The Army ROTC Leadership Development Assessment Course (LDAC) recognized APSU senior Cynthia Stinnett for two accomplishments this summer.
LDAC, which takes place in Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., is a camp where junior and senior Army ROTC cadets undergo training and testing that is typical in the Army. The course includes activities in running, strength exercises, and marching.
At LDAC, ROTC cadet Stinnett was awarded for her performance in physical fitness and as the top cadet in her regiment.
According to Stinnett, she had no idea APSU was one of the best Army ROTC programs when her husband got stationed at Ft. Campbell, but because of their “outstanding leadership skills,” she said she has advanced.
“APSU’s program is like no other,” Stinnett said, “Which is great.”
Since Stinnett has been a part of the APSU ROTC program, she said her own leadership skills have advanced along with the development of her confidence. She credited her growth to all of the cadets in the program, saying that everyone helped build each other up.
Stinnett also credited one of her superiors, Master Sgt. Johnson. She explained how Johnson helped prepare her for LDAC with his overall leadership abilities and his interest in all the cadets.
As a senior cadet in the APSU Army ROTC, Stinnett’s responsibilities extend past being a participant. Stinnet said she is required to be a leader, specifically in her role as the assistant physical training mentor.
“As a senior it is my primary goal to prepare young cadets for the LDAC,” Stinnett said.
During Stinnett’s time at LDAC, she took the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), which includes three events: two minutes of pushups, two minutes of sit-ups and a two-mile run. The goal is to do as many pushups and as many sit-ups in that two-minute time frame, and to run the two miles as quickly as possible.
The run was the most difficult event, Stinnett said, because it was done later in the day and the weather was hot.
450 cadets took the APFT at LDAC, which gives cadets their score out of 300 points. Stinnett exceeded the maximum score with a score of 384. This accomplishment earned her two awards: an award for having the highest female APFT score and for being the top cadet in her regiment.
“I felt proud of myself,” Stinnett said, “but I felt more proud for APSU.”
Stinnett did clarify that the standards differ depending on one’s age and gender, and that her score was the highest in just her regiment, which included both males and females.
Stinnett explained how good she felt about herself and what she had accomplished not only personally, but for her superiors, her school and the younger cadets that follow in her footsteps.
“I give 100 percent every time,” Stinnett said. “If it gets harder, I just remind myself that it is going to end.”
Advice that Stinnett would like to instill in the younger cadets is to always put forward as much effort as possible every day, because it not only becomes a good foundation to have in life, but in Army life as well.
