FORT PICKETT, Va. — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute gathered to celebrate their success in the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command accreditation process June 22, 2019, at Fort Pickett, Virginia.
RTI’s mission is to provide transition training in the infantry and transportation career management fields as directed by the One Army School System, as well as operate the state’s officer and warrant officer commissioning schools.
“Being a full accredited institution is key to our success and a key to our future,” said Col. Todd Hubbard, commander of 183rd RTI. “I know there was a lot of stress and long hours that went into achieving this, and I want to thank everyone for all the work and effort. I am incredibly proud of all of you.”
The 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute is comprised of the RTI Headquarters and three battalions, and it last earned “Institute of Excellence” status in November 2016. The TRADOC Accreditation Team evaluation used the Army Enterprise Accreditation Standards which assessed each unit’s staff and core functions that support Army training and education initiatives/programs and used 42 separate evaluation rubrics with 539 sub criterias.
First Battalion earned a score of 95 percent, 2nd Battalion earned a score of 98.4 percent, Warrant Officer Candidate School earned a score of 97.22 percent and Officer Candidate School earned a 98.4 percent. Although TRADOC no longer uses the “Institute of Excellence” recognition, 183rd RTI achieved over 90 percent in all elements.
Preparations for the accreditation began November 2017 and ended April 2019. The 183rd’s team carefully reviewed the evaluation criteria, developed graphic training aides, assigned NCOs to serve as subject matter experts in the respective accreditation areas and observed another state’s accreditation process for best practices.
The team evaluated multiple areas including whether or not the RTI had an effective Quality Assurance Program that empowered it to perform its mission and become a learning organization, if it had published policy and guidance concerning mission, functions and processes, was it properly utilizing its military personnel resources, were all equipment requirements for safe and realistic training available and properly documented and were the facilities and environment conducive to learning.
First Battalion conducts infantry training, including the 11B Infantry Military Occupational Specialty Qualification Course, 11C Indirect Fire Infantry Course, Infantry Advanced Leader Course and Rappel Master Course. Second Battalion conducts the 88M Motor Transport Operator Course. Third Battalion conducts both the Officer Candidate School and Warrant Officer Candidate School.
Nearly 530 personnel graduated from courses at the 183rd RTI in the last year.
In addition to their core courses, the RTI instructors are available for training assistance:
– Instructors from 1st Battalion provide training assistance in a wide variety of topics including civil disturbance, map reading, land navigation, pre-marksmanship instruction for personal and crew served weapons, basic mountaineering, rappelling, air assault planning, urban operations, fundamentals of patrolling and mortar gunnery, fire direction and live-fire range procedures.
– Instructors from 2nd Battalion provide assistance on bus driver certification, training on the enhanced container handling unit and logistics support hauling freight.
– Instructors from 3rd teach the Small Group Instructor Course and the Foundation Instructor Facilitator Course, and they also run the State Marksmanship Program and provide small arms marksmanship proficiency training.
The RTI includes 74 instructors supported by 32 staff personnel. The schoolhouse was completed in 2011 and includes approximately 400,000 square feet of instruction space, including a combatives training room, eight modular classrooms and a lecture hall capable of accommodating 480 students. There are three barracks with two-person rooms and open bay housing that can accommodate 275 students. At Fort Pickett, instructors and students can reach training sites within five minutes and that includes a variety of ranges, convoy and live fire lanes, an urban assault course, training villages, field training lanes, an air assault tower and an extensive urban training site.