70th Regt. trains new leaders

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”2065″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeIn”][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1500583146775{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”]By Staff Sgt. Michael E. Davis Jr., Maryland National Guard Public Affairs Office[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]The 1st Battalion, 70th Regiment (LDR) Regional Training Institute, Maryland Army National Guard, conducted its first phase III training of the Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Edgewood, Maryland, June 13-27, 2014.

The training concluded with a graduation ceremony for Maryland’s eight new 2nd lieutenants from OCS class 55 at the Edgewood Conference Center on June 28, 2014.

The OCS is usually completed in three phases; an initial two-week phase, a year of one weekend per month battle assemblies, and a final two-week phase.

The 70th Regiment’s mission is to train future leaders of the MDARNG. It was given the opportunity to train more than 90 candidates from 13 states in the final phase of OCS.

“By conducting all three phases of OCS here in Maryland, we have expanded our mission,” said Lt. Col. Craig A. Weedon, commander of the OCS Battalion. “It’s been part of our long term plan and we’re able to do this with our new facilities here at Edgewood.”

Weedon has been in command since January and said the work is very demanding because they are running all three phases and moving to a new location at the same time. The 70th Regt. moved into a new space on the 4200 block of Edgewood in May. Maryland had conducted OCS at Camp Fretterd Military Reservation from 1990 until this year.

Despite the hard work put into the operation of all three phases of OCS for the first time, the medical officer on board, Col. Eric B. Allely said he thinks the 70th Regt. has done an outstanding job in making sure the candidates get trained properly.

“The staff has done a great job setting everything up and getting the students through,” said Allely. It’s been safe, it’s been productive, and it’s been a good learning experience for everybody.”

Weedon and Allely were able to share their experience developing and sustaining phase III with Maj. Gen. James A. Adkins, the adjutant general of Maryland, during his visit with the Soldiers, June 18.

Adkins recognized a few of the staff members and shared with some of the students his personal experiences from when he went through OCS.

Newly commissioned 2nd Lt. Jonathan M. Phillips, said his OCS experience was great and he aspired to become an officer because he wanted more leadership skills and thought he could give more to the MDARNG.

“Phase I and phase II were tough, a lot of work, a lot of physical efforts, but I think it paid off in phase III,” said Phillips, just minutes after completing the confidence course.

In the end, the 70th Regt. accomplished a new mission and in return developed new leaders within the MDARNG.

“You are not just becoming an officer and a leader in the Maryland Army National Guard, you’re becoming an officer and a leader with a family that is almost 5,000 strong,” said Brig. Gen. Linda L. Singh, commander of the MDARNG, during the graduation ceremony.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]