Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Herschel Talley | Staff Sgt. Ben Heimes receives a coin from Maj. Gen. Mark Anderson, Deputy Commanding...... read more read more
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The U.S. Army’s number two general in charge of training traveled to Camp Ashland, Nebraska, in mid-January to learn more about the Nebraska Army National Guard’s regional training school while also looking to solicit instructors and Guard officials thoughts on how difficult it will be to implement the Army’s new combat fitness test.
Maj. Gen. Mark E. Anderson is the deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). Based out of Fort Eustis, Virginia, the TRADOC has oversight over Army component schools, including the Camp Ashland-based 209th Regiment (Regional Training Institute).
Anderson’s Jan. 12 visit to Camp Ashland was part of a tour of training sites throughout several states, where he hoped to have conversations with local training officials with regard to the opportunities and challenges facing the school houses.
“Across the TRADOC portfolio, we have about 270 National Guardsmen on Title 10 or ADOS positions that are really here to service the 54 states and territories,” Anderson said. “As an RTI, you are part of the One Army School System.”
The One Army School System is comprised of active and reserve component schools dedicated to providing realistic and relevant training to support the Army’s mission, stateside and abroad. The RTI at Camp Ashland teaches the Basic Leadership Course (BLC), Warrant Officer Candidate School and Officer Candidate School as well as a Motor Transport Operators Transition Course and Recruit Sustainment Program.
While meeting with the Nebraska National Guard instructors, the general asked the BLC cadre about their thoughts on the Army’s new fitness test, the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), and how best to execute it in the school environment.
“This is the pilot year for the ACFT implementation,” Anderson said. “We have eight National Guard battalions between the states that are a part of the pilot. The focus right now is changing the culture of fitness.”
The six-event test is gender and age neutral, and is focused on three categories of fitness: black, gray and gold based on an individual Soldier’s military occupational specialty.
The Army Physical Fitness test is currently a requirement to attend and graduate from BLC. Anderson was interested in the cadres’ opinions regarding if the ACFT should be included as a requirement to graduate from BLC.
“It’s a discussion that’s being had with the senior (noncommissioned officers) within TRADOC and to be honest, I’ve been an advocate for eliminating it from the school requirements because I’m thinking of the demands being put on the RTIs and the units,” Anderson said.
Along with talking with the BLC instructors, Anderson also spoke to Col. Thomas Mortimer, Nebraska Army National Guard recruiting and retention commander, as well as Capt. Matthew Wolff and Capt. Jeremy Ham, who each command an Enlisted Strength Management unit. Mortimer talked to Anderson about the advantages of the Recruit Sustainment Program and how the addition of using drill sergeants from the U.S. Army Reserve has benefited the students by adding more rigor to their initial training. Mortimer said that by incorporating U.S. Army Reserve drill sergeants, National Guard Soldiers attending RSP are receiving a level of training that is better preparing them for the difficulties of basic.
“We are getting them better prepared physically and we are having a higher percentage of distinguished honor graduates and that’s thanks to the RSP,” Mortimer said.
The concept was a surprise to the general and he encouraged the partnership.
“I’m unaware of any other state doing this,” Anderson said. “This is brilliant.”
RSP is an Army National Guard program designed to introduce new recruits to the fundamentals of the U.S. Army before they leave to Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training.
| Date Taken: | 01.18.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 01.18.2019 13:40 |
| Story ID: | 307569 |
| Location: | ASHLAND, NEBRASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 320 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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