Hooah!! Welcome back to your Week Three training update. This is the first week for the Red Phase. By now, your Trainee is in the full swing of things and you can probably start to notice some changes in them during your Sunday calls or your letters. They will be very excited to start the transition to a new phase.
There are six different phases your Trainee will transition through during their journey at Fort Moore to earning the title Infantry Soldier.
Yellow Phase: Weeks 0-2
Red Phase: Week 3
White Phase: Weeks 4-6
Blue Phase: Weeks 7-9
Black Phase: Weeks 10-13
Gold Phase: Weeks 14-22
WEEK THREE EXPECTATIONS: RED PHASE
Welcome to week 3. Congrats to your Trainee for successfully completing all of their Phase I requirements and advancing into Phase II, Red Phase! By now your Trainee has adapted to Army life and is getting anxious to see the results of how those early morning workouts are paying off on their upcoming physical fitness assessment. They will also be spending time learning about land navigation.
LAND NAVIGATION
Can you imagine what life would be like if you didn’t have GPS to get anywhere these days? That’s exactly what your Trainee is doing this week as they learn the fundamentals of Land Navigation. Your Trainee is learning how to properly use a compass, identify terrain features on a map, and set their pace count, or how many steps they take when walking a distance of 100 meters on flat ground.
During Land Navigation, Trainees receive randomly assigned coordinate points that they will plot on a map using their protractor. Using the map, they will look for various types of terrain like hills, valleys and creeks that can help them determine the location of their point.
Each of these steps are detrimental to a Trainee’s success of the Land Navigation course. For example, pace count might vary when walking uphill or downhill, or a compass could be calibrated wrong. Having this knowledge upfront and knowing what to do about it will prepare Trainees for situations they may encounter in the woods while looking for their points.
ARMY COMBAT FITNESS TEST
The next major obstacle this week is their first assessment for the Army’s Combat Physical Fitness Test (ACFT). There are six events that make up the ACFT and the entire test must be completed within 90 minutes from start to finish. Each event is designed to assess and improve your physical strength, mental toughness, coordination, and flexibility, while reducing preventable injuries. The six events for the ACFT are as follows:
3 REPETITION MAXIMUM DEADLIFT (MDL)
In this event, you will lift the maximum weight possible three times using a 60-pound hex bar and plates.
STANDING POWER THROW (SPT)
In this event, you will throw a 10-pound medicine ball backward and overhead as far as possible.
HAND RELEASE PUSH-UP—ARM EXTENSION (HRP)
In this event, you will complete as many hand-release push-ups as possible in two minutes, using the proper technique
SPRINT-DRAG-CARRY (SDC)
Do five 50-meter shuttles (sprint, drag, lateral, carry, sprint) as fast as possible using two 40-pound kettlebells, and a 90-pound sled.
PLANK (PLK)
During this event, you will maintain a plank for as long as possible, in the proper position:
TWO-MILE RUN
During this event, you will run for two miles on a generally flat outdoor course while being timed.
The ACFT is scored based on your gender and age. All Trainees must achieve 60 points in each event and have a minimum score of 360 to successfully pass. The maximum score in each event is 100 and the maximum score on the ACFT is 600. Encourage your Trainee this week. They have come a long way since they arrived at Fort Moore. While they may not have done as well as they wanted to this time, there are two more more assessments until the final end of the cycle test for record. I assure you, their DS will do everything they can to get them across the line.
LETTERS FROM HOME = MORALE
In your Letter to your trainee this week, ask them how they did with Land Navigation and their first Army Combat Fitness Test assessment. Be sure to ask them where their Battle Buddy is from and what they’ve learned about them. By the time they graduate their physical transformation will amaze you. Keep your eyes peeled for updates about Week 4, which is coming just around the corner. Next week they move into Rifle Marksmanship.
Did you know you can send an Exchange gift card with your Sandboxx Letter? With an Exchange gift card you can rest assured your Trainee has everything they need to be successful each week at training each week. The paper gift card is sent with your Sandboxx Letter and delivered directly to your Trainee on base, so they can use it right away.
THE MAKING OF YOUR SOLDIER
Stay tuned for more insights into Week Four and beyond. Follow us on social media for the latest updates, letter ideas, and more.
That’s a brief look at the intense but rewarding journey your Trainee is on. Let’s keep supporting them every step of the way!
You can always find me via chat in the Sandboxx app or happiness@sandboxx.us — just ask for Kris, and myself or another teammate will get back to you as soon as we can.
Hooah!
SGM Kris Broadus, U.S. Army (Ret)