FORT LEWIS, Wash. – More than 5,800 college students from around the globe converge at Fort Lewis beginning Saturday, where the next generation of new Army officers is trained and evaluated prior to being commissioned as second lieutenants.

The Leader Development and Assessment Course, held each summer at Fort Lewis, is Army ROTC’s capstone training and assessment exercise — an event supported by hundreds of Soldiers and Army civilians from units across the country.

This year, over 5,800 ROTC cadets are scheduled to attend LDAC in 12 ROTC regiments. Each 500-person regiment will undergo a 29-day cycle of sequential and progressive training, culminating in the regimental graduation ceremony.

Following LDAC, those cadets who have earned their degree and completed all Military Science requirements will receive their commissions as second lieutenants during the regimental graduation ceremonies. But most of the cadets will return to their universities to complete pre-commissioning requirements and, subsequently, their commissions.

Cadet Command has about 30,000 cadets enrolled in college programs, and LDAC is the single most important event in any cadet’s student career. Successful completion of the 29-day training cycle is prerequisite to commissioning. Last year, 4,300 second lieutenants were commissioned through ROTC.

Fort Lewis has hosted LDAC since 1997, bringing together cadets from more than 270 college and university programs – from 50 states, two U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.