RSP Soldier and Family Readiness The Guardian February 2021 Specialist Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 2 Welcome to the Colorado National Guard Family! attorneys or wills, ID cards/DEERS, financial My name is Henry Hernandez Jr., and I am your counseling, crisis management, even as simple as Soldier and Family Readiness Specialist (SFRS). a mailing address or anything else you can think of, Your commitment to the country and state entitle please reach out to me for assistance. If we can’t you to numerous resources. My mission is to get you an answer, we’ll do our best to get you in ensure that you and your family members can touch with someone who can assist you. access these resources. As your SFRS I am available to help you and your I am available to offer assistance in whatever family throughout your time with RSP, BCT and Army Values: way I can during your time in the National Guard. AIT. I am located at the Family Program Office No matter where you go, you and your family 12200 E. Briarwood Ave, Ste. 160, Centennial members will have a SFRS there to provide 80112, 6am – 4pm, Tue thru Fri. If you have any Loyalty support, guidance and assistance. I’m excited to questions please contact me by any method you be serving you during this transition from civilian feel comfortable, whether it’s a phone call, email, Duty to Soldier. Here is a little bit about myself: I am text or in person. If you wish to meet in person, Respect retired Army, and as a retiree of the CO Army please schedule an appointment as I may be out of National Guard, I am very acquainted with what you the office assisting service members. In addition, Selfless Service and your loved ones are going through while you visit the RSP Soldier and Family Specialist attend Basic Combat Training (BCT) and AIT. Facebook page or Instagram @co_rsp_fas Honor Few, if any states, do a better job preparing their frequently for upcoming events, job fairs, basic Soldiers for BCT and AIT than Colorado. This training information, and other information that you Integrity includes helping you to resolve any concerns that may find helpful. Personal Courage you or your family may have before, during and On behalf of Colorado Family Program Office after BCT. If there are any concerns, whether they welcome to the CONG family, and we would like to are simple questions or things keeping you up at extend our sincere appreciation to you and your night, please let me know and we can work family for your service as being a successful Inside this issue: together to locate resources or a solution. Whether Soldier is truly a team effort! it’s TRICARE, education benefits, power of What is RSP? 2 Training Post of the month 3 Training Post of the month 4 Confidential Counseling 5 TRICARE 6 Child & Youth Program 7 Personal Financial Counselor 8 CONG Employment SPC 8 2021 Miltax Service 9 Notary Services 10 SFRS Contact Info 10 What is the Recruit Sustainment Program? (RSP) Before you ship to Basic Combat Training (BCT), you will attend the Recruit Sustainment Program (RSP). These weekends will be your introduction to BCT and will get you started and keep you on track mentally, physically, emotionally and administratively while you prepare for your career in the Colorado National Guard. RSP drills give you an opportunity to start getting comfortable with the terminology and protocols that are part of Guard service—and you will be getting paid for the time you spend at RSP. There are four phases to RSP as described below. RED PHASE WHITE PHASE BLUE PHASE GREEN PHASE Your 1st & 2nd RSP drill is Red Depending on the number of At your final drill before shipping to Green Phase courses are Phase. In this intensive training, months between when you BCT, in addition to physical designed for recruits in the Split you will learn basics you need to enlisted and when you ship to preparation, you will cover all the Training Option (STO) Program. know right away, like: BCT, the length of your White final details that have to be taken Generally, these are Soldiers who RSP Introduction Phase in the RSP will vary. In care of before you leave. joined the Army National Guard Army Structure addition to physical training, during their junior year in high instruction in this phase may This allows the RSP Cadre one school After you graduate from Chain of Command include: last quality check to ensure you're BCT and during your senior year Rank and Insignia Proper Wear of the Military mentally prepared, of high school. Customs and Courtesies Uniform administratively correct and General Orders Army Values, Soldier’s Creed physically fit for BCT Additionally, Soldiers in this phase Reporting Procedures and Warrior Ethos are awaiting attendance of Drill and