New Recruits Take Oath at Mizzou Game

By Sgt. Jon E. Dougherty
70th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Ngmo.pao@US.ARMY.MIL

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Making the decision to enlist in the military, especially during wartime, is a pretty big deal. So it only makes sense for the venue to fit the occasion.

Thirty-five of the Missouri Army National Guard's newest soldiers took their oaths of service during halftime of the Missouri Tigers football game against Kansas State here on Saturday, marking the beginning of their military careers as the nation remains at war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Led onto the field by Recruit Sustainment Program (RSP) assistant coordinator Staff Sgt. Brett Redel, the recruits marched in a column of twos from the southeast tunnel entrance to the north end of Faurot Field, as some 61,000 Tiger football fans cheered both the players on the field and the ACU-clad Soldiers.

As halftime ended, Redel ordered the recruits to march onto the field, where he called them to attention as Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, the adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard, took his place in front of the formation to administer the oath.

A powerful silence fell over the crowd as they listened to Danner instruct the recruits to raise their right hands and recite the oath. When he finished, the crowd roared its approval.

"Congratulations, and welcome to the Missouri National Guard," said Danner, pumping his arms in the air enthusiastically as the crowd cheered even louder.

Among the recruits were two brothers, Josh and Sean Niepman of Versailles, Mo., both of whom were excited to be enlisting at a Mizzou football game.

Both brothers joined together, will attend basic training together, and - for now - will be trained as cooks together. But both have loftier goals.

"I want to be a medic," said Josh Neipman, 19.

"I want to serve my country, take advantage of the education benefits and do the best I can," said Sean Niepman, 18, who added he hoped to go to college to become an architect.

The new Guardsmen are currently members of RSP, an introductory unit comprised of Soldiers who are awaiting their initial formal training cycles. The primary mission of the RSP is to prepare new Soldiers for basic combat training and specialty schools by introducing them to military life and teaching them fundamentals such as marching, rank structure, weapons familiarization and proper wear of the uniform.

Once new Soldiers graduate from basic training and military occupation specialty (MOS) school, they are transferred out of RSP to their regular unit.

The recruit enlistment was part of Missouri Army National Guard Day, held in conjunction with the University of Missouri, to honor both the Guard and U.S. Sen. Kit Bond for his longtime role in supporting the nation's uniformed services, the Missouri National Guard in particular.

In a radio interview tied to the enlistment ceremony, Danner said the new recruits were beginning what could be "a long career" in the Guard "full of opportunities and adventure."

"Of course, the main focus of the Missouri National Guard is our deployed Soldiers and Airmen," Danner said, noting that the state currently has about 350 personnel deployed overseas, most of them in Afghanistan, with another 1,800 personnel slated for deployment in the next two years.

Danner also talked about the Agri-Business Development Team concept, which Missouri pioneered in partnership with the university. ADTs comprised of Missouri Army and Air Guard members have been deploying to Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan since the fall of 2007. Their mission is to assist "farmers and leaders [in the province] improve and expand agriculture products and business," he said.


For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.