Fort Leonard Wood | Engineer OSUT | Week 6

Hooah!! Welcome back for your Week Six update. I am sure you have noticed the exhaustion in your Trainee’s voice during your Sunday conversations. There is a lot of pressure on them to master the fundamentals of Marksmanship and proceed to the next phase of Army Engineer OSUT.

This is a BIG week for your Trainee! All the focus, discipline, and hard work they’ve poured into training so far is about to be put to the test as they take on the Basic Rifle Marksmanship (BRM) qualification course! Hopefully, they’ve been locked in and paying attention, because now it’s time to show what they’ve learned. Confidence, precision, and control are the name of the game—and your Trainee is ready to rise to the challenge!

Week Six Expectations – White Phase

Fatigue is definitely setting in this week—your Trainee has been pushing hard, spending long hours on the range perfecting their marksmanship skills. They are now at the midway point of BRM training, and the progress is amazing. By now, they know their weapon inside and out: how it feels, how it fires, and how to hit their target with precision. Mastering the fundamentals like steady aim, breathing control, and trigger squeeze, they are building the warrior skills that will define them as Soldiers. It’s not just about qualifying—it’s about becoming confident, capable, and lethal with their weapon. This is a major step in their transformation, and they’re charging toward it with everything they’ve got!

Range Week

Basic Rifle Marksmanship (BRM) is one of the most exciting and transformative parts of Army Basic Training—it’s where your Trainee becomes a marksman. This phase marks the beginning of their journey to mastering the Army’s standard weapon, the M4 carbine. From the moment they first pick up their rifle, Trainees are taught to treat it as an extension of themselves. They’ll learn essential safety rules, parts of the weapon, and how to maintain it in top condition. Early on, they’ll practice dry-firing and using training simulators to build muscle memory and understand the fundamentals before ever firing a live round.

While most people will never understand the difficulty of shooting a rifle, there is a lot more to it than just squeezing the trigger. There are four primary fundamentals of firing your M4 Carbine weapon. Your Trainee is mastering the art of controlled breathing, proper sight picture, body position, and trigger squeeze. These fundamentals are vital for a successful day at the range.

To earn their marksmanship badge, Trainees will have to hit 23 to 29 out of the 40 targets. Trainees hitting 30 to 35 targets will qualify for the sharpshooter badge. An expert badge will be awarded to those trainees that hit 36 to 40 of the 40 targets.

While spending time at the range this week, your Trainee is also getting accustomed to Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) for lunch. Although some find discovering the treats inside an MRE and experiencing the flameless heater to be cool experiences, field time can be pretty tiring, so the smell of food – even in MRE form – can be pretty euphoric. After being out in the field for even a couple of days, getting hot chow brought in from the dining facility (DFAC) also known as the Warrior Restaurant can be the only rest that your trainee gets all day.

Letters From Home = Morale

Your words matter. Letters from home are fuel for the fight—they lift spirits, inspire grit, and remind your Trainee they are never alone. A few kind words from you can make all the difference. Next week will be a monumental week and they qualify with their weapon and earn their Marksmanship Badge. Be sure to wish them luck!

In your Letter to your Trainee today, ask them about their favorite – and least favorite – MRE they had to eat while in the field. After leaving the field, you could also ask how great that first hot meal was. If you don’t have the time to write as often as you’d like, consider selecting the Daily Drive as a letter add-on, this way your recruit will receive daily mail to encourage them throughout their journey

The Making of Your Soldier

The journey is nearing the halfway point, and the road ahead will be tough—but your Trainee is rising to the challenge. Next week they will finish up BRM and take on the second FTX called the Anvil.

That’s a brief look at the intense but rewarding journey your Trainee is on. Let’s keep supporting them every step of the way!

You can always find me via chat in the Sandboxx app or happiness@sandboxx.us — just ask for Kris, and myself or another teammate will get back to you as soon as we can.

Hooah!

SGM Kris Broadus, U.S. Army (Ret)