Catherine LaRochelle is not a typical Fresno City College student. At 16-years-old, her future goals are already set in stone. However, it was not always so. Once a defiant, out-of-control teen, whose mother sent her to an out-of-state boarding school, LaRochelle is poised to achieve her life’s dreams at a young age.

The boarding school which specializes in behavioral modification turned her life around. “It was basically a boarding school for youths that were not doing great at home,” stated LaRochelle.

Bored with traditional school, she attended the high school in Utah. Founded in 1959, Sorenson Ranch was once a summer camp, but by 1982, it became a year-round school, combining academics and therapy. While there, she was exposed to horses and a lot of discipline.

The new environment sparked an instantaneous turn around. “I fast-tracked through school,” stated LaRochelle. “I completed three years worth of school in about two-and-one-half months.”

Also, the life changing experience kick-started her onto a military career path. “I learned more about horse riding and ROTC,” said LaRochelle. She said attending her second semester at FCC at age 16, adds to her maturity level.

She is majoring in Animal Science and is currently a cadet with the Reserve Officer Training Corps, a training program of the United States Armed Forces. It is designed to recruit and educate commissioned officers.

The program at Fresno City College is a college elective and its primary focus is on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning and professional ethics. “It’s basically a building block,” LaRochelle said.

The FCC ROTC cadet thrives off of the strict program. She said the leadership skills she has learned goes beyond the uniform. “If you see something that needs to be done, you do it,” stated LaRochelle. “You’re respectful and you help people out without them having to ask.”

She said just a short time ago, she was a rebellious teenager, not wanting to listen to anyone. However, her character has changed a lot. She said she has found her place and the experience has made her more open to helping others.

“I got involved in this program and I’ve got brothers and sisters in this program and they help me out if I’m going through a tough time,” said LaRochelle. “If they’re going through a tough time, I help them out.”

She just completed her Advanced Physical Fitness Testing. “That’s basically a diagnostic to see where we are right now and by the end of the semester,” she explained. “We have to pass the APFT and if we don’t pass it then we’re not in the best physical shape.”

A ROTC cadet is required to complete 75 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and run two miles. “Girls have to run it in 15 minutes and guys in 13 minutes,” LaRochelle said.

She’s already learned some hand-to-hand combat, field maneuvers, tactical maneuvers and how to do a wedge. “It’s basically a flying V,” she explained. “It’s a tactical movement with maximum security so you can cover all directions as you’re moving forward on foot.”

LaRochelle said the wedge is the very best, used for seeing people during the day in open areas. Field training exercises are done three to four days at Fort Hunter Ligget, located in Southern Monterey County near Hearst Castle. It is the Army Reserve’s premier training center for the Western United States.

That is where she will do paintball maneuvers. “Last semester we got to fly out in the Black Hawk,” LaRochelle said.

Inside the helicopter, the sunlight coming through breaks up in a slow-motion like vision due to the rotating helicopter blades.

“It was like watching a silent movie,” she explained. “Some got sick, but it was a lot of fun.”

When LaRochelle completes the ROTC program, she will have earned a Bachelor’s degree and an officer’s commission.

“I’ll probably go in [the Army] as a Second Lieutenant, have my years and get rank,” stated LaRochelle. “It takes a lot of time, dedication and leadership skills to get field ranked.”

She also said after ROTC, she will have more experience and more leadership responsibilities drilled into her and a higher pay wage than soldiers entering into the Army at basic entry level.

A US Army Second Lieutenant, is a rank that is the most junior grade of a commissioned officer. According to military sources, newly commissioned officers do not remain at the rank for long before being promoted.

“I’ve been thinking about my career for a pretty long time,” stated LaRochelle. “It’s always got to be something with veterinarian work and horses.”

Horses have played an important part within the military.

They have been used in human warfare probably since the beginning of domesticated breeds. Soldiers and horses have been trained for military uses which include battle, individual combat, scouting, transport and supply. War horses have been used in Cavalries, battle and individual combat. Some are still used in today’s modern world.

Eventually, LaRochelle wants to become part of the honored Ceremonial Mounted Calvary Units.

“The Cavalry has changed so much,” she said. “They’ve become more machine based, than equine based.” Even so, she still has her mind set on the horse related part of it. However, she must first complete all of the training that soldiers go through.

When asked about her young age and extreme career goal, she said she wrote a letter to an Army Sergeant of the 101st Cavalry Units located in Texas, asking if she could follow this military career path.

LaRochelle said she got a letter back stating they usually do not accept women into the Cavalry because it is a combat and/or front-line position. But she had found a lifeline in the letter. “But you can work through as an infantry and go into that field, then apply into the Ceremonial Cavalry to get accepted,” the sergeant had also stated in his letter. According to LaRochelle, the process could, at most, take ten years.

“It’s one of those things you have to go through slow and steady and build up your reputation,” she stated. “You have to learn a lot before actually be awarded that position.”

During the 17th and early 18th centuries, infantries would travel on horseback but dismount to fight battles on foot. It gave the soldiers an advantage of easy mobility.

The Cavalry has been a key military instrument used to outflank, avoid, surprise and overpower the enemy. Soldiers on horseback have greater height, speed and substantial mass over an enemy fighting on foot.

By 1918, modern tanks and armored vehicles became the key mobile element of the army. Machine guns and aircraft took over light cavalry roles.

However, Cavalry traditions were often mimicked by the emerging armored formations and air forces.

During the late 20th and 21st century, a few guerrilla wars involved mounted troops.

The units were not used as Cavalry though, instead they were referred to as the mounted infantry. They typically fought against partisan or guerrilla fighters with poor transport infrastructure.

Today, the Horse Cavalry Detachment of the US Army’s 1st Cavalry Division is made up of active duty solders. It is still an active unit, trained in the weapons, tools, equipment and techniques once used during the 1880’s.

The Cavalry is often used for units that fill light roles such as scouting, screening, skirmishing and raiding.

They were once known as dragoons, made of soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback during combat.

“They go out and do parades, give demonstrations at schools and show what the Cavalry used to be like,” she explained. “It preserves history and gives kids something to go on.” LaRochelle is a perfect example that if you love what you do, and you do it well, it is never h
ard work.

With a new lease on life, LaRochelle works hard at maintaining her educational goals, and, fulfilling a military career dream.