From September to November, Louis Knable, an IU Bloomington Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadet, started his Tuesday and Friday training as early as 5 a.m. 

“That was a mix of like strength training, endurance training and then honing in on some of the military skills,” Knable said.  

Knable, a junior studying on a pre-med track, is a team member for the IU Ranger Challenge. This is a varsity sport within Army ROTC in which groups of cadets form teams and compete with other programs from their region in tests of physical and mental resilience. Being a team member means early mornings and hours of extra training. 

“It’s challenging, especially having to wake up early and also manage school, extracurriculars and social life,” Knable said. “But it’s rewarding in the same sense, because you’re putting in all this extra work, and it’s really nice to see the benefits and the growth.” 

Knable is one of around 120 cadets in IU Bloomington Army ROTC, a program that provides elective training for army officership alongside four-year degree programs. ROTC programs offer various financial or experiential benefits for students who commit to multiple years of military service after graduation. 

These programs operate in colleges across the country, engaging thousands of cadets in training curriculums aimed at pushing them toward military standards of physical and mental readiness. 

But IU Bloomington’s program looks different than most. 

“Our program is definitely the only one that has an athletic trainer and a strength and conditioning coach in our brigade, but as far as we know, we think we’re the only ones in the country,” Braden Singleton, an IU military science and strength and conditioning coach, said. 

Singleton joined the program in 2012, having previously worked as a tactical strength and conditioning coach for the U.S. Department of Defense, where he worked with the Navy Seals and Special Forces. He now works with IU ROTC clinical athletic trainer Chris Thompson to oversee cadets’ health and fitness. 

Singleton and Thompson’s role in the program is a resource for cadets’ training that sets the IU ROTC apart. But the IU program is also distinct in how it uses those resources. 

After 2021, Singleton began to rewrite key aspects of the program’s training. Assistant Professor of Military Science Lt. Col. Timothy Walton said these changes came in response to a shift in the world of military strength and conditioning. In 2018, the U.S. Army sought to improve combat preparedness and injury prevention with a program called the “Holistic Health and Fitness System,” or H2F. 

Walton said the army is adapting to modern sports science by expanding wellness programs to address elements like nutrition, mental health, and sleep.  

For IU Army ROTC, the adaptation has prompted a reconsideration of the program’s training goals. After 2021, instructors modified the program to emphasize long-term physical progress and increase direct mentorship from coaches and trainers.  

Singleton — who holds a master’s in sports psychology and a doctorate in human performance — uses specialty equipment like maces and kettlebells to gather information on cadets’ physical progress. This information allows instructors to assess and improve their training methods.    

“We’re able to also collect data on the cadets to ensure that our sports science exercise prescription and rehabilitation protocol is objectively sound,” Singleton said. 

Nate Jenkins, an IU sophomore in the ROTC program, participates in specialized training for the Ranger Challenge team, which integrates a variety of techniques like Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, and mobility training. 

“I feel like combining by those you get more of a holistic fitness experience,” Jenkins said.  

The program also added instruction from William Ramos, an expert in aquatics and drowning prevention. Ramos helps the cadets prepare for the Combat Water Survival Test, a military qualification test involving activities such as swimming and diving with military gear.  

Ramos’ direction has improved cadets’ success in the water.  

“When we started, I think we were about probably a 40% or 50% pass rate, and now we’re in the high 90%,” Ramos said. 

Additionally, Thompson’s work as a clinical athletic trainer focuses on injury prevention, treatment and education. 

“My goal is to not only treat injuries but also to try to determine what risk is present for injuries, and to try to stay ahead in the curve, identify them and mitigate or prevent the risk of injury as much as possible,” Thompson said. 

That is a resource Knable says can be vital for the cadets’ progress.  

“There have been times while I’m here that I was in our trainer’s office three days a week doing treatment,” Knable said. “(That resource) is something that is unique to IU and directly related to our success.” 

Jenkins said the current approach to training is effective in part due to the leadership of both instructors and fellow cadets, which encourages students to prioritize their overall wellbeing.   

“(It’s) been able to boost morale, while also making sure people strive towards betterment, whether that be physically or academically,” Jenkins said. 

Like Knable, Jenkins trains extra hours each week as part of the Ranger Challenge. He said he has enjoyed seeing cadets put in the additional work necessary to participate in that team. 

“Everybody’s just working on getting better, and they’re doing it together,” Jenkins said.