Nearly 50 NIU ROTC cadets will spend several days in the field this weekend at the Marseilles Training Area in LaSalle County.

The Challenge FTX, or Field Training Exercise, is a three-day training event designed to teach and test military skills, said Lt. Col. Stephen Payne, chair of NIU’s military science department.

Cadets will formulate and carry out tactical plans, eat MREs (meals ready to eat) and simulate military operations using paintball guns, Payne said.

Payne said training focuses on freshmen and sophomore cadets who are led by seniors. Juniors attended a four-day multi-university camp last weekend at Fort McCoy, Wis., he said.

Cadets will be trained in map reading, tactical movement techniques and marksmanship during the event.

Cadets will need to use their leadership skills in formulating plans and reacting to unexpected situations, Payne said, and they learn to “take charge when in charge and be a good follower when not in charge.”

Although the event will be demanding, cadets will find the training rewarding, Payne said.

“It will challenge the cadets individually and as a team,” he said. “Their confidence will grow given that [under] a difficult, unclear situation, [they] can achieve the desired outcome.”