Topic: College of Applied Sciences and Technology
July 4, 2010
Ball State junior Krystal Harper finished ahead of nearly 500 other Army ROTC cadets in the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) held as part of cadet training here. Passing the test is a prerequisite for becoming commissioned as a U.S. Army lieutenant.
Thousands of college students from around the globe converge here each summer to attend Army ROTC’s capstone training and assessment exercise, the 29-day “Leader Development and Assessment Course.”
Harper scored 324 points on an extended scale; 300 is the army standard maximum score. Her achievement on the APFT placed her in the top two percent of her 446-person regiment. The test, which measures the student’s strength and endurance, consists of sit-ups and push-ups, each timed over two minutes, and a two-mile run. Scores are aggregated into an overall official Army score.
Each cadet must pass the APFT on their fourth day of training.
This year, over 6500 ROTC cadets will attend LDAC in 14 ROTC regiments. Each 500-person regiment will undergo a 29-day cycle of progressive training, culminating in the regimental graduation ceremony.
LDAC is the single most important event in any cadet’s student career. Successful completion of the 29-day training cycle is prerequisite to commissioning. Last year, 4,300 second lieutenants were commissioned through ROTC.