Passion drives training at Echo Mission

By Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Hamilton (108th Trng. Cmd.)July 21, 2014

Passion drives training at Echo Mission
1 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Reserve Drill Sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Richard Walker, instructs an IET Soldier on the proper adjustments to her M-16A2 rifle after firing the first of several volleys during "zero day". Walker is an instructor at Echo Mission, held year round a... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Passion drives training at Echo Mission
2 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Reserve Drill Sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Kelsie Hagan, inspects the chamber of an M16A2 semiautomatic rifle before an IET Soldier enters the range during "zero day" of basic combat training. Hagan is an instructor at Echo Mission, held year round ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Passion drives training at Echo Mission
3 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Soldier at the zero range during Initial Entry Training at Fort Jackson, S.C., practices her basic rifle marksmanship skills on the shadow box. The IET Soldiers are being taught basic combat skills training by a mixture of active and Reserve compon... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Passion drives training at Echo Mission
4 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Reserve Drill Sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Kelsie Hagan, instructs Soldiers at Echo Mission on the fundamentals of basic rifle marksmanship during "zero week". Hagan is a part of Echo Mission held year round at Fort Jackson, S.C. During Echo Mission... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Passion drives training at Echo Mission
5 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Reserve Drill Sergeant Staff Sgt. Eric Halford, instructs an IET Soldier on the proper adjustments to his M16A2 rifle after firing the first of several volleys during "zero day." Halford is an instructor at Echo Mission, held year-round at Fort ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Passion drives training at Echo Mission
6 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Drill Sergeant Sgt. 1st Class, Fenecia Keitt, Echo Company, 1/13 Infantry Battalion, assists an IET Soldier with remedial action during a weapons malfunction on "zero day." Keitt is part of a combined effort of Reserve and active duty component ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Passion drives training at Echo Mission
7 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Reserve Drill Sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Richard Walker, inspects the barrel of an M16A2 semiautomatic rifle before an IET Soldier enters the range during "zero day" of basic combat training. Walker is an instructor at Echo Mission, held year roun... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

"I love to teach, I love to teach!" exclaimed Army Reserve drill sergeant Sgt. 1st Class Kelsie Hagan, Echo Company, 1/518th Basic Combat Training (BCT) Battalion.

Hagan, currently serving his extended combat training (ECT) at Fort Jackson, became a drill sergeant in 2002 and says, "If you are going to put on the hat, then this [Echo Mission] is what you want to do."

"When you make the decision to become a drill sergeant, you make the decision to train Soldiers!"

Echo Mission, held year-round here at Fort Jackson, is an opportunity for Army Reserve drill sergeants to work side-by-side with their active component counterparts doing what drill sergeants do best: train Soldiers.

Because of a shortage of active duty drill sergeants as well as the need to field a fifth company at the 1/13th Infantry BCT, Army Reserve drill sergeants gladly accept the challenge to augment Echo Company. The result is a fine mix of Reserve component instructors supported by a few active duty component Soldiers to provide continuity.

Echo Company noncommissioned officer in charge 1st Sgt. Terry Patterson, 1/518th BCT Battalion, says Echo Mission allows the Reserve component to train real-world in the event the active duty counterpart is called forward.

"[Echo Mission] keeps us up to the standard. The POI changes every six months to a year. This keeps us current so that when they pull our counterparts forward in times of need, we can step forward and fill that gap."

"We can come in and give them a break and remain current on our skills at the same time. This is a perishable skill," Patterson added.

Every three weeks, another group of Army Reserve drill sergeants comes through Echo Company, starting from the company commander and first sergeant, and filtering down to the lowest-ranking noncommissioned officer.

Army drill sergeant Sgt. 1st Class Fenecia Keitt, Echo Company, 1/13th Infantry Battalion, says Echo Mission presents some challenges because of the quick turn around of Reserve trainers that come through, but after a few days of learning each other's strengths and weaknesses, the two components mesh as one team.

"It's challenging at times because of the flip flopping, but we get some great [Reserve Soldiers] that come through. They are part of a team, and it makes things a lot smoother for us."

Hagan added that just because Reserve Soldiers do this on a part-time basis, you shouldn't count them out.

"This has always been an enjoyable experience for me. You meet people who share the same passion as you. But I find Reserve drill sergeants have more passion for what we do sometimes. We get a break where as the active component doesn't get a break."

Hagan also said, "Some of the drill sergeants that come through have been around for a long, long time. I became a drill sergeant in 2002. I think that gives us technically more experience than our active duty counterpart."

Patterson seemed to agree.

"A lot of times with the active component, drill sergeants are DA [Department of the Army] select. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But in their component, drill sergeants are made, whereas in the Reserve component, if you are a drill sergeant, you want to be one. This is something you chose to do."