Seton Hall Pirate Battalion’s Intensive Three-Day Field Training at Fort Dix
Thursday, May 9, 2024
(UH-60 Helicopter lands at West Orange Armory for Cadets to board to infil to Fort Dix)
Recently, Seton Hall University's Pirate Battalion engaged in a challenging three-day Combined Field Training Exercise (CFTX) alongside the Scarlet Knight Battalion of Rutgers University and the Tiger Battalion of Princeton at Fort Dix, NJ from April 26th to April 28th. In a demonstration of discipline, teamwork, and preparedness, the cadets honed in on putting their critical training skills into practice. The training exercise kicked off with a high tempo as cadets bordered Black Hawks to simulate an infiltration.
The main objective of the CFTX was to ready the MS3 (third year ROTC students) cadets for Cadet Summer Training (CST) at Fort Knox this summer, ensuring they are well-prepared for the demanding scenarios ahead. Cadet Summer Training is essentially the average ROTC cadet’s “super bowl”, meant to be the culminating test for MS3s of the leadership and tactical skills they have spent their last three years in ROTC developing.
Seton Hall MS1s and MS2s pose as an enemy force for the MS3s to prepare them for their upcoming cadet summer training event
The main goal of the training was to challenge MS3 cadets to think critically under intense and deliberately stressful situations. Under the supervision of an experienced cadre team, cadets tackled challenging terrain, refined their machine gun proficiency, and worked on their small unit tactics.
Also in attendance of the CFTX were Pirate Battalion’s underclassmen – the MS1 and MS2 cadets – who gained valuable experience by participating in platoon and squad operations. Their purpose was to be a simultaneous cadet training group acting as the opposing force (OPFOR). In this capacity, the MS1s and MS2s worked to portray a thinking enemy, and created a realistic militia for the MS3s to engage with. Their dedication role-playing enhanced the overall training experience, benefiting the MS3s preparing for CST.
Upon completion of the weekend an after-action review was facilitated by cadre to highlight sustains and improves moving into cadet summer training
The challenges faced by the MS3s emphasized the importance of communication, strategic thinking, and precise execution of military tactics, evaluating both individual leadership and unit cohesion.
Overall, feedback was positive, with Cadet Munoz (MS4) who organized the exercise, expressing satisfaction with the collaborative effort between schools.
As cadets return to their studies, the lessons learned will remain ingrained in their training and character development, contributing to the ongoing mission of molding future military leaders that are equipped for the challenges of modern warfare. The Seton Hall Pirate Battalion's tradition of producing skilled officers continues through exercises like this, emphasizing core values of honor, duty, and service.
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