Leadership Development Advanced Course

Leadership Development Advanced Course is the most important training event for an Army ROTC cadet. The 35-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. They test intelligence, common sense, ingenuity and stamina. These challenges provide a new perspective on a cadet's ability to perform exacting tasks and to make difficult decisions under demanding conditions.

The camp places each cadet in a variety of leadership positions, many of which simulate stressful combat situations. In each position, cadets are evaluated by platoon tactical officers and noncommissioned officers. In addition to demonstrating their leadership ability, cadets must meet established standards in physical fitness, weapons training, communication, combat patrols and additional military skills. Cadets must excel at camp to be competitive for Army commissions.

					The FLRC course develops and evaluates leadership and builds teamwork early in the camp cycle. Cadet squads must demonstrate initiative, teamwork and common sense while negotiating difficult physical obstacles. Cadet leadership potential is assessed and cadets receive feedback on their leadership strengths, weaknesses, styles and techniques.
Confidence training builds individual, team and unit esprit through a series of individual and team competitions. It gives cadets the opportunity to evaluate their courage and resolve, and gives cadre the opportunity to evaluate the cadets' mental attitude under different levels of stress.
					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. Rifle qualification is a camp completion requirement.
Squad Automatic Weapon/M60 machine gun training teaches cadets the characteristics, functions and employment of the weapon. This training provides skills used in subsequent tactical phases of camp.
					Land navigation skills must be mastered early in the camp cycle for cadets to be fully successful in the tactical training which follows. The land navigation training and evaluation consists of written and practical exercises. A passing score in land navigation is a camp completion requirement.
ITT is the first block of instruction in tactics at Advanced Camp. It teaches individual battlefield skills, combat movement techniques, and procedures necessary for subsequent tactical training at the squad and platoon level.
					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.
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 throw live grenades.
					NBC training provides basic soldier skills 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 STX is a four-day training event. STX Lanes are designed to evaluate leadership using tactical scenarios. Each cadet receives two formal evaluations of his or her 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.
					Platoon STX is a five-day, two-phase event that gives cadets practical experience leading soldiers at the platoon level. The first two days, the platoon training phase, focus on training platoon operations. Cadets are not formally evaluated at this time, but do receive developmental feedback. The last three days, the platoon STX lanes phase, are designed to evaluate leadership potential using tactical scenarios. Each cadet receives one formal evaluation of performance in a leadership position. Platoon STX builds on and reinforces all previous instruction, and teaches cadets the basics of air assault operations. This event culminates cadets' training at Advanced Camp.