Recruiting and Retention
Recruit Sustainment Program
Current recruits of the Maine
Army National Guard have an
incredibly unique opportunity
to prepare for the beginning
of their military career. The
Recruit Sustainment Program
(RSP) gives newly-enlisted
soldiers a sneak peek at
Army protocols and prepares
them physically, mentally,
and administratively to
succeed through Basic
Combat Training and
Advanced Individual Training.
A typical day at RSP consists
of exercise, basic Soldier
skills training, administrative
preparedness, and more
exercise. RSP participants
are taught how to march
in formation, chain of
command, MOUT (room
much more. The Sergeants
are there to help motivate
them if they encounter any
experience, and gives a
great look at what to expect
when they arrive at BCT.
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The summer months allow
for activities such as land
navigation, tactical urban
movement, and night vision
goggles training. In the
winter months training
is often limited to indoor
activities, due to a lack of
winter uniforms for recruits
who have yet to go to
simulation training, and
virtual battle simulators are
a good portion of the winter
drill weekends. Standard
Army Physical Fitness
training combined with
Drill and Ceremony training
ensure each recruit arrives
at BCT with an advantage
over the newly enlisted from
the Active Army and Army
Reserve.
Ultimately, RSP training also
reinforces the resiliency and
new life skills each Soldier
will receive, preparing them
to transition to a more
independent way of life.
Who wouldn’t want to be
one?
In a recent interview, one
of our newest recruits,
Pvt. Emily Cox said “The
RSP has given me a lot of
military experience I never
had before. I grew up in a
military family, but RSP has
really helped. I’ve learned
how to treat higher-ranking
people and what to expect
in the coming years”. Pvt.
Cox recounted some of
her more memorable drill
weekend activities, including
convoy mission simulations
and P.I.C.K. Training (Pre-
marital Interpersonal Choices
and Knowledge) which she
dubbed “How to Not Marry a
Jerk”.
Soldiers who have completed
BCT and AIT often attribute a
good portion of their success
experience received in RSP.
Spc. Ira Cohen said,
“Each month at RSP we
were doing PT, so our PT
standards were better than
some of the Active Army
and Reserve. We were also
better prepared paperwork-
wise at Reception. It wasn’t
as long of a process.”