Cadet Chelsea Sanchez crawls through an obstacle while completing a confidence course at Camp Zama, Japan, March 12, 2024. Soldiers from the 35th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion hosted a field day to familiarize Zama Middle High School cadets with some aspects of Army life. (Sean Kimmons, U.S. Army)
CAMP ZAMA, Japan – Despite their combat uniforms coated with a mix of sweat, rain and mud, nearly 40 Junior ROTC cadets were all smiles after a grueling morning of navigating obstacles and physical training.
The 35th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion hosted a field day here Tuesday to familiarize Zama Middle High School cadets with the Army Combat Fitness Test and a confidence course hidden in the woodland behind Kizuna Hall.
About 15 culinary arts students from the school also helped Soldiers prepare lunch for the participants using a mobile kitchen trailer set up at Yano Sports Field.
Capt. Alena Leshchyk, the battalion’s plans officer who organized the event, said her unit was eager to show some aspects of Army life to the students during the event, which was halted for a few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s definitely a right step forward in building more resilient Soldiers and family members,” she said. “It’s also a great valuable tool to introduce the Army to the [students] a little bit and let them see what it is what we do on a daily basis.”
Before having a well-deserved meal at the field fielding site, Cadet Roman Romero, a senior and commander of the JROTC battalion, said the gloomy weather was perfect for the cadets to endure the Army training.
“I think it really builds up their courage coming out here in the rain and the cold,” he said, “and I feel like after this you’re going to be much stronger as an individual.”
Cadet Emerson Moore, a sophomore and battalion command sergeant major, said it was her first time to experience an obstacle course that had cadets working together to overcome challenges presented along it.
“It definitely pushed ourselves to the limit,” she said. “But not only did it help us individually, it really made us a better team overall.”
Staff Sgt. Kyle Chasen, operations noncommissioned officer in charge for the battalion’s 5th Transportation Company, guided the cadets as they pushed through the course.
“Obviously, seeing the teamwork that they do is awesome,” he said. “It brings me a little joy.”
Chasen, who enjoys teaching, said the event was also an opportunity for him and others to educate younger people who are not yet fully indoctrinated in the military.
The biggest takeaway Chasen wanted the cadets to receive from the training was awareness of what Soldiers do and to show them what they’re capable of doing themselves.
“So, with the obstacle course, I would like for them to get some more confidence in anything in life,” he said. “If something might be difficult, they can say, ‘I can accomplish it.’”
While the event may influence some students to one day join the military, Leshchyk said the intent was to provide them with an unforgettable experience.
“Even if they choose to pursue other career paths,” she said, “we hope that the positive interactions they’ve had with our Soldiers here, they’ll carry that with them and maybe just share it with their friends and family.”
