The question was simple: What was the most memorable aspect of Cadet Basic Training II? Class of 2022 Cadet Hannah Blakey wore a huge grin on her face as she backtracked nearly three years of unforgettable memories up until the day she was a new cadet.
“Probably one of the most memorable days in CBT II was the day we switched over details after the Ice Cream Social event and got our new cadre,” Blakey said. “It was genuinely the only day during Beast (CBT) that I actually felt like leaving West Point.”
She recalled the first night. It rained relentlessly. The Class of 2022 cadets were drenched in their wet fatigues, standing in formation awaiting their next orders.
“The new cadre got out there and smoked us like crazy. We also did TA-50 layouts under impossible time-hacks we couldn’t meet,” Blakey said with a playful smile. “We ran back and forth as squads doing a variety and things, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow! This is horrible. The new cadre are so tough. They don’t know us. They don’t care about us.’ I actually went back to my room and I cried that night.”
Cadet Basic Training II persisted and as Blakey eventually adjusted, she realized the new cadre had no intentions of hazing or harming any new cadets. She understood this method of training comes with the disciplined lifestyle of a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy.
“Our first sergeant at the time had us do a variety of challenges. One of them was called the Vark march. My squad and I were a part of Alpha company, so she named us aardvarks — that was our mascot,” Blakey said. “And so, she did this thing called Vark march and it was, essentially, a crucible event that she and the other cadre planned out.”
The Vark march involved using all the skills the Class of 2022 cadets had learned throughout CBT I, Blakey added. The cadets had to perform an ambush on a Humvee, go through Enemy Prisoner of War checks, and perform casualty care, among other tasks. Each task brought its own unique challenge and strengthened Blakey’s mindset, changing how she initially viewed the new cadre. Finally, Blakey and the rest of the cadets finished the day, during Vark march, atop the radio tower around the other side of Lake Popolopen.
“The feeling of accomplishment and realizing that the cadre didn’t do this because they didn’t like us was amazing,” Blakey said. “They knew the training would challenge us to be better than we once were and would orient our minds to adapt to a military lifestyle best suited to lead the nation. This moment in our training is something that I know everyone in my company still remembers.”
Nearly three years later, since that day, Blakey would return, yet again, to Camp Buckner for CBT II. However, this time she’d return as the CBT II regimental commander alongside the cadre to lead the Class of 2025 cadets through their training experience.
“As a plebe (freshman) or even a yuk (sophmore), you know you’re getting assigned a leadership detail. You also know that in the back your mind, somebody is going to be the regimental commander for Beast. But, I think the realization doesn’t set in until you’re officially in that position,” Blakey said. “Then that same feeling of the unknown that struck me several years ago hit again the night of July 17, the day before we got the new cadets when we did the change of command.”
Blakey embraced her new leadership role and the scale of the operation, she added. Blakey, the new cadre and staff took charge of over 1,200 new cadets, and were the new cadet’s second experience of what West Point cadets are and what they represent.
“It’s been incredible being able to work and talk with the new cadets because I can still remember specific feelings and thoughts that I had during CBT,” Blakey said. “I can also remember feeling like I couldn’t relate to my cadre. I saw them on this incredibly high pedestal, and at the time, I didn’t see them as ordinary people.”
Blakey explained, the new cadets she leads understand she’s their regimental commander and that there’s a certain level of respect and professionalism that comes with falling under her command. However, it is essential that the cadets feel comfortable with Blakey.
“I want them to feel comfortable sharing things with me. I want them to be open and honest about their experience and tell me about themselves. One of the things myself and the cadre have been doing is ruck marching with the new cadets in the mornings,” Blakey said. “While we tread up the hills, one of the main questions I like to ask is, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ Of course, one of the first responses is always, ‘I’m great, ma’am’ and I’m thinking after the response, ‘We’re rucking up a very steep hill, I rucked up this hill during Beast, so I know firsthand how it feels to go up this hill for the first time, I know it sucked.’ So I ask them, ‘Are you actually doing great, or are you just telling me what I want to hear?’”
Blakey usually got mixed responses, she added. Some cadets tell her flatly that ‘It sucks,’ while others say, ‘I feel great because I want to believe what I’m doing is great.’ In essence, some cadets are trying to convince themselves that treading up the hill is a worthwhile feeling.
For Blakey, it’s incredible experiencing the other side of the work and preparation that goes into CBT II and the restless anticipation the cadre have as they prepared themselves to lead new cadets. As a new cadet, he or she may not understand that the new cadre are also learning and training alongside them. Moreover, the cadre were being judged and graded on their performance as they lead the new cadets.
“Once you become part of the cadre, you see so much more of the challenge that goes into mentoring the new cadets and you feel concerned that you are not going to meet the expectations,” Blakey said. “You also start to think you’re not going to be the leader they need you to be. So it really becomes a mission to work through those inadequacies as you lead with your fellow cadre.”
The most challenging aspect of being a CBT II commander was finding a balance between making sure Blakey and the cadre were not steering the new cadets on the wrong path while allowing the cadre to learn and grow as they developed their unique leadership style. Another crucial element to maintaining the balance was ensuring the cadre continued to push and challenge the new cadets while simultaneously not overexerting them to the point where they were exhausted and cannot perform adequately through subsequent training sessions, Blakey said.
Additionally, the new cadets were in the field learning various military movements and procedures. The cadets learned hand and arm signals, how to use camouflage in forested terrain, individual movement techniques such as bounding, low crawling and react to contact where they went through a trauma lane and performed casualty care, Blakey added.
“Two of the most fun things the new cadets enjoyed during training was the hand grenade lane and the buddy-team lives fires the next day,” Blakey explained. “During the buddy-team live fires, they fired non-lethal fragmentary rounds, that replace 5.56 rounds, which dissolve after reaching a certain distance.”
Following that, the cadets cultivated their mountaineering skills rappelling near Camp Buckner. Soon after, the new cadets marched out to Lake Frederick, where they set up their tents and are now spending a week conducting various additional training exercises and performing recreational activities during their leisure. This event hasn’t been done since the year 2009, Blakey said.
With that, the experience of leading the new cadets has left a tremendous impact on Blakey and has reinforced the importance of paying attention to the small yet subtle details of a cadet’s response to her leadership style, she added.
“Do your best in everything you do and be genuine. Cadets, in general, will see right through you. They will see that all you are doing is working on getting that grade or playing people to get in a particular position,” Blakey said. “Those are exactly the people cadets don’t want to follow. So, during your time here, if your sole focus is attempting to look good to the faculty and chain of command, your peers aren’t going to trust you. With that in mind, trying to make the most of the detail you’ve been given is essential. Understand that if you been given a leadership position, your job is to make your subordinates training experience better than your own when you initially came in as a new cadet.”