1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:02,750 This is something that they've never 2 00:00:02,750 --> 00:00:05,110 done before . This is the first time 3 00:00:05,110 --> 00:00:07,320 that the Army Reserve component is 4 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:10,420 having the senior leader preparation 5 00:00:10,420 --> 00:00:13,380 and orientation course . The purpose of 6 00:00:13,380 --> 00:00:15,510 this course was deemed necessary by 7 00:00:15,510 --> 00:00:17,620 command , Sar Major Lombardo and the 8 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:19,880 staff to kind of pay it forward for 9 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:21,991 those of us who are enrolled into the 10 00:00:21,991 --> 00:00:24,610 distance learning version , nonresident 11 00:00:24,610 --> 00:00:27,080 course for the sergeant major's academy . 12 00:00:27,090 --> 00:00:29,710 They laid out an itinerary that was set 13 00:00:29,710 --> 00:00:31,840 up for our success to complete this 14 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:33,840 course . They really went above and 15 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:35,970 beyond . This course has been really 16 00:00:35,970 --> 00:00:38,780 awesome for a lot of reasons When you 17 00:00:38,780 --> 00:00:41,058 get selected in certain Majors Academy , 18 00:00:41,058 --> 00:00:43,336 they tell you , you know , your top 1% , 19 00:00:43,336 --> 00:00:45,613 it's gonna be a very challenging thing , 20 00:00:45,613 --> 00:00:45,130 but we , you know , you don't get a lot 21 00:00:45,130 --> 00:00:47,352 of information in that welcome letter . 22 00:00:47,352 --> 00:00:49,519 And so you have a lot of questions out 23 00:00:49,519 --> 00:00:51,741 there . This course is really great for 24 00:00:51,741 --> 00:00:53,852 us to be able to come and get answers 25 00:00:53,852 --> 00:00:55,908 to our questions . Not only you know 26 00:00:55,908 --> 00:00:55,550 what the course looks like , how we get 27 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:57,920 paid all of that . We got to talk to 28 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:00,142 instructors in the course , but we also 29 00:01:00,142 --> 00:01:02,364 got an understanding of some , some you 30 00:01:02,364 --> 00:01:04,587 know , ideas that we can implement with 31 00:01:04,587 --> 00:01:06,587 our civilian employers are civilian 32 00:01:06,587 --> 00:01:08,698 lives in order to help with that work 33 00:01:08,698 --> 00:01:10,698 life balance . It was incredible to 34 00:01:10,698 --> 00:01:12,864 have the command sergeant major of the 35 00:01:12,864 --> 00:01:15,087 Army Reserve here to hear straight from 36 00:01:15,087 --> 00:01:17,142 him , you know , what his priorities 37 00:01:17,142 --> 00:01:16,960 are and kind of some advice from him . 38 00:01:17,290 --> 00:01:19,350 And then also a really powerful part 39 00:01:19,350 --> 00:01:21,990 was the student panel . We got to hear 40 00:01:21,990 --> 00:01:24,157 from students who are currently in the 41 00:01:24,157 --> 00:01:26,379 course or recently graduated . It was a 42 00:01:26,379 --> 00:01:28,546 great opportunity to network and we're 43 00:01:28,546 --> 00:01:30,768 all going through the same experience . 44 00:01:30,768 --> 00:01:33,130 So it allowed us to get into the room 45 00:01:33,130 --> 00:01:35,297 together to discuss what we're getting 46 00:01:35,297 --> 00:01:38,370 ready to . My current battalion 47 00:01:38,370 --> 00:01:40,481 commanders are major who just came in 48 00:01:40,481 --> 00:01:42,703 just graduated phase three . And when I 49 00:01:42,703 --> 00:01:44,870 told him that I was going to this , he 50 00:01:44,870 --> 00:01:47,290 said , oh , that would have been nice . 51 00:01:47,300 --> 00:01:49,780 Uh And so that really gives me a little 52 00:01:49,780 --> 00:01:52,875 bit of context that I'm really lucky in 53 00:01:52,875 --> 00:01:55,305 getting this opportunity . And I'm 54 00:01:55,305 --> 00:01:57,194 really glad and grateful that the 55 00:01:57,194 --> 00:01:59,361 United States Army Reserve has decided 56 00:01:59,361 --> 00:02:01,138 to provide me not only with the 57 00:02:01,138 --> 00:02:03,194 opportunity , continue to serve as a 58 00:02:03,194 --> 00:02:05,361 sergeant major someday , but with this 59 00:02:05,361 --> 00:02:07,416 professional development opportunity 60 00:02:07,416 --> 00:02:07,595 ahead of sergeant majors academy .