CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The front lawn of the Dunn Center at Austin Peay State University was the landing site of CH-47 Chinook helicopters Friday morning for the Governor’s Guard ROTC program’s spring exercise.

The helicopters, from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, landed and picked up close to 70 ROTC cadets from Austin Peay along with ROTC cadets from the University of Memphis.

Austin Peay Governors Guard ROTC Cadets await the arrival of CH-47 Chinook Helicopters at APSU for transport to Fort Campbell for their spring training exercise, on Mar. 25, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Austin Peay Governors Guard ROTC Cadets await the arrival of CH-47 Chinook Helicopters at APSU for transport to Fort Campbell for their spring training exercise, on Mar. 25, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Austin Peay Governors Guard ROTC Cadets await the arrival of CH-47 Chinook Helicopters at APSU for transport to Fort Campbell for their spring training exercise, on Mar. 25, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Austin Peay Governors Guard ROTC Cadets await the arrival of CH-47 Chinook Helicopters at APSU for transport to Fort Campbell for their spring training exercise, on Mar. 25, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
CH-47 Chinook Helicopters prepare to land on the front lawn of the Dunn Center at APSU to transport ROTC Cadets to Fort Campbell for a spring training exercise, on Mar. 25, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
CH-47 Chinook Helicopters prepare to land on the front lawn of the Dunn Center at APSU to transport ROTC Cadets to Fort Campbell for a spring training exercise, on Mar. 25, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
CH-47 Chinook Helicopter on the front lawn of the Dunn Center at APSU to transport ROTC Cadets to Fort Campbell for a spring training exercise, on Mar. 25, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Austin Peay Governors Guard ROTC Cadets board a CH-47 Chinook Helicopters at APSU for transport to Fort Campbellfor their spring training exercise, on Mar. 25, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
CH-47 Chinook Helicopter on the front lawn of the Dunn Center at APSU to transport ROTC Cadets to Fort Campbell for a spring training exercise, on Mar. 25, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
Austin Peay Governors Guard ROTC Cadets await the arrival of CH-47 Chinook Helicopters at APSU for transport to Fort Campbell for their spring training exercise, on Mar. 25, 2022. (Lee Erwin).

Lt. Col. Mark Barton, APSU professor of Military Science, explained what the cadets will be doing during the Joint Field Training exercise.

“What we use this for is to prep our juniors which will go to cadet summer training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. During that training they’ll get assessed, and ultimately during their senior year, how well they do will dictate what branch they will get in the Army, and what component, active, Guard or Reserve,” Barton said.

Barton added that the cadets were being taken to training areas at Fort Campbell where there will be small unit tactics patrols and other scenario training exercises over the next couple of days.