Valex

By Master Sgt. Deborah Williams

108th Training Command (IET) Public Affairs

FORT JACKSON, S.C. —

The 2nd Brigade, 98th Training Division (IET) conducted a Drill Sergeant Candidate Validation Exercise March 27-29, at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for drill sergeant candidates. The validation is conducted outside their home station in order to identify candidate readiness and progression.

Drill Sergeant Candidate Trainers train and test the candidates. The trainers complete a workbook and forms after every testing event. This helps track the progress of the candidate.

“Everything is going good with our first priority making sure candidates are identified and ready to attend the academy,” said Sgt. Maj. James Franks, operations sergeant major, 2nd Brigade, 98th Training Division (IET). “Thirty Soldiers showed up with 21 planning to attend the academy in six months, which is great!”

The validation is a five-phase process on expectations and qualifications to attend the Drill Sergeant Academy with this exercise having seven stations set up in order to evaluate and enroll candidates in the academy.

The seven stations are organizational clothing and individual equipment, application packets, class enrollment, non-viable candidates are out-processed from the program, physical readiness testing, mental health assessment and the final station; drill and ceremonies modules, physical readiness training and small arms engagement skills training where the candidates zero and perform two qualifications, explains Franks.

Franks said, “There are a few challenges, but that is why we utilize the USADSA for the Mental Health Assessments, the candidates bring their packets in order to check for anything that may be missing and the organizational clothing and individual equipment station identifies missing items so they can be ordered.”

This enables them to close out the candidate once all items are identified and cleared up, within a week or two.

“The goal, whereas in the past Class I, II, III and IV were used to classify a candidate, this validation exercise will enroll the Class I, II and III candidates in the Army Training Requirements and Resources System with a valid school date within the next six months. The Class IV will be transferred to other units, the IRR or given the option to re-class,” said Franks.

With the former classification system no longer used, candidates are now considered either viable

The final station during the Drill Sergeant Candidate Validation Exercise March 27-29, at Fort Jackson, S.C., was the EST 2000. The Drill Sergeant Candidates zeroed and completed two qualifications. Photo by Master Sgt. Deborah Williams, 108th Training Command (IET), Public Affairs

or non-viable. Class I-III used to mean a candidate was ready to attend school anywhere from six to 18 months while Class IV candidates were not eligible to attend and would be transferred to other units that hold their Military occupational skill, transferred to the IRR or processed out of the Army.

Today the course is up or out. You either become a drill sergeant or you leave the position. Validation outlines procedures and actions required to process, qualify, track and graduate candidates for attendance to the school. If these qualifications are not met, then actions are required to separate assigned candidates who are no longer qualified to be a drill sergeant.

The overall purpose of the validation exercise is to identify all Solders that are going to school within the next 12 months.

“The candidates took the APFT this morning to ensure they were ready, to show them what right looks like and discuss any feedback with the candidates’ sergeants major so they can take this back to their units for improvements in their programs,” Franks said.

The Army recognizes drill sergeants as an elite Soldier, similar to a Ranger or airborne Soldier. Drill sergeants are highly-skilled noncommissioned officers that had to prove their toughness, leadership and teaching capabilities prior to being awarded the Drill Sergeant Badge. It is imperative that our drill sergeants meet the high standards expected.

“This is a very valuable gauge to ensure candidates are where they need to be in order to make it through the course and it relieves the pressure off the candidate,” said Capt. Luis Palma, 1/518th, 98th Training Division (IET) out of Asheville, North Carolina. “This is my first validation exercise, but I hope it continues.”