On Camp Casey March 27, American Soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, train cadets from the Korea Military Academy in treatment of a mock casualty. The KMA cadets were getting ready to take part in the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, April 10-11. – U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Seo-won Lee
CAMP CASEY – The soldiers were training, moving to their next station, and then it happened. Suddenly, they scurried into position, reacting to an ambush. It was time to use the skills they had learned.
The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Soldiers trained and mentored cadets from the Korea Military Academy March 24-31 on Camp Casey and Camp Hovey in preparation for the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. April 10-11.
The competition started when the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, United Kingdom, presented a British officer’s sword to West Point in 1967. The sword was to act as a prize for a competition with the goal of promoting military excellence to cadets around the world.
Every year, nine-member teams test on a 25.6 miles course involving scenarios consisting of basic combat skills such as obstacle course navigation, rifle marksmanship and combat swimming.
The KMA took part in the competition in 2013 and came in 52nd out of 59 teams. However, they say it will be different this time.
“We are looking forward to get in top five places for the competition,” said third-year Cadet Huh Choong-bum. “We are very motivated to compete with other countries’ academies … It’s going to be very fun.”
The 1st ABCT has been providing training areas and Soldiers to help the cadets. Soldiers were selected as subject matter experts for the medical and the field artillery portions. Three officers, who graduated from West Point and have participated in the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition when they were cadets, led the Korean cadets through training, giving the team leader tips.
“It involves an intensive land navigation course, and dismounted movements to a range where they took contact and react to treat casualties,” said 1st Lt. Vincent Delany, platoon leader with 3rd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 72nd Armor Regiment, 1st ABCT. “After the range, they came up to call for fire trainer by foot on route. They had to drag patients in stretchers approximately half a mile.”
Even though cadets couldn’t fully understand the scenario and made mistakes on the first run, they will definitely perform better next time because they have the motivation, said Delany.
“I think the training showed they got a lot of heart, and they have good leadership at the cadet level reacting to expected events,” he said. “They have the knowledge I think to accomplish the tasks that they are expected to.”
“They taught us," said Huh, "about the proper fire, tactical casualty cares and tactical movement. They taught us through their combat experience, so it was very helpful.”
