SRP

An interesting tidbit about the process of taking a National Guard unit from its normal drill status to mobilized and deployed is that the closer you get to your mobilization date the less useful training you are allowed to do. This weekend was the last drill prior to our mobilization date, and it was consumed by SRP - "Soldier Readiness Processing." Admittedly having all of the paperwork in order is necessary, but since the process is repeated several times - once when you get the word you're on deck at about a year out, again when you go on alert about six months out, just before you mobilize at about a month out, and just after you mobilize since the mob station doesn't trust you any further than they can throw you one has to wonder if the real driver is the admin types have heard that paperwork is secondary during combat deployments and it causes them to succumb to a panic attack. So in spite of the fact that we have crew that still need to progress in their qualifications and a whole herd of gunners to train up, (actually we decided that rather than herd, flock or gaggle they should be referred to as a murder of gunners) our helicopters sat on the ramp all weekend. Oh, well... Once we go on state orders our schedule is going to be a lot more mission oriented.