run more smoothly.
7. Use downtime to re-teach Common Task Training (CTT) to your squad.
8. Follow FM 3-21.8 to the letter when it comes to the operations order (OPORD). Do not forget the task organization.
9. Volunteer for extraneous duties.
10. Write heavily detailed and complete self-assessment cards (yellow cards). It is important to record every positive action that you perform during your leadership floor. Since your evaluator will not always be present to see all of the tasks that you accomplish, a detailed yellow card is important crucial in letting them know how hard you have worked. Be factual and accentuate the positive.
11. Never hold an unnecessary formation. This is very straining for unit morale.
12. Support your cadet leadership. Do not fight their decisions. This helps unit morale and efficiency.
13. Act on the suggestions made during the after action reviews (AARs).
14. At appropriate times, ask questions of the TACs. They are teachers and mentors before they are evaluators.
15. K.I.S.S. -- Keep It Simple, Stupid.
16. Delegate!!!! You will be quickly and immediately overwhelmed if you try to do everything by yourself.
17. Do PT whenever you can. If you are attending a follow-on training school (especially Airborne School or Air Assault School), then talk to your cadre about the possibility of starting a separate PT group for these people who have a need to train harder than the normal PT sessions often allow.
18. Do not slack off on your PT between the time school ends and camp starts. If anything, start training harder and more often than usual.
19. Break in two to three pairs of boots before arriving at Fort Lewis. Advanced Camp requires you to be on your feet a lot, so you need to take care of them.
20. Practice before camp so that you are comfortable with Drill and Ceremony as well as calling marching and running cadences.
21. Relax. By the time you are sent to camp, you will be ready to successfully complete everything. Stressing about Advanced Camp will not make you a better leader.
22. Keep a positive mental attitude.
Know why you are at advanced camp before you get there.....to be an officer in the most powerful army in the history of the world.....never forget this during Advanced Camp!!!!!!
Advanced Camp Extra Packing List
1. A large ALCE pack. Advanced Camp issues medium packs, they just aren't big enough.
2. 550 cord
3. Sewing kit
4. Hand mirror
5. Green duct tape
6. Travel alarm clock
7. Baby wipes or Oxy Pads (Helps take off the camo)
8. Weapons cleaning kit
9. Colored markers
10. Gold Bond Medicated Foot Powder
11. Bungee Cords
12. Map case
13. Sand table kit
14. Mosquito head net
15. Bug repellent
16. Laundry detergent (No liquid, prone to breakage on flight)
17. CTT visual aids
18. Shower shoes
19. Ruck sac liner (Not a trash bag, but an actual liner)
20. FM 3-21.8, 22-5, Infantry Platoon TACSOP
21. Boot Inserts

Military Science Class TRACS

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