Cadets learn navigation skills in Duke Forest

With the sound of crunching dead leaves in their ears as they pushed aside errant tree branches, UNC Army ROTC cadets carefully made their way through the dense woods.

After navigating past fallen trees and thick underbrush, senior Julia Buckner silently signaled for the group of cadets she was leading to stop.

"What kind of terrain do you think this is?" she asked the group.

The cadets quickly looked around the clearing and said they were standing on a slight hill.

While the question might have seemed straight forward, it was an important one for the new cadets to keep in mind during their first land navigation exercise.

"Pay attention no matter where you are," senior Daniel Nichols said.

Equipped with only a compass, map and protractor, 47 cadets were given eight-digit grid coordinates Saturday morning and told to plot the points on a topographical map. They then were given the task of threading their way through Duke Forest to find the markers.

The goal of the day's exercise was to teach the cadets terrain association, said Lt. Col. Elizabeth Agather.

"These are basic skills that all soldiers are required to have," she said.

Lt. Col. Steve Morris said land navigation skills are crucial for cadets who choose to enlist in the army. "It's really the building block for a lot of advanced military training later on."

The land navigation exercise in Duke Forest simulates a mandatory training event that cadets participate in before their senior year, Nichols said.

The rising seniors travel to Ft. Lewis, Wash., each summer where they participate in a Leader Development and Assessment Course - a 33-day training event that incorporates a wide-range of subjects including land navigation.

"This was excellent preparation," said Nichols, a senior who participated in the event during the summer.

UNC cadets scored an average of 88 percent on the mandatory land navigation test, which included a 25-question multiple choice test and a number of points for cadets to find during the daylight and night, Nichols said.

"We try to train them here in Chapel Hill as they will see it there," Morris said.

Agather said that even with the advent of navigation tools like global positioning systems and digital terrain mapping products, being able to map out points by hand still is relevant.

"They have to be able to read a map and be able to get a unit from one point to another," she said.

Cadets now have had nearly a month to adjust to their new roles in the battalion - with some cadets stepping up as leaders and others focusing on adjusting to the daily grind of the training regiment.

Freshman cadet Mia Barnes said the most difficult part of Army ROTC thus far has been getting up early in the morning and adjusting to the discipline required.

ROTC students begin most days around 6 a.m. with physical training exercises.

Morris said leadership development was a key part of the day, with senior cadets planning and managing the exercise.

"They now become the trainers. - We on the faculty act as mentors and advisors," Morris said. "The seniors make all the plans."

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.