Goal
The objective of the 9-week ALERT Basic Training is to instill foundational attitudes and behaviors that will prepare men to lead Godly lives, while equipping them for further training and ministry with ALERT and a vision for God’s kingdom. Basic Training prepares men for a disciplined life. With such a foundation, future training and service opportunities are performed with optimum effectiveness.
Basic Training equips spiritually-minded men with the disciplines and responsiveness necessary to serve effectively as men of God. The goal is to build Godly character and to incorporate Biblical values en route to manhood and life ministry.
Training Elements
Basic Training is structured around the eight callings of II Peter 1:5–7. Each week, one calling will be emphasized in devotions and other activities.
Recruits are challenged to establish the disciplines of personal devotions, Scripture memory, and Bible study while applying Biblical principles to life situations. ALERT proves to them that if they can have a daily time with God in the most extreme circumstances, then they can maintain this discipline throughout the rest of their lives and hopefully gain a vision for God’s kingdom.
Scriptural application is further refined in the pursuit of Godly character. The men gain emotional maturity as they wrestle with homesickness, youthful fears, and controlling emotional reactions. Their comfort limits and fear boundaries will be regularly tested to widen their horizons and to help them develop a healthy level of self-assurance. Specific fears addressed include being under authority, facing the unknown, homesickness, extended hiking, camping in the wilderness, and heights.
Learning how to respond to stressful situations increases a man’s faith in God, as well as his confidence in his own abilities. Basic Training is carefully balanced to control the tribulation necessary to stabilize fear, resignation, discouragement, anger, resentment, and other negative emotions. As men overcome increasingly difficult challenges, they are able to see God’s hand at work in their lives, and they grow in faith, discipline, motivation, and focus, all while combining training with a spiritual emphasis.
Character Training
ALERT provides a quality alternative to young men considering military service, as it imports the best features of the U.S. military. As such, ALERT should not be confused with church camp or recreational outdoor programs.
Training in Godly character is organized into clusters, the chief cluster encompassing the area of compliance. The principle of authority is taught with a view to differentiating between obedience, submission, honor, and loyalty.
Within the context of compliance training, recruits master the elements of basic obedience (rote compliance motivated by consequences) and balance that with responsible boldness in learning appeal techniques. Moving on to the second level, submission is learned in light of phileo (brotherly love) and mutual trust. The third and highest level of compliance, honor, is imbued with the agape (God’s love) understanding that we die to self as we strive for the success of a God-appointed authority.
The Basic Training environment is very effective in revealing resistant attitudes and rebellion in young men. Responsiveness is ALERT’s byword, and as an ALERT Responder, a good employee, or a faithful son, the recruit must demonstrate the qualities of dependability, diligence, and thoroughness. Meaningful projects allow men to develop these qualities along with punctuality and accountability, to achieve a mature level of responsiveness.
Similar qualities are clustered around persistence (endurance, determination, patience), confidence (boldness, initiative, decisiveness), and readiness (vigilance and attentiveness).
Physical Training
“PT” is an integral part of Basic Training. Although “…bodily exercise profiteth little…,” it is of value nevertheless. An ALERT Responder needs to maintain a man-sized capability of strength and endurance in order to safely and effectively serve in disaster situations that usually demand long exertions of hard, physical labor.
Additionally, physical fitness training provides a convenient classroom in which to learn self-control and mastery over one’s physical body. Although ALERT deems physical training a lower priority than spiritual and character development, it may be an area of struggle for those not in the habit of physical training.
Skill Training
Skill training is threaded throughout Basic Training as a foundation for subsequent areas of training. Many of these training opportunities have an element of adventure and provide incentive to complete ALERT Basic Training. Among these are camping skills, survival skills, and outdoor skills.
The realm of search-and-rescue requires Responders who are competent in all varieties of outdoor terrain and who will not be liabilities to themselves or to the mission. Living off the land, group sheltering, and outdoor living have been proven elements to teach our men to thrive in austerity while delivering valuable services. Such conditions are useful in preparing men for foreign missions or the coming perilous times.
Introductions in map and compass skills support later training in search-and-rescue, diving, and aviation. Elementary ropework, practiced in river crossings and rappelling in Basic Training, leads to high-angle rescue. First Aid essentials covered in Basic Training eventually yield to instruction in emergency medicine in Advanced Training. Problem-solving exercises give a practical forum for team-building and leadership practice, and by the time Basic Training is completed, the young men have been knit together into a cohesive team that depends first on God’s strength. They are then ready to confront new challenges in ALERT Advanced Training.
Response Training
Initial response training foundational to disaster response will begin in Basic Training. Classes in Evangelism and Search-and-Rescue will equip Responders to deploy immediately upon promotion, if required. Many times international travel is required, and a valid passport is necessary prior to the start of Emergency Response Training (ERT). These skills provide confidence in ministering to
people in need and equip the Responders in their goal of service to others. This initial response training will also provide the building blocks for further training during Emergency Response Training.
Discipleship
Discipleship is what the Christian life is all about. But how do we know when we are true disciples? And how do we know when we have trained someone else to be a disciple? The answer is found in the Great Commission: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). So what were all the commands of Jesus? A survey of the Gospels will produce about forty-nine general commands that every believer should follow. This, then, is the curriculum for carrying out the Great Commission and being a disciple. We will attempt to cover 8–9 foundational qualities needed in the life of an ALERT Responder.
Advancement Standards
A recruit is evaluated closely throughout his nine weeks of Basic Training, based on the following criteria. Note that the Advancement Standards are also listed in Appendix A of the Basic Training Regulations Manual.
To advance into the battalion for ongoing training:
- Demonstrate discipline in personal devotions and Bible study
- Demonstrate a willingness to serve
- Demonstrate the ability to work as part of a team
- Wear the ALERT uniform properly
- Demonstrate proper care for personal items (faithful in the little things)
- Demonstrate proper care for buildings and equipment (faithful in another man’s ministry)
- Complete the hikes: Solo Hike, Endurance Hike, Responder Challenge
- Demonstrate competence in the following skills: Evangelism, manners, field work, including camping, navigation, and outdoor survival, first aid, search and rescue, rope work, drill and ceremony
*Promotion:
Pass the ALERT physical training test:
- 42 push-ups in 2 minutes
- 52 sit-ups in 2 minutes
- Run 2 miles in less than 15:54
- Recite the entire book of I Peter (KJV) with the unit upon promotion.
Satisfactorily demonstrate key disciplines:
- Faith
- Wisdom
- Endurance
- Dependability
- Character
- Self-control
- Obedience
- Love
