The graduation of Co. B 1/46th Inf. Aug. 9 marked the end of the 2009 Leader's Training Course at Fort Knox, Ky.
Seven companies comprised of 1,810 college students -- the largest turnout in more than a decade -- attended the annual course designed to introduce them to Army life and to qualify them to receive a scholarship through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. Of those, 1,718 graduated.
For many Cadets, the four weeks they spent living in barracks under the tutelage of drill sergeants and senior officers were their first exposure to Army life. Many of them lost weight, gained an appreciation for the life of a Soldier and found new leadership abilities they hadn't known they possessed.
Cadet Theresa Williams, who attends Virginia Commonwealth University, said her experience at LTC was painful, but worthwhile.
"It pushed me way out of my comfort zone," she said. "The biggest thing you have to learn, though, is that you have to find the energy within yourself" to make it through the course.
While most Cadets were in their early 20s and between their sophomore and junior years, even non-traditional students with more life experience found the course enlightening.
"It has been greater than I expected because you can find yourself in situations that you never expected," Tirago said. "You can improve your intelligence, your toughness and your experience overall," said Cadet Manuel Alejandro Tirago-Suarez, a 32-year-old father, husband and full-time college student from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez.
This year's course ran from June 1 to Aug. 9 and was the one of the longest and largest LTCs in a decade. This year's course saw the addition of a seventh company, with total attendance 366 more than 2008.
The mild summer weather was credited for a safe LTC as well. The temperature never rose above 90 degrees in July.
The course registered only 16 recordable injuries this year, compared to 30 in 2008, with far fewer heat-related incidents.