Merritt Island Resident Completes Triple Training

– Ian Zapatocky, a junior at Florida Institute of Technology, Army ROTC cadet, and Merritt Island resident, undertook three special courses of training
this summer. He completed Airborne (paratrooper) school in Fort Benning, Ga. and the combat diver qualification course at the Special Forces Scuba School
in Key West, Fla. This is widely considered to be the toughest school in the Army.

Cadet Zapatocky also was one of 18 Florida Institute of Technology Army ROTC cadets who displayed their technical, tactical and leadership skills this
summer at the annual National Advanced Leadership Camp (NALC) experience in Ft. Lewis, Wash.

By obtaining the highest average scores in land navigation, basic rifle marksmanship and the Army physical fitness test, the cadets ranked number 1 in
their geographical region, the states of Florida and Georgia.

The mission of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps is to commission the future officer leadership of the U.S. Army. The program is open to male and female
full-time students enrolled in four-year bachelor’s degree programs. The program covers military fundamentals common to all branches of the service.