Purdue cadets practice leadership, teamwork

ROTC Training: a An ROTC cadet swims early Wednesday morning as part of required testing. The cadets jumped blindfolded from a 3-meter diving board while holding rubber guns, among other tasks.

ROTC Training: a An ROTC cadet swims early Wednesday morning as part of required testing. The cadets jumped blindfolded from a 3-meter diving board while holding rubber guns, among other tasks.

At 5:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Purdue’s Army ROTC cadets took a 24.6-foot plunge into the pool during their required semester testing.

Each semester, the cadets are required to take the plunge, also known as the Combat Water Survival Test.

This is an assessment used to test a cadet’s basic swimming skills, and also used to eliminate their fears. The cadets are required to jump blindfolded off a 3-meter diving board with a rubber gun, tread water for five minutes in full gear, and ascend Purdue’s diving tower to plummet 7.5 meters into the water.

Dan Rosenbaum, a cadet in the Army ROTC program, explained the necessity of the test and about what it takes to succeed in the program.

“We will see how the cadets will react under stress and pressure to see if they have any major confidence issues, because we need to know that before they go to their ROTC assessment summer camp, which takes place the summer of their junior year,” Rosenbaum said. “It takes decent grades and decent athleticism to join ROTC, but to succeed, one needs integrity, dedication and self-discipline.”

Eric Noble, a cadet and junior in the College of Liberal Arts, responded to the morning test with an optimistic point-of-view.

“It’s great, I love it,” he said. “This is the perfect warm-up.”

While the cadets took their test, 14 of them practiced in private swim lanes in preparation for the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. This is a specialty foreign badge that is normally obtained in Germany. The competition for the badge will be held at Indiana University from Friday to Sunday.

Major Paul Heslin has been working with the ROTC program since 2008. Heslin oversaw the operations of the test and helped train the competitors for their specialty foreign badge.

“This is a rare opportunity for a cadet to achieve this badge in the states,” Heslin said. “Once a cadet joins active duty and has not received the badge, they would have to travel to Germany to obtain one.”

Purdue’s ROTC team will be assisting the competition in the 5K running event for the specialty badge. The 14 cadets from Purdue are competing against approximately 300 other ROTC men and women. A few events to acquire the badge include a 200 meter swim and a 5K run, as well as track and field events such as shot put; long and high jump; and a sprinting event.

“There are a variety of events which are pass/fail and require athletic diversity,” Heslin said.