1st Battalion, 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute Archive

  • FORT PICKETT, Va. — Instructors and rappel masters from the Virginia Guard’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute taught the U.S. Army’s Rappel Master Course Sept. 24-28 at the RTI with a starting class of 26 Soldiers from around the nation. “The point of the rappel master course is essentially to advance the techniques that they learned from air assault school,” said Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Homer, noncommissioned officer in charge for the rappel master course. “Once they leave here they can rappel personnel off towers and off aircraft and hopefully any rotary wing platform the Armed Forces has.” During the five-day course, Soldiers hoping to become rappel masters learn how to tie and utilize knots commonly used during rappelling...

    Virginia Guard’s 183rd RTI trains new rappel masters

    Posted on September 29, 2012 | No Comments
    FORT PICKETT, Va. — Instructors and rappel masters from the Virginia Guard’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute taught the U.S. Army’s Rappel Master Course Sept. 24-28 at the RTI with a starting class of 26 Soldiers from around the nation. “The point of the rappel master course is essentially to advance the techniques that they learned from air assault school,” said Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Homer, noncommissioned officer in charge for the rappel master course. “Once they leave here they can rappel personnel off towers and off aircraft and hopefully any rotary wing platform the Armed Forces has.” During the five-day course, Soldiers hoping to become rappel masters learn how to tie and utilize knots commonly used during rappelling...

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  • FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. — Twelve of the Virginia Guard’s top shooters competed Aug. 16-19 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. in a regional competition, and Virginia Guard Soldiers beat out shooters from West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware to earn several top spots in both pistol and rifle matches. The competition, called the Marksmanship Advisory Committee Region II Marksmanship Sustainment Exercise, was designed to identify the top shooters in the region and to test the marksmanship skills of the competitors. “These events are both physically and mentally demanding and are designed to foster self-confidence and overall team solidarity,” explained Sgt. 1st Class Sammy Jones, assistant state marksmanship coordinator and marksmanship competitor. “It enforces lessons learned in combat and in competition while ensuring the success of...

    Virginia shooters represent at regional marksmanship competition

    Posted on August 25, 2012 | No Comments
    FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. — Twelve of the Virginia Guard’s top shooters competed Aug. 16-19 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. in a regional competition, and Virginia Guard Soldiers beat out shooters from West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware to earn several top spots in both pistol and rifle matches. The competition, called the Marksmanship Advisory Committee Region II Marksmanship Sustainment Exercise, was designed to identify the top shooters in the region and to test the marksmanship skills of the competitors. “These events are both physically and mentally demanding and are designed to foster self-confidence and overall team solidarity,” explained Sgt. 1st Class Sammy Jones, assistant state marksmanship coordinator and marksmanship competitor. “It enforces lessons learned in combat and in competition while ensuring the success of...

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  • FORT STORY, Va. — Rappel masters of the 1st Battalion, 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, from Fort Pickett, Va., instructed approximately 210 candidates from the Commonwealth ChalleNGe program down a 40-foot rappel tower June 23 at Fort Story, Va. Commonwealth ChalleNGe is the Virginia component of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, a five and a half month program which focuses on preparing at-risk teens and high school dropouts for the General Educational Development test and future employment, military or higher education opportunities. The rappelling participants were in the “Pre-ChalleNGe” phase, a two-week indoctrination period to determine if prospective cadets are prepared for the rigorous program. “We like coming out here, showing them how to repel and overcome their fear...

    Virginia rappel masters challenge at-risk youth

    Posted on July 26, 2012 | No Comments
    FORT STORY, Va. — Rappel masters of the 1st Battalion, 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, from Fort Pickett, Va., instructed approximately 210 candidates from the Commonwealth ChalleNGe program down a 40-foot rappel tower June 23 at Fort Story, Va. Commonwealth ChalleNGe is the Virginia component of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, a five and a half month program which focuses on preparing at-risk teens and high school dropouts for the General Educational Development test and future employment, military or higher education opportunities. The rappelling participants were in the “Pre-ChalleNGe” phase, a two-week indoctrination period to determine if prospective cadets are prepared for the rigorous program. “We like coming out here, showing them how to repel and overcome their fear...

