UofL student is Best among 456 peers at Army ROTC’s Operation Warrior Forge
September 2nd, 2009
Dakota Walker, kneeling center.
A University of Louisville student was named the top cadet among his regiment in the Army ROTC Leader Development and Assessment Course known as Operation Warrior Forge.
Dakota Walker, a senior at UofL majoring in secondary education, this summer was selected as the top cadet among 456 Army ROTC students in his unit based on his performance during training this summer. Being recognized as the top performer in a regiment places Walker among the top Army ROTC cadets in the nation, according to Operation Warrior Forge officials.
Held at Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Wash., the 29-day course is Army ROTC’s capstone training and assessment exercise. Cadets at Warrior Forge are tested on their physical stamina, endurance, ability to navigate over difficult terrain, and their team-building and leadership skills.
Walker received his award at a regimental graduation ceremony last month. He said the honor caught him off guard.
“They didn’t tell me (about winning the award) until the day of graduation,” he said.
Thousands of college students from around the globe converge at Fort Lewis each summer to attend the course. Successful completion of this rigorous training is a prerequisite for becoming commissioned as a U.S. Army lieutenant. Operation Warrior Forge produces about 70 percent of the Army’s second lieutenants.
This summer more than 5,500 Army ROTC Cadets attended Operation Warrior Forge.
A resident of White Mills, Ky., and a 2006 graduate of Central Hardin High School, Walker comes from a military family. His grandfather graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and he has two cousins in the military.
He said the ROTC program at UofL prepared him well for the Operation Warrior Forge experience. And he credited the older cadets for helping set the stage for his success.
“They prepared us very well,” he said.
One of 22 UofL cadets to attend Operation Warrior Forge this year, Walker said the experience built his self-confidence. It also is making him re-evaluate his career plans.
“It made me think of going active duty,” he said. “I’m more ready for the military than I thought.”
