Shayne Hayes felt nervous as he plunged into the pool. The freshman ROTC cadet was about to participate in his first water combat test. He had to complete the 15-meter rifle swim event, where he was required to swim across the pool with his equipment...

Huddled in the middle of base camp in complete darkness, Cadet Company Cmdr. Lauren Armendariz-Bast (MSIII) confers with her cadets. “Make sure that everybody knows to stay in buddy teams at all times,” Armendariz-Bast says. “I don’t want anybody...

As two helicopters approached the intramural fields near Stevenson towers Friday, NIU ROTC cadets filed in line and waited for their “deployment” to Marseilles Training Center, located in LaSalle County. The helicopters took the freshmen and sophomores...