National Gaurd RSP and Class Dates

[agentlank]

The quick and dirty I'll be 35 in October of this year, so I need to ship before then in order to have a shot at SFAS. I have training obligations that I must meet for my new job (I'm a civil servant with the DoD). I'd like to go ahead and enlist and sign my contract so I have my ship date and everything on paper, but I don't know how flexible the RSP will be in the event I can't attend drill between now and my ship date. I'm a small business owner and currently have jobs lined up that take place on Saturday mornings.

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with the RSP that they could share? What does a typical RSP weekend look like, are they flexible in allowing you make up the drill on other dates?

I understand IF I make it though the pipeline that my commitment to the group would take precedence over everything else, I'm just trying to plan a best path forward between now and shipping as to not ruffle feathers with my new agency and uphold the obligations that I have previously committed to for my small business.

I had a question regarding report date vs start date on all of these courses. Looking in ATRRS you can see the "report date" and then the "Start date" sometimes there are classes that may overlap by a day or two if you count the "end date" and the "report date".
I just wanted to know if it was possible to take classes back to back, for example. I'm trying to understand how this will look when you account for OSUT, Airborne, SFPC, SFAS, and how stretched out the timeline might get if classes don't overlap at all.


Report Date Start Date End Date
13 Aug 2019 17 Aug 2019 23 Nov 2019 Class XYZ
23 Nov 2019 26 Nov 2019 14 Dec 2019 Class ABC

 

[Firemedic#21]

I called my recruiter and got excused from RSP fairly easily. Just give your reason and it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[agentlank]

Thanks, was that a one time excuse (one drill weekend) or was it several drills that you missed?

Thank you for your response!

 

[Firemedic#21]

It was two. I was automatically excused from the first one after I signed my contract, and my recruiter told me to just let him know any time I needed out of an RSP drill, and he'll get me excused no problem. I know some kids who skipped every drill up until they shipped. The only one I know you have to be at is the last one before you ship, they finish up paperwork and stuff and make sure you are ready to ship.

As far as what is RSP? A very basic drill. They give you a blue book, PT in the mornings, and basically get briefed on everything Army and basic wise. It's super simple and super easy. Just show up and do what you're told or give them a weeks notice if you can't make it.

 

[agentlank]

Great, thank you for your insight! I will communicate my concerns with my recruiter and go from there.

 

[Firemedic#21]

As far as selection goes, obviously I can't speak from experience, but from my understanding, once you take that route, you are gone. You leave and hit schools back to back (with holds in between) really no time to go back to civ life during that pipeline, pretty much just gotta let everything go outside of your employer legally having to hold your job. Best of luck to you.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

As far as selection goes, obviously I can't speak from experience,

Thank you for sharing your experiences, but we ask that if you do not have “first hand” knowledge of a topic (Selection) that you not speculate or share “I heard” stories.

Thank you.