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  • FORT PICKETT, Va. — National Guard Soldiers from five states, along with Soldiers from the U.S. Army Reserves, sweltered and trained in the July heat at Fort Pickett, Va., as part of the 11B Infantry Transition Course. The two-week course was taught by the instructors of the Blackstone-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute and enabled both junior enlisted Soldiers and noncommissioned officers the chance to earn the infantryman military occupational specialty. The Infantry Transition Course is designed to allow schoolhouses to teach both junior Soldiers and NCOs at the same time, with extra emphasis on troop leading procedures for the NCOs. The 11B10 MOS-T course, for junior Soldiers, started with 10 Soldiers and graduated with eight July 21, while the...

    Virginia Regional Training Institute trains Soldiers as infantrymen

    Posted on July 20, 2012 | No Comments
    FORT PICKETT, Va. — National Guard Soldiers from five states, along with Soldiers from the U.S. Army Reserves, sweltered and trained in the July heat at Fort Pickett, Va., as part of the 11B Infantry Transition Course. The two-week course was taught by the instructors of the Blackstone-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute and enabled both junior enlisted Soldiers and noncommissioned officers the chance to earn the infantryman military occupational specialty. The Infantry Transition Course is designed to allow schoolhouses to teach both junior Soldiers and NCOs at the same time, with extra emphasis on troop leading procedures for the NCOs. The 11B10 MOS-T course, for junior Soldiers, started with 10 Soldiers and graduated with eight July 21, while the...

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  • FORT PICKETT, Va. — In the woods of Fort Pickett, Virginia Guard Soldiers from the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute led National Guard Soldiers from across the country in a field training exercise as part of Light Leaders Course. The course began June 2 with 11 National Guard Soldiers from Virginia, six from Colorado and two from Pennsylvania, and wraps up June 16. The course aims to teach junior infantry leaders how to be more effective small unit infantry leaders through the missions conducted during the field training exercise and through lessons on weapons familiarization, land navigation, communications and the combat operations orders process, according to Sgt. 1st Class Roger Fracker, Light Leaders Course Manager. “Light Leaders is really to improve the skills of infantry leaders, especially small unit leaders, junior [noncommissioned officers] and junior...

    Virginia school house provides training to light infantry leaders

    Posted on June 13, 2012 | No Comments
    FORT PICKETT, Va. — In the woods of Fort Pickett, Virginia Guard Soldiers from the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute led National Guard Soldiers from across the country in a field training exercise as part of Light Leaders Course. The course began June 2 with 11 National Guard Soldiers from Virginia, six from Colorado and two from Pennsylvania, and wraps up June 16. The course aims to teach junior infantry leaders how to be more effective small unit infantry leaders through the missions conducted during the field training exercise and through lessons on weapons familiarization, land navigation, communications and the combat operations orders process, according to Sgt. 1st Class Roger Fracker, Light Leaders Course Manager. “Light Leaders is really to improve the skills of infantry leaders, especially small unit leaders, junior [noncommissioned officers] and junior...

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  • FORT PICKETT, Va. — Nearly 30 Soldiers from seven different Virginia National Guard units competed in the State Pistol Match at Fort Pickett May 18 to 20. Top honors were handed out in individual and team classes. The competition was hosted by the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute and the State Marksmanship Training Unit. Sgt. Tony Hancock from Company D, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Brigade Combat Team took first place in the “Open Class,” and Spc. Sean Kennedy of the 266th Military Police Company, 1030th Transportation Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group took first place in the “Novice Class.” “Open Class” shooters have either shot in this same match before or in a higher match such as...

    Soldiers compete for top state honors in pistol marksmanship

    Posted on May 22, 2012 | No Comments
    FORT PICKETT, Va. — Nearly 30 Soldiers from seven different Virginia National Guard units competed in the State Pistol Match at Fort Pickett May 18 to 20. Top honors were handed out in individual and team classes. The competition was hosted by the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute and the State Marksmanship Training Unit. Sgt. Tony Hancock from Company D, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Brigade Combat Team took first place in the “Open Class,” and Spc. Sean Kennedy of the 266th Military Police Company, 1030th Transportation Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group took first place in the “Novice Class.” “Open Class” shooters have either shot in this same match before or in a higher match such as...

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