WHO: Cowboy Battalion
WHAT: Zero Week
WHEN: Aug 23rd- 28th 2015
WHERE: Laramie, WY
SUMMARY: Zero Week happens at the beginning of every school year for
the Cowboy Battalion. The week was meant to introduce new cadets to
the program, issue equipment, complete admin functions and prepare
cadets so that they could focus on academics for the first week of class.
Each class had a different part to play and it was all geared towards
creating the best Cadets in the nation.
Day one was move-in day. Incoming Cadets were greeted by seniors,
juniors and sophomores before being moved into their dorms. This served
as a time for introductions and helped the freshmen feel at home in their
new dorm rooms. The days to follow were packed with training and time
for the Cadets to get to know each other as a Battalion.
Day two was the first day that the freshmen were introduced to a
formation. They learned about PRT and were introduced to the Cadre and
senior class formally. During this time they also learned about their chain
of command and about the various roles of each class in the Battalion.
Over the course of Zero Week the Cadets received training on basic
hand and arm signals, individual movement techniques, EPW search and
they even got a chance to practice drill and ceremony. Every Cadet
received a wealth of knowledge while forming bonds between their peers
that would help to carry them through the rest of the school year.
Lunch was provided by a different organization every day, these
organizations were: Cadet Club, The American Legion, UW Special
Teams, USAREC and WYARNG.
The week culminated with a moment that every Cadet was looking
forward to, the issue of the Army Combat Uniform. Every Cadet was
wearing ACUs by Thursday. The issue of the uniform marked the
beginning of their career as ROTC Cadets.