NY Guard Conducts Soldier Readiness Processing

NY Guard’s 88th Brigade Conducts Soldier Readiness Processing Drill

by SPC Ed Shevlin, New York Guard  

QUEENS, NY – On 22 January 2017, the New York

Guard 88th Brigade held a Consolidated Drill at JFK Airport. The drill centered on the Brigade’s annual Soldier Readiness Processing (SPR) which fundamentally supports the concept of the quick responding citizen soldier.

The morning began with an address by the Brigade Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Lamboy who detailed the objectives of the day for each solider. Following LTC Lamboy’s address, Chaplain (CPT) John Muniz, the Brigade Chaplain, gave an invocation, after which the business of the SRP drill began.

The format of this drill was unique to SRP, with numerous stations located around Classroom One at the Joint Task Force Empire Shield facility at JFK Airport. The SRP began with Recruiting and Retention, where soldiers updated their mobilization forms, a critical task which helps to insure a timely muster in the face of an emergency, followed by the next station where ID were checked to be updated if necessary.

In addition to the “on the spot” advice, each soldier was informed of the Free Legal Clinic which was conducted and provided by the New York Guard Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corp at Fort Hamilton and is available to NYG Soldiers on the first Saturday of each month.

The health and safety of soldiers is a primary concern of the New York Guard, and at the SRP drill the 88th Brigade’s Medical Corps, updated records, conducted medical examinations and updated the Soldier’s medical records or information as needed.

The 88th Brigade’s Consolidated SRP Drill was a resounding success. As the New York Guard prepares to meet the challenges of the future, events such as this SRP Drill are critical to maintaining readiness to perform State missions.

Soldiers of the 88th Brigade update medical records during the SRP Drill on 22 January 2017, in Queens, NY.