Pony Express Army ROTC Program

END OF SPRING SEMESTER AWARD CEREMONY & BBQ
This past week cadets were honored for all of the hard work they put in this semester. Newly contracted cadets were given their patches. Cadets were recognized for both academic and physical achievements. Congratulations to CDT Schilling on earning the AUSA saber and CDT Castle for being the distinguished military graduate.

The MS4 Staff Ride!!
The senior cadets that will be commissioning in a few weeks recently completed the Staff Ride, an annual tradition within the Pony Express. Each cadet had to research and present information on the history of the Battle of Westport. They travelled to Independence, MO, the site of the Battle of the Little Blue River, Swope Parkway for the Battle of the Bug Blue River and Loose Park In KC, MO to discuss the Battle of Westport.
Congratulations to all of these seniors on such a huge accomplishment, we look forward to their commissioning ceremony in a few weeks!

Last week, a stand out group of cadets from A Co and B Co of the Pony Express competed at Ranger Buddy!
The cadets completed multiple different stx lanes, including maintenance of 3 different weapon systems, gr***de throwing, first aid, bleeding control, medevac request, call for fire, knots, spot report and move under direct fire.

The Pony Express recently hosted a GAFPB. This consists of four different events, including a physical test, a 100m swim, a shoot and a ruck. The participants must complete all four to standard to receive the coveted award. The event is completed over two days and is overseen by a members of the German armed forces.
Congratulations to CDT Fox, Vankirk, Hood, and Schilling on earning the badge this year!

Congratulations to our March Cadets of Month!! It’s been a busy month for these cadets and they have stepped up to the challenge. As both of them are MS3’s they’re preparing to go to advanced camp. We can’t wait to watch them succeed this summer, and come to lead the program next year as MS4’s!

Last week the Pony Express went to Spring FTX at Ft Riley!

This included two days full of leading missions for the MS3’s in preparation for their field days at CST. This allowed MS1’s and MS2’s to see what we’ve been training all semester on a bigger scale. Cadets also qualified on M4 and completed the obstacle course. This is one of the biggest challenges cadets face throughout the semester and they all crushed it. Some cadets and cadre were awarded for their commitment and dedication.

Reach out to us if you’re interested in joining the Pony Express!

This week the Pony Express conducted a Super Lab! This included a full day of training multiple different missions, including MTC, ambush, and attack. This allowed cadets to operate in an environment very similar to CST and better understand some of the missions they may have been struggling with. Cadets also ran through iterations on a smokeless range to prepare for the upcoming range day at spring FTX!

Reach out to us if you’re interested in joining the Pony Express!

We are trying a new event this year in place of the Gorilla Dash. All proceeds will still go to the SFC Rob scholarship that benefits cadets. Please like and share the flyer so we can have a great event.

Congratulations to the cadet’s of the month for February! Both of them are working hard to be contributing members for the greater good of the entire battalion and are very deserving of this recognition.
CDT Green has been involved in recruiting events and has been training for Ranger Challenge throughout the last month. He is also a wrestler and is training for the Half Marathon for Holiness, coming up in April.

He reports joining ROTC because of a desire to serve a country that he is so proud to call home. He has felt called to be in the military and protect our freedoms from a young age and ROTC has allowed him to do that while also pursuing his educational goals. After graduation he is planning to commission Infantry, attend as many military schools as possible, become a CrossFit Games athlete, and continue learning Spanish.

CDT Koops has been with the Pony Express for a short time, but quickly proved his enthusiasm and desire to be a part of the team. He regularly takes part in weekly UMKC color guard events and is in the process of contracting.

He joined the Missouri National Guard in 2019 as a Human Intelligence Collector and during deployment in 2022 was guided by his OIC to investigate ROTC as a route for continuing his career with the Army National Guard. He plans on commissioning Infantry or Engineers, completing either Ranger or Sapper school, volunteering for a deployment, and putting into practice everything he has learned in his training, throughout a 20-year career.

Congratulations to both of these stand out cadets, keep up the great work!

