T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING
The Iowa National Guard readiness center in Marshalltown, Iowa.

National Guard weekend drill happens once a month, but according to Lt. Col. Chuck Connors of the Iowa National Guard, the planning process for these weekends starts up to half a year ahead.

January’s weekend drill was scheduled for this weekend — and although the weather is poor, Col. Mike Wunn said the Guard is prepared in most cases for the elements. Wunn said when the weather is poor, it is taken into consideration when planning for winter month training.

“Typically they try to stay with the training schedule regardless,” Wunn said.

Connors said the finer details of the drill get locked in four months in advance.

As with any military operation, big or small, the level of detail and work going into these sessions necessitates a big head start, he said. Connors added that it does allow for changes to be made if necessary when so much time is put into plans.

What goes on during the weekend drills? He said a lot of it is training.

“The vast majority of drill weekends are spent training,” Connors said. “Especially with Reserves. Not generally operation drills.”

In the case of members of the National Guard reserve, it’s the only time instructors and Guard leaders get to see them the whole month.

Connors said that leads to most of the tasks done over the course of those two days are administrative — including check-ins and physicals for reservists.

Wunn said there can sometimes be specialized drills as well, like heading to Camp Dodge for yearly weapons training.

The weekend drills are one component of National Guard service, and the other is a two-week annual training session. For these, Connors said, the planning sessions are considerably longer.

“Those are planned up to three-to-five years out at least,” Connors said.

The goal is to have the overarching themes and times for the annual sessions one year out from the date. This is when details get locked in and finalized, he said. Part of the importance of planning so far ahead is the relatively small amount of time spent working with Guard reservists during the year. This can put pressure on the sessions to be as productive as possible, Connors said.

The annual sessions can be completed by reservists and officers any time throughout the year that best fits their schedules, but Connors said one specific time is the most popular.

“We do take into effect times where it is easier to our students,” Connors said. “That’s generally in the summer.”

All of this is a baseline, Wunn said, as often Guard members will have different requirements based on their place in the Readiness Sustainment model the Army uses to cycle its troops at home.

If a National Guard member is in their “available year,” it means they are subject to more training requirements than the regular once a month, two weeks a year standards.

“It fluctuates based on their situation,” Wunn said.