PT and Leadership Labs - UNC Army ROTC

Army ROTC consists of three main parts: PT, the classroom and leadership lab.

PT, or physical training, occurs three days per week, on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday mornings. Cadets assemble at UNC’s Hooker Fields to conduct squad or platoon-based PT.
Each semester, cadets are required to take the Army ROTC elective class that corresponds to their MS class. In these classes, cadets learn leadership basics and gain tactical and technical military proficiency. These classes are taught by the cadre members at the Tar Heel Battalion.
Leadership Labs occur every Wednesday at Carolina North Forest in Chapel Hill. During these labs, cadets wear the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) Uniform and bring their classroom lessons into the real world through the use of Squad Training Exercises (STX). Junior cadets lead tactical missions, such as battle drills and medical rescues, using the skills they’ve honed over years in the ROTC program. Sophomore and freshman cadets act under direction from the juniors, filling team leader positions or performing basic rifleman duties.

While training is important, make no mistake: cadets are students first. A cadet’s first priority lies with class and degree completion. One advantage ROTC students enjoy over their Military Academy colleagues is a traditional college experience. cadet lives are not vastly dissimilar from everyday college students; they work at local businesses, join fraternities or sororities, and perform community service. Cadets learn discipline through personal time management, rather than strict institutionalization. UNC Army ROTC offers the best of both the civilian and military worlds, preparing cadets for a bright future in the military and beyond.