Posted on Mar 2, 2019
What is a typical drill like for a Infantry Unit in the Guard?
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How long (hours) does a drill day usually go on for?
Posted in these groups: USARNG
11B: Infantryman
11B: Infantryman
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 11
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All dependent upon then unit. Generally if it’s a home station drill, about 10 to 12 hrs on Saturday and 8 to 10 hours on Sunday.
If it’s away, obviously it’s over night and again 8 to 10 hours on Sunday. Then there is the possibility of a Muta 5 and 6. Which means you basically show up Friday after work or Friday all day.
A UTA stands for Unit Training Assembly. It is a four-hour period of drill. A typical drill weekend, a MUTA-4 (Multiple Unit Training Assembly) consists of four, four-hour periods or two days. If you drill for 3 days straight; this would be a MUTA-6 - consists of six 4 hour periods. So, for every 4 hour period drilled, add them up and that would determine the MUTA-#. For more information go to the link attached and check out NGR (AR) 350-1. Hope that helps.
If it’s away, obviously it’s over night and again 8 to 10 hours on Sunday. Then there is the possibility of a Muta 5 and 6. Which means you basically show up Friday after work or Friday all day.
A UTA stands for Unit Training Assembly. It is a four-hour period of drill. A typical drill weekend, a MUTA-4 (Multiple Unit Training Assembly) consists of four, four-hour periods or two days. If you drill for 3 days straight; this would be a MUTA-6 - consists of six 4 hour periods. So, for every 4 hour period drilled, add them up and that would determine the MUTA-#. For more information go to the link attached and check out NGR (AR) 350-1. Hope that helps.
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PFC (Join to see)
SFC Harry H. Very informative, thank you. I was also wondering what usually a day would consist of, such as going to the field, or if it’s mainly classroom.
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SFC Harry H.
PFC (Join to see) in the Guard it’s a lot of yearly requirements, classroom and field. Which keeps the units readiness mission capable and ready to deploy. You will do a lot of hip pocket training and practicing your battle drills outside. And as always, vehicle, weapons, pro mask and othe equipment PMCS (maintenance). Your real hands on training comes during Annual Training and pre mobilizations. You may feel at times that you’re r not being trained to par, but keep in mind. You are a Soldier now. Even when you are not at drill you should be studying up on your FM’s. Imfantry handbook FM 3-21.8 and even the Ranger handbook. Become the SME (subject matter expert) of your squad.
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SFC Harry H.
PFC (Join to see) out in the Field is an all new animal. Ranges, which equals trigger time. Out in the woods perfecting your battle drills. Sitting around being cold, hot and bored. Learning to shoot, move, and communicate. Mounted and dismounted patrols, building and obstacle clearing, rapelling, day and night live fire exercises, being bored some more, setting up GP smalls or mediums, being hot or cold nothing in between, road marches, back to the barracks where more sit around and wait will be conducted along with boredom and guys getting in trouble for something and NCO’s and team leaders perfecting their art of smoking Soldiers. If your out in the woods you’re sitting around a patrol base on guard scanning your 10 and 2. Then picking up and moving out closer to your ORP. Oh did I mention being bored at times with a pinch of rain to make the day suck just a little more. I know I left something out.
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Typically, there is a lot of waiting at every drill.
Whether you are at a home station drill or at an installation for weapons qual or other training, you may find yourself in line for hours waiting for limited computers to complete a 15 minute online class or fill out an online form (similar to if you did SSD1 online at RSP drills).
Do yourself a favor to save yourself hours every drill: buy yourself a $10 CAC reader on Amazon. Check out militarycac.com to set it up on your laptop. Find out what online classes or forms are required for drill, do them at home prior to drill or bring your laptop and CAC reader to drill.
Being proactive for about 15 minutes a month prior to drill will save you hours at every drill.
Do this very simple thing, and you may find that on Sundays, when everyone is lined up to use a couple of computers to sign their OCIE hand receipts on AKO or complete an online class, you have already emailed the completed pdf to your squad leader, platoon sergeant and AGR, your platoon sergeant might just say, "you're done, you can go home at 1630," while those that refuse to buy a CAC reader or do anything on their own laptop at home before drill, or on their own laptop at drill, will be stuck in line until 2100 and getting home at midnight.
You'll run into MDAYs who say "f*** that, I'm not buying anything, or doing Guard work on my own time not getting paid." To me, $10 and 15-30 minutes of my own time once a month between drills is definitely worth saving 2-4 hours of sitting around waiting at every drill.
Whether you are at a home station drill or at an installation for weapons qual or other training, you may find yourself in line for hours waiting for limited computers to complete a 15 minute online class or fill out an online form (similar to if you did SSD1 online at RSP drills).
Do yourself a favor to save yourself hours every drill: buy yourself a $10 CAC reader on Amazon. Check out militarycac.com to set it up on your laptop. Find out what online classes or forms are required for drill, do them at home prior to drill or bring your laptop and CAC reader to drill.
Being proactive for about 15 minutes a month prior to drill will save you hours at every drill.
Do this very simple thing, and you may find that on Sundays, when everyone is lined up to use a couple of computers to sign their OCIE hand receipts on AKO or complete an online class, you have already emailed the completed pdf to your squad leader, platoon sergeant and AGR, your platoon sergeant might just say, "you're done, you can go home at 1630," while those that refuse to buy a CAC reader or do anything on their own laptop at home before drill, or on their own laptop at drill, will be stuck in line until 2100 and getting home at midnight.
You'll run into MDAYs who say "f*** that, I'm not buying anything, or doing Guard work on my own time not getting paid." To me, $10 and 15-30 minutes of my own time once a month between drills is definitely worth saving 2-4 hours of sitting around waiting at every drill.
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LTC Ken Bowers
It is truly unfortunate that the MDAY guardsman get jacked around by having to take "online training and briefing using the computer at the armory. There is a lot of time that gets pissed away during a drill weekend before automation. Automation has not improved things much. In my state JFHQ started the "MEGA Drill" MUTA 8 for the purpose of updating personnel readiness tasks. As a commander I was not in favor of anymore that a MUTA 5, and that was for a field training event. A MUTA 5 at home station is like getting paid for 4 hours of scratching your ass. If the guard is serious about a high degree of readiness they should authorize each Guardsman 1-2 additional MUTAs per month to complete all the happy horseshit briefing and inventories (OCIE) and let drill weekends focus of MOS/Squad, weapons training, Gunnery/Maneuver training, and maintenance. Active duty units have to do the same dumb-ass brief, but it is part of the duty day! The TAGs and NGB need to be more steak and less sizzle! Hell's Guard!
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Those senior non-coms hit the center of the black with their answers. Welcome to the Guard, kid.
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