INTELLIGENCE TRAINING IN KOREA: Opportunity of a Lifetime

By Claire Sherling

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WARRIOR:

Jasmine Smallwood: US Army Second Lieutenant, former MMI ROTC Battalion Sergeant Major, former MMI Corps Battalion Platoon Sergeant

A BRIEF:

Beyond the Barracks is all about Marion Military Institute students and the amazing things they do outside of standard cadet life.  Our cadets are constantly on the go with sports, outdoor activities, extracurricular clubs and, of course, continuing training for their future careers.  The Army ROTC cadets at MMI are probably the busiest of our student body during the summer, as they are all expected to report for further training.  This summer, many of our top ROTC cadets were selected for some of the most elite and exciting training offered at their level.  From jumping out of aircraft, to learning intelligence in Korea, to firing large artillery at West Point, it was an adventurous summer for many of our ROTC cadets.  To get a look into what it's like to be a future warrior, we sat down with some of the best of the best to learn about the training they received this past summer. 

HER STORY:

As a leader in the classroom and within the ROTC Battalion in 2015, Jasmine Smallwood was ranked third on the Order of Merit list within the MMI ROTC’s class ranking.  This high ranking gave her the opportunity to select a training program of her choice and Smallwood was happy to have the chance to travel while training.  She selected to attend Cadet Troop Leadership Training (CTLT) at an American base in Korea, which gave her a rare and wonderful cultural experience while attaining valuable skills shadowing the Executive Officer of an aviation brigade.

“I knew I wanted to go somewhere and travel if I got the chance, so this was definitely a goal,” said Smallwood.  “We got to learn everything that you normally would working under a lieutenant but we also got to experience a lot of cultural stuff too. ”

Smallwood received a well-rounded education included flying in Apache simulators, coordinating flight plans, catching rides in Blackhawks as well as cross training with other intelligence lieutenants while in Korea.  At the end of the day, however the cultural experience was Smallwood’s favorite part of the journey.

“Honestly, the music stands out above everything else,” said Smallwood. “It was amazing that we could connect over the music.  Korean hip-hop is exactly like ours but its not in English.  I had a really great time.”