Faulkner Ready to Rejoin Cadet Corps at Citadel

The first woman cadet at The Citadel was cleared Thursday to return to so-called hell week at the military college after missing much of it battling illness.

Shannon Faulkner, sent to the infirmary Monday with apparent heat exhaustion, was to return to her company after breakfast today to join the other cadets in rigorous training, said college spokesman Terry Leedom.

Faulkner, 20, underwent tests at a hospital Thursday and was later returned to the infirmary to spend the night, under orders from the school doctor. Details of the tests and her illness were not disclosed.

Faulkner won a 2 1/2-year legal battle last week to join the all-male corps at the 152-year-old publicly funded college.

She was taken to the infirmary when she had problems marching in 100-degree heat. College officials said one cadet was taken on a stretcher from a physical fitness test Wednesday for treatment of heat stress. Two others were taken to the hospital Thursday for treatment.