Kevin T. Hurst Jr.

SEEKONK - Army Pvt. Kevin T. Hurst Jr. has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla. Hurst is the son of Kevin T. and Linda Hurst of Hope Street in Seekonk and is a 2009 graduate of Seekonk High School.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission and received instruction and training exercises in drill and ceremonies, Army history, core values and traditions, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, rifle marksmanship, weapons use, map reading and land navigation, foot marches, armed and unarmed combat and field maneuvers and tactics.

Joshua J. McAloon

SEEKONK - Joshua J. McAloon has graduated from the Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) Leader's Training Course at Fort Knox, Ky. He's a student at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I. and is the son of Christine Adams of Oakhill Avenue in Seekonk and of Richard McAloon of Florence Street in North Providence, R.I. The four-week course is a leadership internship for cadets that can lead to the ultimate goal of becoming an Army officer. College students experience and examine the Army without incurring an obligation to serve in the Army or ROTC, and are eligible to receive two-year college scholarship offers and attend the Advanced ROTC Course at their college.

Cadets are observed and evaluated during classroom and field training exercises to determine their officer potential in leadership abilities and skills. The cadets are trained to have a sound understanding of traditional leadership values during the challenging, motivating "hands-on" training. The training develops well-disciplined, highly motivated, physically conditioned students, and helps improve the cadets' self-confidence, initiative, leadership potential, decision making, and collective team cohesion. The cadets receive training in fundamental military skills, Army values, ethics, warrior ethos, basic rifle marksmanship, small arms tactics, weapons training, drill and ceremony, communications, combat water survival training, rappelling, land navigation, and squad-level operations field training.