Georgia Army Guard Streamlines Medical Readiness

MARIETTA, Ga. - The Georgia Army National Guard achieved the second-highest medical and dental readiness rating among the 54 states and territories after more than 6,600 Soldiers completed Soldier Readiness Processing (SRP) in 19 days. This effort was the culmination of planning by the Georgia Army Guard personnel office designed to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase readiness.

"The Georgia Army National Guard has clearly demonstrated a commitment to getting after the medical and dental readiness of its Soldiers," said Col. N.I. Okpokwasili, chief surgeon of the Army National Guard.

Okpokwasili credited Georgia's comprehensive SRP for its success, noting that the process is not limited to medical and dental readiness. "They include the S1 [personnel and administrative matters], S3 [operations and training matters] and other elements to truly ensure when their Soldiers finish the process, they are as good to go as they can be."

Soldier Readiness Processing is a program that qualifies Soldiers for deployment. Georgia's program features a comprehensive medical examination and the completion of financial and administrative requirements that all Soldiers must complete annually. It is the product of nearly 10 years of innovation and improvement.

In 2018, Georgia's personnel directorate, or G-1, began looking for ways to improve the delivery of SRP to the more than 11,000 Citizen-Soldiers in the state. At that time, the Georgia Medical Detachment conducted four readiness events per month. The process was unsustainable from a staffing perspective because Soldiers could be absent from unit formations in any given month. Additionally, the former process did not allow the G-1 to predict or project medical readiness.

The G-1 launched a five-year pilot program in 2018 aimed at achieving and maintaining a consistently high readiness level throughout the year while reducing the time demands on Soldiers. A key element of the plan was to ensure all Soldiers were processed within a one-month window during annual training.

Newly enlisted Soldiers in the Recruit Sustainment Program also participate in SRP before they are handed off to their units, giving leaders mission-ready Soldiers from day one of assignment. Soldiers unable to attend the annual event are processed at smaller quarterly SRP events.

To facilitate the approach, the Georgia Army Guard constructed and renovated 10 buildings at the Land Dominance Center on Fort Stewart, Georgia, to provide dedicated facilities for the SRP. The SRP site encompassed 23 readiness stations.

Medical readiness is not the only function of the SRP. Soldiers also receive updates on their benefits, review personnel files, and have the opportunity to discuss questions with subject matter experts in finance, legal and career counseling. Soldiers meet with retention and financial counselors who explain the value of a military retirement and visit with representatives of the Family Services Branch, who provide employment opportunities with civilian employers.

Over the course of the five-year pilot program, the improved SRP proved successful. Before the improvements, it could take a Soldier two to three days to complete the process. Soldiers now complete it in two to four hours.

Georgia's SRP continues to evolve. With 12 buildings, 28 stations and an automated scheduling system, the program has further increased its capacity to support Soldier readiness. The Georgia Army Guard can secure medical providers a year in advance at a reduced cost.

Readiness is critical to a unit's ability to accomplish its mission, whether at home or overseas, Okpokwasili said.

"It is made even more important with the increase of no-notice and short-notice activations of the ARNG by the current administration. The [Georgia Army Guard] is ensuring that for T32 missions, T10 missions and anywhere in between, its soldiers are ready to answer the nation's call to duty."