Staying Busy as a Cadet

As I have written before, Cadets can do as much or as little as they choose. When it comes time to finding something to do, the more you have done in the past, the more you will have to do. This is why it is crucial to keep up with your tasks and keep trying to expand them. This having been said, there are a number of specific tasks that can be done by cadets to remain busy during drill weekends.

Get Ahead on Upcoming Work
If you have responsibilities that are recurring every month, like risk assessments or operations orders, work ahead. There is no better place than the armory to prepare the next two month’s paperwork. Very little is likely to change because the training calendars are established months ahead of drill weekends. Completing these early will open up time during future weekends when more training is planned.

Volunteer to Complete Existing Tasks
Every month in the National Guard there are tons of administrative tasks that have to be completed. If you find yourself with nothing to do, talk to your training NCO, and see if he or she has tasks that need to be accomplished. These can range from chasing people around with sign-in rosters to taking responsibility for teaching a class. As an officer you aren’t supposed to be leading training, but it is a useful experience for a young cadet.

Create Training
As a future officer, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are properly trained on the tasks and skills that will be required of you. If you can’t find something to do, create something. Go to the vault and sign out an M 249. ROTC cadets have limited access to much of the equipment that you will see on active duty. Take the opportunity to learn something you should know.