Leadership Development and Assessment Course (LDAC)

ROTC Leadership Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) is the most important training event for an Army ROTC cadet or National Guard Officer Candidate. The 29-day course incorporates a wide range of subjects designed to develop and evaluate leadership ability. The challenges are rigorous and demanding, both mentally and physically. The Leadership Assessment and Development Course tests intelligence, common sense, ingenuity and stamina. These challenges provide a new perspective on an individual's ability to perform exacting tasks and to make difficult decisions in demanding situations.

The course places each cadet and officer candidate in a variety of leadership positions, many of which simulate stressful combat situations. In each position, cadets are evaluated by platoon tactical and counseling (TAC) officers and noncommissioned officers. In addition to proving their leadership ability, cadets and officer candidates must meet established standards in physical fitness, weapons training, communication, combat patrols and demonstrate their proficiency in many other military skills. Cadets and officer candidates must excel at camp to be considered competitive for a commission as an Army officer.

	Field Leaders Reaction Course FLRC is designed to develop and evaluate leadership and to build teamwork early in the camp cycle. Course administration is accomplished using the established cadet organization and chain of command. Cadet leadership potential is assessed by committee evaluators. Cadets are provided the opportunity to get early feedback on their leadership strengths, weaknesses, styles and techniques.
	Automatic Weapons Squad Automatic Weapon / M60 machine gun training teaches cadets the characteristics, functions and employment of the weapons. This training provides skills used in later tactical phases of camp.
	Land Navigation Land navigation training must be mastered early in the camp cycle for the cadets to be fully successful in the tactical training which follows. The land navigation evaluation consists of three portions totaling 100 points. The written examinations is worth 30 percent. The day land navigation test is worth 50 percent. Night land navigation is worth 20 percent. Each cadet must earn 70 percent on each test to pass this event. A passing score in land navigation is a camp completion criterion.
	Hand Grenade Basic understanding and use of hand grenades is an important facet of weapons and tactical training. Cadets learn to identify major types of grenades. They learn the grenades' characteristics and uses. Cadets also employ live grenades.
	Nuclear, Biological, Chemical NBC training provides basic soldier skills that cadets must master to meet pre-commissioning requirements. Cadets learn characteristics, maintenance and employment of NBC equipment. They also develop confidence in defensive equipment during mask confidence exercises.
	Squad Situational Training Exercises Squad STX is a five-day, two-phase event. The first two days, the Squad training phase, are designed to train squad battle drills and collective tasks. The last three days, the Squad STX lane phase, are designed to evaluate leadership using tactical scenarios. Each cadet receives two formal evaluations of their performance as a squad leader during this phase. Squad operations builds on and reinforces all previous instruction. Cadets use knowledge of land navigation, terrain association, weapons systems, and all individual training previously presented.
	Patrolling Situational Training Exercises Patrolling STX is a three-day event that provides cadets practical experience leading soldiers at the section level. The first day is a training day on which cadets are taught the fundamentals of patrolling missions. The following two days are designed to evaluate leadership potential using tactical scenarios by giving cadets opportunities to utilize the training as patrol leaders and assistant patrol leaders. Patrolling STX builds on and reinforces all previous instruction, and teaches cadets the basics of air assault operations. This event culminates cadets' training at National Advanced Leadership Camp.
	Infantry Platoon Tactical Standing Operating Procedure This publication is an extract from FM 3-21.8 Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad. It provides the tactical standing operating procedures for infantry platoons and squads and is tailored for ROTC cadet use. The procedures apply unless a leader makes a decision to deviate from them based on the factors of METT-T. In such a case, the exception applies only to the particular situation for which the leader made the decision.