The Leadership Training Complex (LTC) at Marion Military Institute is a multi-activity complex designed to strengthen the intellectual, physical and leadership development of the corps of cadets. The LTC consists of an Obstacle Course and a Leadership Reaction Course. The cadets train on both courses to sharpen their communication and problem solving skills as well as learn to function as part of a team. Successful completion of the tasks in each course requires teamwork and mental and physical exertion, and may push the group and/or individuals beyond their previously known limits. Both the LRC and Obstacle Course are utilized by the entire Corps through each of our three program tracks as well as team building platforms for clubs and our own Obstacle Course Racing Team.
The Leadership Reaction Course (LRC) is an outdoor laboratory which provides cadets experience in functional leadership, effective followership, group and individual critical thinking skills, and several aspects of group dynamics, including: conflict recognition and resolution, personal and group responsibility and communication with familiar and unfamiliar team members. MMI’s course has 8 elements which requires a 6 to 8-person group to accomplish a task in a limited amount of time. The course provides motivation, sense of accomplishment, and positive reinforcement of effective teamwork.
The Obstacle Course at MMI is designed after traditional military obstacle courses and challenges the cadets both physically and mentally. It consists of 14 elements cadets must navigate while being timed. Each element presents its own set of difficulties testing the individual’s strength, stamina and inner drive. As with the LRC, the Obstacle Course provides the cadets with a sense of accomplishment and confidence that they can achieve goals beyond what was previously thought.
The Rappel Tower measures in at 44 feet high and offers different options; a smooth face for normal rappels, an open face with a ramp to help those who aren’t quite so courageous to go all the way to the top, a face with doors and windows to go into and out of simulating an urban environment, along with the rock climbing face which boasts three different “lanes” of varying complexity and a cantilevered top deck and a Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System (FRIES) device, both of which simulate rappelling or fast roping out of a helicopter. As with the obstacle and leader reaction courses, the tower is built to Department of Defense standards which benefits our ECP and SAP cadets who will be seeing similar challenges in their future military careers. Additionally, our 1st responder program cadets will also be able to practice some of their unique skill sets on the tower.