THE GRIFFON • Summer 2012 • 5
From the Command Sergeant Major...
By Command Sgt. Maj. Rocci R. DeRezza 108th Training Command (IET)
Soldier Readiness In the Army Reserve, we all have to participate in Soldier Readiness Processing yearly. Soldier readiness is a crucial part of our jobs. This readiness process begins with you taking the initiative to improve yourself as a Soldier. We must be prepared to attend courses that require us to be physically and medically fit. Training is a vital part of our career. The Army expects all of us to be prepared for any mission. I
want to urge each of you to challenge yourself to excel in all areas of preparedness. If you can’t meet the core requirements the Army demands of you then you won’t be given the opportunity to improve yourself by completing training or moving up in rank. I can’t stress enough how important it is to pass your APFT. Challenge yourself and others. Set goals for yourself to improve your APFT score. If you can’t pass an APFT you may not qualify for missions which will hold you back from advancing in your career as a Soldier. Too many times recently I have seen Soldiers being returned home from a mission or course for not being able to pass the physical fitness test. This is unacceptable. All Soldiers must find the time to keep physically fit. We can’t allow ourselves to become complacent in our jobs. Staying physically fit is part of our job. I know there are many of you that are persistent in maintaining a high APFT score and I want to commend you for that. Use that desire you have to excel and mentor junior Soldiers that need guidance in this area. Another area of the Soldier Readiness Process is medical readiness. It’s your responsibility to make sure your Periodic Health Assessment
(PHA) is current. Other aspects of your health assessments such as dental, immunizations, and vision must all be kept up to date. All your medical readiness can be accessed through your AKO account. Each category will have medical readiness stoplights. The lights alert you when there is a need for your medical readiness records to be updated. Take the time to re-
view these items when you are accessing AKO. Don’t wait until your yearly SRP to review your medical readiness. Take time to look at your records throughout the year to be prepared before your SRP. Improving our Soldier Readiness will insure that the 108th Training Command Soldiers will always be prepared for our future missions. Victory starts here!