Ceremony Employ Camouflage, Cover Advanced Individual Training (AIT). Physical Fitness and Concealment Tactics AKO & MyPay Setup Training offers additional Weapons Familiarization instruction in leadership and As you learn the Army structure, physical readiness. chain of command and rank During the White Phase, you will insignia, you will quickly learn continue to focus on physical how to follow the rules and training and cover Soldier skills extend the proper courtesies to that will further prepare you for fellow Guard members. BCT. So you've gotten orders to report to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for Army Basic Training. Welcome to the largest TRADOC (Training and Doctrine Command) post in the entire US Army! Basic Combat Training, often referred to as just Basic or BCT, is the introduction those wanting to serve as soldiers receive as they enter the Army. It is life-changing and something that you will always remember and look back on. Here at Fort Jackson, you'll soon come to learn the phrase "Victory Starts Here-Right Here!" Where is Fort Jackson Basic Training? Ft Jackson is in Columbia, SC and is the U.S. Army 's main training center for Basic Combat Training. Drill sergeants train 50 percent of the Army's BCT Training trainees and at least 60 percent of all females entering the Army every year. Fort Jackson makes sure new soldiers are well trained, disciplined, motivated and physically fit warriors who can live as prime examples of the Army's core values. You will need to get used to these values too, and start memorizing them: Loyalty, Duty, Respect Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage. Just use the acronym LDRSHIP (leadership) to help you remember! What Units are at Fort Jackson? Fort Jackson's main mission is training in excess of 48,000 basic training trainees and 12,000 additional advanced training trainees and Soldiers every year. It's time to get excited about all the amazing things you're going to learn at Fort Jackson basic training. Remember, it won't be easy, but it will be worth it. How Long is Army Basic Training? BCT at Fort Jackson takes 10 weeks to complete. Unlike high school or college, where you may have been in class and studying around six hours a day, the Army trains for about 12-14 hours a day, 6 days a week. You'll come to love Sundays, unless you've managed to "earn" some extra duty time during the week. There isn't a whole lot of sitting in classrooms, either. While we can't reveal too many secrets (because where would the fun be in that), we can give you an idea of what happens in BCT. Week 0: Zero Week Weeks 6-9: Blue Phase Zero week is called reception, where trainees complete admin actions. If you make it this far, you're almost there! Now you will be given Such as med examinations, setting up pay, and initial issue of equipment opportunities to combine all of the skills you have learned in earlier phases are all part of zero week. You'll get assigned to a company, platoon and of training to complete advanced combat tasks. But there is still a lot to infantry battalion in either the 165th IN BDE or the 193rd IN BDE. learn: Weeks 1-3: Red Phase Close combat and use of aiming tools such as lasers and optics Training officially begins. You'll get to meet the Drill Sergeants who will be Patrol and attack as a squad with you for the remainder of BCT. This can be a tough time for trainees Maneuver and engage targets as part of a team due to the adjustments, but when you look back later, this phase was easy! Employ "crew-served" and more powerful weapons M240B Machine Gun Most classroom-type training occurs during your first three weeks, you'll AT4 Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher and M203 40mm Grenade Launcher learn about: Ballistics and Rifle Marksmanship Fundamentals, Personal Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT -- Fighting in a city) financial management, Law of Land Warfare, Uniform Code of Military Justice (Military Law), Land Navigation, Physical Readiness, Nutrition Convoy Defense and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Defeat Rappelling and navigating rope bridges, Drill and Ceremony, Nuclear, Long-distance Road Marching with combat load Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Defense, Fieldcraft, and Patrolling. Forward Operating Base (FOB) operations and Control Point operations Weeks 4-5: White Phase Week 10: Graduation This phase is sometimes called the rifleman phase or qualification phase. The final week of BCT! After completing the final training events, which Your focus now -- how to identify, track, target, and effectively engage include a week of field training and a 15km march in 'full battle rattle,' your targets with a rifle.