Spiritual Minded Military South Dakota Navy Reserve: What Should You Expect on Your First Drill Weekend? — The Onboarding Protocol
The Unknown That Starts on Friday Night
You raised your hand. You swore the oath. You are now a Navy Reservist.
The first drill weekend is coming. You do not know what to expect. You do not know where to go. You do not know what to bring.
The uncertainty is real. The uncertainty is normal. The uncertainty is also manageable.
The first drill weekend is not about training. The first drill weekend is about check-in. The purpose is to establish your presence in the Navy Reserve systems so that you may be paid for your activities and properly guided through your individual mobilization and warfighting readiness requirements.
Your Spiritual Minded Military shirt declares that you are ready. The unknown is not the enemy. The unknown is the mission. The Onboarding Protocol is the countermeasure.
For the strategic framework on high-performance transition, read THE SAVANNAH AIR GUARD DIRECTIVE: FIELD ARMOR FOR THE TWO-REALM WAR.
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." — Philippians 4:13
What Your First Drill Weekend Actually Is
The first drill weekend is not what you expect. The first drill weekend is administrative.
You will not be running drills. You will not be learning combat skills. You will not be standing watch on a ship. You will be sitting in an office, filling out forms, and meeting the people who will guide your Reserve career.
Your command sponsor should muster you at the designated place and time. Every command has a standard check-in sheet that covers all offices, systems, and programs that everyone must accomplish upon arrival. Due to time and resource constraints, the sponsor will guide you through the most critical check-in items that must be completed on the first drill weekend.
The first drill weekend is about getting you into the system. The system is the structure. The structure is the mission.
Your Soldier for Christ Field Armor protects you from the enemy. The enemy is not on the drill site. The enemy is in the uncertainty. The armor protects you while you navigate the system.
For the complete guide to understanding Navy Reserve onboarding, read THE 72-HOUR WALL: WHY FL NATIONAL GUARDS LOSE THEIR EDGE BEFORE THURSDAY.
What You Need to Bring
The Navy Reserve onboarding workbook is clear. At a minimum, you should carry:
Navy medical and dental records. Your health history matters. The records are essential for medical readiness.
Bank account information for direct deposit establishment. You cannot get paid without it. The pay is the service.
For DEERS and NAVPERS 1070/602, bring the following: Marriage certificates. Divorce decrees. Dependents' birth certificates. Adoption paperwork. Your family matters. The records prove it.
Your Be Sober Minded shirt carries the Scripture "Be sober, be vigilant." The vigilance extends to your paperwork. The vigilance protects your pay.
For the recovery framework that addresses transition stress, read WEEKEND WARRIOR, WEEKDAY WRECK: THE NORTH CAROLINA GUARD LOGISTICS SOLUTION NO ONE GAVE YOU.
What You Need to Know Before You Arrive
Your assigned Navy Reserve Center will contact you upon receipt of your orders to coordinate with you for your check-in date. They will also send you a welcome aboard package that will provide contact information, business hours, and instructions to access the facility.
If you have not received a welcome aboard package within a few days of receiving your orders, you should initiate contact with the command.
You need to know: The address and directions to the facility. Base access requirements. Weather contingency plans. How to request berthing if you live more than 50 miles from the command. How to sign up for meals. Required documents and other items to bring.
Your Spiritual Minded Military shirt declares that you are prepared. The preparation is not the drill. The preparation is the mission.
The Indoctrination (INDOC) Requirement
Indoctrination is mandatory for all newly reported SELRES. You must attend INDOC within 90 days of your check-in.
INDOC ensures proper check-in and awareness of NRC and Reserve policies. It lays the foundation and expectations for all SELRES. It provides invaluable information and resources.
INDOC is not optional. INDOC is the foundation. The foundation is the mission.
For the complete Air Force Reserve perspective on onboarding, read THE SOVEREIGN PROTOCOL: ELITE GEAR & FUEL TO ENHANCE MILITARY PERFORMANCE.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." — Joshua 1:9
Common Mistakes New Reservists Make on Their First Drill Weekend
The first drill weekend is confusing. The confusion leads to mistakes. The mistakes are preventable.
Not bringing required documents: The medical records are essential. The bank account information is essential. The family documents are essential. The absent documents delay the process.
Not knowing where to go: The address is not enough. The building number matters. The room number matters. The preparation matters.
Not asking questions: The process is confusing. The questions are expected. The questions are the solution.
Not bringing the right uniform: The uniform is required. The uniform is expected. The uniform is the standard.
Your Be Sober Minded shirt reminds you to be vigilant. The vigilance prevents the mistakes. The vigilance protects the mission.
What Happens After Your First Drill Weekend
Once the critical check-in items are completed, additional tasks may be executed, or you can be released to meet your local unit leadership.
The first drill weekend is the beginning. The reserve career is the journey. The journey is the service.
One scoop of Cellular Hydrate – Electrolyte Formula every morning replenishes what the transition steals. One cup of Spiritual Minded Mushroom Coffee Blend keeps you sharp through the administrative grind.
The South Dakota Navy Reserve Remnant
South Dakota is not a Navy state. The Navy Reserve presence is limited. The nearest Navy Reserve Center may be hours away. The distance is real. The commitment is real.
Most of the new reservists will be confused. Most of them will not know what to bring. Most of them will learn when it is too late.
The Remnant is different. The Remnant reads the protocol. The Remnant brings the documents. The Remnant knows the process. The Remnant is prepared.
The Remnant is not a support group. The Remnant is an onboarding network. Fall in.
The Remnant does not transition. The Remnant re-enlists.
Spiritual Minded Military
We don't rank, we reign.
THE LITTLE GENERAL'S DOCTRINE
THIS IS NOT A SUGGESTION. IT IS A DIRECTIVE FOR THE ELITE 1%. [BY ORDER OF THE LITTLE GENERAL]
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