FROG Week
 "North Georgia College & State University recently received a high-profile boost of attention when the Chronicle of Higher Education ran a feature on "FROG Week," the university's grueling biannual six-day boot camp for new cadets. More than 270 graduated from the Army-style freshman orientation in August. Many of the upperclassmen that led this years program are veterans of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than 50 students veterans returned to campus this fall after serving a year in Iraq. That, along with the unique status within higher education held by NGCSU as one of only six four-year senior military colleges in the nation, helped attract the Chronicle's attention. The 670 ROTC cadets make up a minority of the university's 4,800 students, yet the institution's culture includes a strong military tradition." - University System of Georgia Chancellor Erroll B. Davis, Jr.
Click here
for a FROG Week slide show
 All new members of the Corps
will participate in FROG Week, an experience that that you will remember for the rest of your life!
To complete the transition from civilian student to military
cadet, you must rely on each other and work as a team.
Day One:
 Upon
your arrival, you will begin in-processing into the Corps
of Cadets. Your company will already be assigned to you and
the cadre (upperclassmen cadets) will direct you to your barracks.
You will unload your luggage and be placed into a small group
to continue in-processing. Then you will run to the records
administration location and ensure that all of your required paperwork has been filed properly. After
you complete this process, you will be taken to one of the local barbers for a fresh hair cut. After the hair cut, you will be taken to the campus bookstore to pick up your uniforms. You will then return to your respective
barracks and meet the cadre of your company.
 Be sure to stand
tall and look good. After you in process with your assigned company, you will move all of your personal items and uniforms into your new dorm room. Shortly thereafter, you and all of the other new cadets will be called to formation. This will be the first of many company formations. Your cadre will then march you to the Chow Hall for dinner. Before the night is through, you will have
a meeting with the president of the college, our Commandant
of Cadets, Professor of Military Science, and other officials. After the president’s
welcome there will be a short run back to the barracks where
you will be given time to set up your room and get cleaned
up before heading to bed. Lights Out!
Day Two:
 Before
the sun rises you will be on your feet for first call. Depending
on the battalion you are placed in, there will a PT (Physical
Training) test that will test your endurance in push-ups,
sit-ups, and a two-mile run. After PT you will head back to your room for personal hygiene
and then go to chow. Throughout the day the
cadre will give a series of military oriented classes. Once the classes are done
for the day you will have a briefing from the Assistant Commandant
of Cadets about your responsibilities as a cadet.
Again, you will run back to the barracks and be given time
to set up your rooms. Lights Out!
Day Three:
Wake
up, now it is time for the fun to begin. It’s time for
PT. Once you finish that you will get cleaned
up and head to chow. After breakfast you will draw a
weapon weapon from the Armory and begin learning drill and ceremony. The majority of the day is dedicated to small unit level training in which your squad leader will teach you a multitude of tasks such as drill and ceremony,weapons cleaning, and military customs and courtesies. These classes are crucial to your development and success as a cadet. After the day of classes everyone
will head to the chow hall for dinner. After chow, you will participate
in the Retreat Ceremony; the tradition of lowering the United States flag. Retreat is one of the most important traditions that the Army has.
Once the ceremony is over you will be taken around our campus
to learn many of the college’s traditions. Then it’s
off to the barracks for personal hygiene and bed.
Day Four:
 Day Four will be a long, hard, trying day that will test your endurance. The day begins with company PT before the sun even rises. In fact, it might still be dark when you head back to the barracks for personal hygiene. After
you get cleaned up and eat, you will take a little trip to North Georgia's training facility at Pine Valley. Remember one thing: encourage your cadre to get
dirty today. At Pine Valley you will negotiate the grenade assault course, the leadership reaction course, and the low-ropes confidence course. You will also see a demonstration from one of North Georgia's elite specialty units who will then teach you basic military skills such as individual movement techniques (IMT) and camouflage. Another elite specialty unit, the Mountain Order
of Colombo, will be present to teach you military survival techniques. This is a
great day to see what you are made of! Early in the evening you will travel
back to the college. You will eat chow, then clean up and
hit the rack. If you are not tired by the end of today, don’t
worry... there is always tomorrow.
Day Five:
 Day Five puts the end of FROG Week in sight, but there is still a lot of tough training to be accomplished. By this point, you are beginning to understand what it means to be a cadet. You are starting to become part of the history and traditions that make North Georgia unique. On Day Five you will go
to Camp Frank D. Merrill which is home to the 5th Ranger Training Battalion and the Mountain Phase of the US Army Ranger School. You will train where the elite train.
Your company will conduct a foot march to the training site where
you will see a demonstration from the Mountain Order of Colombo. After the demonstration, you will receive classes on military mountaineering techniques and knot tying. You will then tie your own Swiss-seat harness, and rappel down a thirty-foot tower. Once you successfully negotiate the thirty-foot tower, you will put yourself to the test and rappel down a sixty-foot rock face. Later in the day
Ranger Challenge, another specialty unit, will teach you how
to use a one-rope bridge and three-rope bridge to cross a
river. At the end of the training activities at Camp Merrill, you will go on a six mile foot march. Just remember only one day left. You then will
travel back to campus where you will eat chow. This night
is reserved for the presentation of the company Gideon. It
will be given to the most outstanding individual in the FROG
class for that company, good luck!
Day Six:
 Last
day of FROG week, just get through today and you are done.
You will get up and dress in your PT uniform and head
out for a light breakfast. Once you are done with chow your
company will head to the drill field so that the Crown Mountain
Run can begin. The run is over three miles... up a mountain.
The Crown Mountain Run is the culminating event for FROG Week. You can do it; you have made it this far so do not quit. After
the run there will be a ceremony accepting you into the Corps of Cadets.
The Gideon bearer will also be recognized at this time. Following
the ceremony you will be released to get cleaned up, put on
a fresh set of ACU's, and partake in our traditional
luncheon of frog legs. When you are finished chow, you are
able to spend a few hours with family and or friends.
You will be
told when you are to report back to the company. Congratulations on making it through the week.
"NGC served as the catalyst that has made
me who I am and what I am today.
It provided a structured approach to academics and life while
providing
enough freedom to gain what many describe as the college experience.
The
Cadet Corps was my anchor and remains in my heart and soul
today. I met my
wife Julie there, she has been the "wind beneath my sails"
for 32 years. We
came back to NGC in 1986 with Seth, Jared, and Julianne and
taught for three
years. Not only was it our physical home, it now remains as
our emotional
home. God Bless NGC and the Cadet Corps!"
Brigadier General
James Terry, NGC '78
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