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Camp Casey, South Korea
This summer I was afforded the opportunity to participate in Cadet Troop Leading Training (CTLT) in South Korea for four weeks. I was assigned to 2-9 Infantry of the 2nd Infantry Division (ID) at Camp Casey, South Korea.
My CTLT training was preceded by Leadership Development and Assessment Camp (LDAC), and a 13-hour direct flight from Seattle to Seoul. For the first few days in Country, I was In-Processed with other cadets participating in CTLT and regular 2nd Infantry Division Soldiers, and this was done at Camp Stanley (about 40 minutes North of Seoul, an hour from North Korea). In-processing is important because it allows Soldiers to get familiar with the laws and customs of the country as well as the rules and regulation of the Unit. In-processing involves cultural briefs, the issuing of equipment, a North Korea threat brief as well as paperwork and many power-points.
During in-processing we were also taken to the demilitarized zone (DMZ), which is the border between North and South Korea, to tour the area. We toured some famous areas such as the location where the infamous Axe murder incident occurred, and toured the United Nations Command Center, all under the watchful eyes of the North Korean Army, who were spying on our tour group just across the border.
After a few days, I was finally sent off to Camp Casey (which is about an hour North of Seoul and less than 20 minutes from the DMZ) to begin my time with my Unit. Initially I was going to shadow an Infantry Officer, but because I would rather branch Field Artillery, the Battalion accommodated me and placed me with a Fire Support Officer. The Lieutenant I shadowed was only 2 years older than me, so immediately I felt pretty comfortable. During my time with the Unit I was treated like an Officer, so members of the Unit would salute me and call me either "Sir," or "Cadet." I was also assigned my own room with a refrigerator, bathroom, and recliner.
My work hours were the same as everyone else in the unit, and I also had weekends off and was free to explore Korea, as I so desired.
This was the typical day:
PT 6:30 – 7:30
Work 9:30 – 12:00
Lunch 12:00 – 13:00
Work 13:00 – 18:00
CTLT is different for everyone, in my Unit there was not much room for me to have leadership responsibilities, but my Lieutenant did attempt to give me as much work as he could. During my time at Camp Casey I taught an Operations Order class to some of the lower ranked Enlisted, and I assisted in a Call for Fire class. While I enjoyed teaching and being given responsibility, I thought the most valuable experience at CTLT was being able to see how seasoned leaders lead, and to soak up all the advice they gave me the most exciting training experience in Korea was a joint exercise with the Air Force. We humvee'd up to the top of a hill, and called in simulated air strikes near Camp Casey. When we called them in, Air Force A-10 Thunderbolts would fly overhead and simulate attacking our targets.
During my time in Korea, it was monsoon season and one day there was massive flooding, which lead to mudslides. It was one of the worst floods in years and I was able to witness and participate in recovery operations.
There was a lot of work and training but, there was time for fun too. During weekends I was free to do as I wished and we even had a four-day weekend at the end of CTLT. I was able to hop the train and go down to Seoul. Seoul is a fairly inexpensive City; sightseeing was something I could do every weekend. I was able to see old shrines and temples, haggle for cheap brand name items, and go to museums.
The Army treated me like an Active Duty Soldier, so my housing and food was taken care of. I was also paid about 35 dollars a day, so the training pays for itself and then some. Overall, this was one of the most positive events of my life and it was great that I could travel on the Army's dime.