Photo By Staff Sgt. David Marquis | Pfc. Naomy Chavez pauses during a physical fitness assessment in full gear at Edward...... read more read more
STRAFFORD, N.H. — The New Hampshire Army National Guard conducted its 2nd STEP course April 17–19 at Edward Cross Training Center and Center Strafford Training Site, bringing junior enlisted Soldiers together for three days of hands-on training focused on fundamental Soldier skills and small-unit leadership.
Designed for specialists and promotable Soldiers, the course reinforces 10-level tasks, basic Soldier skills learned in basic training, and establishes a baseline standard across the formation, emphasizing proficiency in core competencies such as weapons handling, land navigation, medical training and troop leading procedures.
For Spc. Radhy Townsend, a motor transport operator with the 941st Military Police Battalion, the training provided an opportunity to revisit skills not often emphasized during traditional drill weekends.
“I think it’s good because for some Soldiers, they already went back, so it’s kind of like a good refreshment for weapon familiarization,” Townsend said. “It was a really good refreshment from boot camp.”
Townsend said the course stood out for its small-group instruction and increased hands-on time, particularly with weapons systems.
“We were in a small squad, so we actually learned more,” Townsend said. “If it’s like 30 Soldiers in one squad, it’s different. We had two instructors and only like six Soldiers, so we had more hands-on and were more focused on what they was telling us.”
She added that the training also filled gaps in areas like physical training and weapons familiarity, which can vary depending on a Soldier’s military occupational specialty and unit training priorities.
“The weapons, we had more hands-on,” Townsend said. “Especially my MOS, I don’t deal much with weapons in my unit, but it was pretty good.”
Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Carroll, a senior instructor with 1st Battalion, 95th Regiment (Regional Training Institute), said the course is designed to build on initial entry training by providing additional repetitions and leadership-focused instruction.
“A lot of the Soldiers coming out of basic training, they got some familiarization with various levels of Soldiering tasks,” Carroll said. “With 2nd STEP, we’re getting them more hands-on, more time with the weapons, more time being in a team leader position.”
Carroll said the course targets a critical transition point as Soldiers prepare to take on leadership roles within their units.
“It’s a lot of E-4s and promotable Soldiers looking to take on a leadership role, so we’re doing exactly that, setting them up to be new leaders in their units,” he said.
While unit training often focuses on mission-specific requirements, Carroll said 2nd STEP allows Soldiers to step outside their occupational specialties and refocus on foundational skills.
“Units are focused on their jobs,” Carroll said. “Those all take a lot of effort, so the units can’t always focus on everything. What 2nd STEP does is focus on those different scenarios.”
Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Wyner, also a senior instructor with the RTI, said the course addresses a knowledge and confidence gap among junior leaders.
“There’s a gap of knowledge in Soldiers that are coming up from private to E-4 making their way into sergeant or team leader,” Wyner said. “The intent is not only to teach them tasks maybe they’ve never seen before, but to also teach them how to better instruct their Soldiers.”
Wyner said instructors emphasize not just task proficiency, but the ability to teach those tasks effectively within a unit.
“We’re not necessarily just giving them the textbook answer,” Wyner said. “We’re talking to them about how we would go about teaching the class so they have a better understanding.”
Throughout the weekend, Soldiers rotated through multiple training lanes, including medical tasks, weapons familiarization and simulated marksmanship training, allowing them to apply skills in a controlled but practical environment.
Carroll said the combination of challenge and engagement contributes to the course’s effectiveness. “They’re enjoying it,” he said. “We’re putting them in an atmosphere that’s challenging them, whether it’s on the medical side doing a nine-line medevac or training on a weapon system they haven’t been proficient on before.” For Townsend, that environment translated into both learning and engagement.
“My favorite part, besides the food, I think was the weapons,” Townsend said. “And also being in a small squad, we learned more.”
As the New Hampshire Army National Guard continues to develop its junior leaders, instructors say 2nd STEP plays a key role in preparing Soldiers to lead at the team level.
“The Army needs leaders to step up and lead the lower enlisted,” Carroll said. “We’re taking them out of their job function, retraining them on those lower-level tasks so they’re proficient. So if they need to lead a team, they’re able to do so.”
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2026 08:26 |
| Story ID: | 563567 |
| Location: | PEMBROKE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, US |
| Web Views: | 53 |
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