Joseph B. Glidewell, an Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadet at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Ky., has graduated from the Leader Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) at Fort Knox, Ky. Before Glidewell went through LDAC, he served as a mentor for future cadets attending the Leader Training Course (LTC) at Fort Knox.

The 29 days of training provide the best possible professional training and evaluation for all cadets in the aspects of military life, administration and logistical support. Although continued military training and leadership development is included in the curriculum, the primary focus of the course is to develop and evaluate each cadet’s officer potential by exercising the cadet’s intelligence, common sense, ingenuity and physical stamina. The cadet command assesses each cadet’s performance and progress in officer traits, qualities and professionalism while attending the course.

Cadets usually attend LDAC between their junior and senior years of college, and they must complete the course to qualify for commissioning. Upon successful completion of the course, the ROTC program, and graduation from college, cadets are commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army, Army National Guard, or Army Reserve.

Glidewell is the son of Sherry L. and James P. Glidewell of Albany, Ky. He is a 2008 graduate of Clinton County High School, Albany, Ky. He earned an bachelor’s degree in 2014 from Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Ky.