Warrior Forge news, info goes digital

FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- Army ROTC cadets attending the upcoming Leader Development and Assessment Course, also known as Operation Warrior Forge, will have their stories followed in new ways this summer. The Warrior Forge Public Affairs Office is rolling out several new Internet tools to keep family members and friends apprised of the cadets' progress. Stories, photos, video, and audio clips featured on these sites will remain available after LDAC so that cadets and cadre will be able to go back to them.

"We have an unparalleled opportunity to reach out to families and friends of cadets who want to know how their cadet is faring during this summer training," said Jeremy O'Bryan, LDAC's chief of public affairs.

"Internet services abound today. At no other time in history has sharing our stories been so easy -- and we want to tell the story of these cadets, who may one day be leading America's Soldiers." This news and information site, currently built through the online publishing tool "Blogger," will be accompanied by SmugMug (a photo-sharing site), YouTube, and Twitter.

"Photographs of the action at Warrior Forge will be available in galleries on SmugMug," O'Bryan said. "Video we capture will be posted on YouTube and brief periodic updates will be available for those following our Twitter account. "It isn't nearly as difficult as it seems to set up a Twitter account," he added, "and since it's a quick new way to get news out, I hope that everyone interested in Army ROTC, the cadets attending Warrior Forge, or anything Army related will sign up for an account and follow our feed."

Warrior Forge Yearbook Video

Warrior Forge 2008 Yearbook Video from Warrior Forge on Vimeo.

About Operation Warrior Forge

FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- The U.S. Army Cadet Command's Leader Development and Assessment Course, also known as Operation Warrior Forge, is the most important training event for an Army ROTC cadet hoping to become a U.S. Army officer.

The 29-day training event, held during the summer at Fort Lewis, Wash., incorporates a wide range of subjects and activities designed to develop and evaluate a cadet's leadership ability. The challenges are rigorous and demanding, both mentally and physically. Warrior Forge tests intelligence, common sense, ingenuity and stamina. These challenges provide a new perspective on an individual's ability to perform exacting tasks and to make difficult decisions in demanding situations.

For some, graduation from the course is the final step in an effort to become an Army lieutenant, and they're commissioned on the parade field at the graduation ceremony. The rest will return to their respective colleges or universities to complete their academic requirements.