

Most commanders will take advantage of this time to have a “Commander’s Call“ where he or she will address the entire squadron and pass along important information about what is happening in the squadron, group or wing. However, when you are forced to accomplish it with a group of your closest friends from the squadron it can become enjoyable. Unfortunately, just about everyone will agree that the ancillary training is not fun. This training is critical to keep the unit deployable and ready to go to war. The other day that is not taken up with flying will be filled with meetings and ground training. This is not always the case, but most squadrons try to optimize the time that the DSGs are at the squadron for them to get their required sorties.

This day is normally reserved for the DSGs to fly since they are not always at the squadron like their full-time counterparts. If you’re currently on active duty, flying on the weekend is not normal-but rest assured this will become your new normal in the Guard. A drill weekend fly day normally looks like any other fly day during the week when the squadron is flying. These are important events-it is the one time each month when everyone in the unit, including the part-time Drill Status Guardsmen (DSG), will be together and train.įor most units that have a flying mission, they will schedule either Saturday or Sunday as a fly day.

Drills at most units start around 0730 and conclude at 1630 in the afternoon. For most units, the drill weekend will be followed by an “off Monday”. Specifically, they are conducted on a Saturday and Sunday. Getting paid just under $1,000 to fly and hang out with your friends during some routine ancillary training isn’t so bad!ĭrill weekends occur one weekend out of every month during the year. In other words, you are essentially getting paid four days to work two.įor example, if you were a Major, here’s what your 2017 pre-tax drill pay might look like: You can (and most will) use two UTA periods in one day-therefore, you are using four periods in a drill weekend.
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From a pay perspective, each UTA period worth 1/30th of your monthly base pay plus 1/30th of your monthly flight pay. Y ou can execute up to 48 UTA periods per fiscal year. While this is the official name, most individuals refer to it as “drill” and only use the term UTA when they are referring to the orders or status they are on when reporting for duty. The correct term for drill weekends are Unit Training Assemblies (UTAs). While drill weekends in the Guard are different everywhere, as each Wing or Group has the leeway to execute drill in the way they see fit, this article will shed light on some of the common ways Air Wings will utilize drill weekends. Learn about the benefits of serving your country, paying for school, military career paths, and more: sign up now and hear from a recruiter near you.One thing is for sure-whether you are coming to the Guard from Active Duty or “off the street” as a newly hired Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) student, you probably want to know what drill weekend is. We can put you in touch with recruiters from the different military branches.

Most injuries are a result of warriors not being physically fit.
