15 First Army’s mission to help Reserve Component Soldiers prep for deployment is given a boost by the First Army Alvin C. York Academy, where attendees learn more about performing the duties of an observer coach/trainer.
The school was renamed last year to honor York, a First Army veteran and one of the nation’s best-known Medal of Honor recipients.
“We wanted to embrace a tradition of training Soldiers, whether they were Active Duty, National Guard, or Reserve, and the name Alvin C. York fit,” explained academy commandant, Command Sgt. Maj. Roberto Alvarez.
To facilitate that training, the academy employs 16 instructors, who give 23 five-day classes each year. It is expected that every Soldier assigned to First Army will complete the academy, so the instructors have influence on everyone who wears First Army’s historic ‘A’ patch.