Every summer, about 8,000 college students from across the country travel to Fort Knox for Cadet Summer Training, the largest US Army event. The program includes Basic Camp, a 30-day introduction for ROTC explorers, and Advanced Camp, a rigorous 36-day assessment preparing cadets for commissioning. Cadets engage in field exercises, obstacle courses, gas chambers, and rappelling, demonstrating their skills and dedication. Business Insider spent four days observing these challenging training events and interviewing cadets about their motivations.