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 Mississippi National Guard recruits find pre-Basic training a helpful intro to military life By Spc. Connie Jones, Mississippi National Guard
 JACKSON, Miss. - Fear, joy and confidence are just a few of the emotions seen on the faces in a formation of colorfully dressed individuals receiving orders from two Soldiers. Though it may look like a group of civilians standing in rows, it is actually a formation of enlisted National Guard recruits. The Mississippi Army National Guard's Recruit Sustainment Program helps to make Warriors a little more prepared before they begin their training. Warriors go to Army Basic Combat Training where they learn basic rifle marksmanship, how to navigate with a compass and remain physically fit, as well as other basic tasks to earn the privilege of being called an American Soldier. They then move on to their Advanced Individualized Training in order to learn skills specific to their jobs so they can be all they can be when they return to their home state. "We have this program set up to where they actually train once a month. We try to teach them some of the things they're going to need in training - the phonetic alphabet, how to tell military time, a little drill and ceremony, the different rank structures and things like that," said Staff Sgt. William C. Hale, a recruitment and sustainment noncommissioned officer at the Raymond Road Readiness Center in Jackson. Hale has been a recruiter in Mississippi since 2008, where he has been one of the top five recruiters. A large part of RSP (Recruit Sustainment Program) is physical training. When warriors go to basic training, they have to able to meet the physical standards set in place by the Army. Unprepared recruits are sent home or to remedial training. RSP helps them by teaching them the exercises they will learn as well as giving them assessments. "They do [Physical Training] on Saturday and Sunday. The beginners or Red Phase, take what is called the one-one-one assessment," Hale said. This is a reduced version of the Army Physical Readiness Test that the new recruits will do when they get to basic training. It gives the warriors and the recruiters a feel for where the recruits are at physically before sending them off to basic training. According to Hale, RSP has improved the number of warriors who make it through basic training and AIT (Advanced Individualized Training) to be handed off to their unit from 93 to 97 percent. The warriors are divided by how long they have until they go to basic training. "Red Phase is their very first drill after they enlist," Hale said. "We go over all of the required courses that we do every year - sexual assault, suicide prevention, the history of the National Guard. They sign initial counseling statements and they do a little drill and ceremony. White phase are those who are waiting to go to training, he said. Some of them are in the RSP for seven or eight months. Blue phase is the last drill before they go to training. "Gold phase is when they have completed basic training and AIT and we're waiting for them to be handed off to their unit," Hale said. Pvt. Akeem Oliver, a Red Phase recruit from Jackson, and Pvt. Daniel Chambers, a White Phase recruit from Canton, were both excited to be preparing for basic training. Both recruits felt that RSP was beneficial to new warriors for different reasons. "I feel like RSP has helped me because I learned the Soldier's Creed. I had a test on it and I aced it," Chambers said proudly. The White Phase warrior added that he was steadily increasing his knowledge of the Army while waiting, which he considered a weak point. For many, however, the weakness is more physical than cerebral. "If you join the National Guard, it would be good to do this first because this will let you know whether you're in shape and it will help you to get there." said Oliver. Oliver said he discovered he was not as physically prepared as he expected and was ready to improve. During drill, Red, White, and Blue Phase warriors are able to talk to the recently graduated Gold Phase soldiers for first-hand knowledge of what occurs during training. "We give them advice on how to survive and stay motivated through the training," said Pfc. Caleb Hewitt, who was recently assigned to Headquarters Company, 185th Aviation Regiment. The RSP also eases the minds of some parents who may have concerns with their sons or daughters enlisting in the National Guard. The warriors are able to help them feel more at ease with the decision by passing on what they have learned and the benefits of being treated as a Soldier during drill weekends. The warriors also learn about the various benefits of military service, such as educational assistance. "[My mom] did not want me to go," Chambers said. "She was scared of me getting hurt. Once I told her about the college benefits, that's what really pushed her to accept it," said Chambers. The RSP is designed to ease the worries of warriors and parents alike by preparing them for their future in the Army. If the warriors can enter basic training already knowledgeable and physically fit, they can come home ready to contribute great work to their unit.
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