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Two Hundred Thirty-Four cadet candidates reported to the United States Military Preparatory School today to begin Cadet Candidate Basic Training (CCBT) and the one-year USMAPS program in military science and remedial academics. According to Cadet Leo St. Amour ’15, CCBT battalion commander, it took approximately three hours to in-process the cadet candidates—15 percent of whom are women and nearly 20 percent of whom are prior service—once they arrived at “the bubble” (USMAPS indoor practice facility). After in-processing, cadet candidates learned how to stand at attention, salute, execute an about face and march and then displayed their new skills during the Oath Ceremony on USMAPS’ football field. St. Amour and his 79-member cadre will now spend the next three weeks training the cadet candidates on marksmanship, crew-served weapons, land navigation, medical readiness and other areas related to military training. CCBT will culminate with the Smith Challenge, named for 1LT James L. Smith ’59, USMAPS Class of 1965—2015’s 50-Year Affiliation class—who was killed in a helicopter crash on February 15, 1971 in Vietnam during a mission to evacuate a severely wounded member of his Ranger team.