US Army cadets trained to lead at 21 Theater Sustainment Command

U.S. Army Cadet Mataeo Almaraz (left) stands with 1st Lt. John Meade, 92nd Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, at Rhine Ordinance Barracks, Kaiserslautern, Germany. Almaraz trained with Meade during Cadet Troop Leader Training and will commission as a second lieutenant, May 2023.

Twenty-five Cadets are participating in Cadet Troop Leader Training with 21st Theater Sustainment Command this summer. CTLT takes place after Advanced Camp and is an opportunity for more than 1,900 Cadets to explore leadership styles and acquire hands-on trai-ning before commissioning as a second lieutenant in the Army.

“Whether it’s getting them inside a tank at 405th Army Field Support Brigade in Mannheim, or inside the bite suit at 92nd Military Police’s dog detachment in Miesau, the Army has so much to offer and it’s important for us to show them that,” said 1st Lt. Meghan George, 1st Inland Cargo Transfer Company, 39th Movement Control Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade.

George is one of the 21st TSC leaders training Cadets in Kaiserslautern. “It’s amazing to be a part of this broadening experience before they have even commissioned,” said George.

Cadets are dispersed throughout 21st TSC units and train for four weeks with platoon leaders in the Army environment. A total of 142 Cadets are performing CTLT throughout Europe as their last chapter to Cadet Summer Training.

“I simply want to lead by example,” said Cadet Mataeo Almaraz from Romulus, Michigan. Almaraz shadowed 1st Lt. John Meade with 92nd Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade.

While working with the 92nd MP, Almaraz observed the work environment and importance of trust within ranks. “It’s very rare you’ll have your whole platoon in one centralized location, so you have to put a lot of trust in your subordinate leadership, your squad leaders, [and] your NCOs,” said Almaraz.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Meghan George (center), 1st Inland Cargo Transfer Company, 39th Movement Control Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade stands side-by-side with Cadet Tadeusz Sikorski and Cadet Aiyana Parker at Kleber Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany, July 14, 2022. George mentored Sikorski and Parker for one month during Cadet Troop Leader Training and the Cadets will commission May 2023.

Almaraz was prior enlisted in the National Guard before joining the Eastern Michigan University Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. “I want to show that if you work hard enough you can do great things for the Army and people,” said Almaraz.

The Army educates and develops young leaders in Cadet Summer Training to lead Soldiers for the next three to 30 years. It is the largest annual training event in the Army with 10,000 cadets attending Basic Camp, Advanced Camp and professional development programs such as CTLT.

Cadet Daisy Deane from Littleton, Colorado received a one-of-a-kind experience while training with 66th Transportation Company, 39th Transportation Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade. “I am very grateful for this experience, especially getting to come to Germany, not a lot of Cadets get to do that,” said Deane.

Like Deane, most of the Cadet’s with 21st TSC completed their training on Aug. 1, 2022 and will commission after the school year ends in May 2023.