Lab this week!!
Cadet’s conducted a platoon raid mission, this week at lab. This lab allowed cadet’s to put together multiple foundational tactical and leadership skills that they have been working to build throughout the past year. This lab highlighted the importance of working well as a team and prioritising communication in every movement/formation.

Reach out to us if you’re interested in joining the Pony Express!

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PLT Attack!!

At lab this week, cadet’s implemented more complex tactical maneuvers within their elements. The attack mission involves coordinating squad movements in different directions with varying purposes. This mission challenged MS3’s as PSG’s and PL’s to look at where they can improve leading up to advanced camp.

Reach out to us if you're interested in joining the Pony Express!

This week's lab!!
Cadet's trained on movement to contact as a platoon. They were able to utilize different tactical movements to successfully complete their mission. Learning these tactical variations can often seem simple in the classroom, but doing them to scale and in real time allow cadet's to see the complexities of these missions prior to attending CST.

Reach out to us if you're interested in joining the Pony Express!

Congratulations to our January Cadet's of the Month!!
These hard working cadet's bring great value to the Pony Express Battalion and we would like to recognize them for all they do.
CDT Goulding (A Co) has been leading PT for the CDT's going to ranger challenge on his campus. He also leads the recruiting team that speaks with prospective students and attends club fairs. He is an SMP CDT and looks forward to drilling with a local infantry unit once contracting.

He reports joining ROTC, because "he wanted to serve in the military, while also finishing his education. He wanted to effectively lead and help people no matter the position he ends up in and he feels as if the role models and involvement he has had in the program have helped him grow as a leader and a person. He appreciates being pushed out of his comfort zone and taught how to operate in adverse conditions."

After graduation he hopes to commission as an Infantry officer and go through SF selection. He plans to be an active duty officer for an entire 20-year career.
CDT Pearson (B Co) has helped coordinate and lead PT on his campus. He enjoys running/working out in his free time and has contributed his skill sets to the battalion in order to improve the effectiveness of our PT. He has recently passed the exam to become a NASM Certified Personal Trainer.

He joined ROTC as a Staff Sergeant, after a significant active duty career in the Army. He reports joining "due to the variations in abilities he had seen in previous leaders. He wanted the opportunity to develop and provide leadership skills to support his future soldiers. This led him to take a chance and apply for the Green to Gold program."

After graduation he plans to commission as an active duty officer. After completing his ADSO, he will either continue in his active duty career or has also considered applying for law school.

Thank you both, for all you have done and continue doing to support the future of the US Army!

This Week’s Lab!!!
Cadet’s learned what it looks like to move an entire platoon in formation. They were also trained on key principles for patrolling and mission movements in preparation for those that they will have to complete at advanced camp and beyond. In the fall, cadets were trained on squad operations and now they get to apply those skills to their platoon operations.

Reach out to us on here if you’ve been thinking about joining and want to know more!

FLASHBACK: At the end of last semester, Pony Express cadets gathered for a holiday party/branch reveal. Cadets were recognized for their academic and physical achievements throughout the semester. Branch decisions that had been released were revealed to the MS4’s. Cadets embraced the holiday spirit with an ugly sweater contest.

Reach out to your college recruiter or message us on here for more information about joining the Pony Express Battalion!

Cadets attended a multi-stationed lab this week, increasing their learning opportunities. They were taught how to take care of wounded battle buddies, via tactical combat casualty care (TCCC). They learned how to program and utilize radios. They also had preliminary marksmanship instruction (PMI).

Message us on here or reach out to your college recruiter if you’re interested in joining!

Thank you for conducting our TCCC training and talking with cadets interested in pursuing medical careers!

First Lab of 2024!!!
The Pony Express Battalion kicked off the spring semester with a town hall led by our PMS, LTC Roberts. Cadets were excited to see each other for the first time following the holiday break. New staff positions and program policies were announced. The semester schedule was presented and cadets are prepared to take on the semester ahead!

Inquire on social media or with the Army recruiter at your school, if interested in joining.

Congratulations 2LT Jacob Cutler! Lead To Victory!