Vanderbilt Cadets Exceed Standards

Every year, cadets from all Army ROTC programs across the country participate in the Leadership Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.  The cadets, who have completed their junior year of college, are evaluated and assessed for one month in several areas to include leadership, land navigation, physical fitness.  Upon completion of LDAC, cadets are given scores of “Excellent,” “Satisfactory,” or “Not Satisfactory” based on their performance. 

This year, 18 “Go Gold Battalion” cadets graduated from this momentous event. Seven of the 18 cadets, or 39 percent, received overall scores of “Excellent,” with the national average being at 17 percent. Four of the 18 cadets were ranked “Top Five” in their platoons, according to their evaluations.  Additionally, three cadets earned the “Recondo Badge.” This award is highly competitive and coveted among the cadets. It distinguishes them from their peers by stating they have exceeded certain LDAC expectations and evaluations the first time, such as higher land navigation scores, physical fitness scores, and leadership evaluation scores.

This summer’s results continue the tradition of excellence that “Go Gold Battalion” cadets routinely achieve, including being named the number two Army ROTC program in the nation in 2008.  Vanderbilt Army ROTC cadets exemplify the scholastic competence expected of future Army officers and consistently prove to be among the best trained cadets in the country.