The 0600.

Tuesday, Nov 3, 2026

3 stories · 90-second read

Weekday intel for recruits and parents

BLUF · Bottom line up front

Fort Jackson, where about half of new soldiers start, has a new commanding general as of Oct 30.
Army National Guard drill-weekend child care is now free in every state and territory.
Enlisted troops with four years in can now train to become chaplains without leaving the service.

Photo · U.S. Army

01 · BASIC TRAINING · ARMY

Fort Jackson has a new commanding general. About half of new soldiers start there

Brig. Gen. Jeremy Wilson took command of the Army Training Center and Fort Jackson on Oct. 30, and the Army announced it Nov. 2. He comes from the Combined Arms Center-Training at Fort Leavenworth, and the head of Army Recruiting Command handed him the colors. The Army says about half of everyone entering the Army, active, Reserve and Guard, begins at Fort Jackson.

Why it matters to you IN DEP

If you ship to Fort Jackson this winter, nothing about your training changes. Same standards, same phases, same graduation day for your family. The new boss said the post's job is to make American Soldiers, and that work starts with how you show up on day one.

See what the first days after you ship look like →

Source: Army.mil, Nov 2, 2026 · Official source

Preview · Stars and Stripes

02 · BENEFITS · ARMY

Guard drill-weekend child care is now free in every state

The Army National Guard's weekend drill child care program finished its rollout to every state and territory this month, the Guard says. Vetted local providers watch kids during drill, the Guard pays the provider directly, and each family gets a care navigator to help find a spot. It started as a small test in 2022 and grew from there.

Why it matters to you TALKED TO A RECRUITER

Thinking Guard because you have a family, or want college plus a civilian job? Ask your recruiter about drill-weekend child care and get the sign-up site in writing. Programs like this are part of the real math of a Guard contract.

What the National Guard actually is, in plain words →

Source: Stars and Stripes, Nov 2, 2026 · Confirmed: nationalguard.mil

No preview imageMilitary Times

03 · POLICY · DOD

Enlisted troops can now train to become chaplains without leaving the service

The Pentagon announced the Chaplain In-Service Procurement Program on Nov. 2. Qualified enlisted members and junior officers can go to seminary while staying in uniform, then come back as commissioned chaplains with a service commitment afterward. Congress created it in the 2026 defense bill. Enlisted applicants need at least four years in and the rank of E-5. The Navy and Marine Corps have put out their first message; application dates are still to come.

Why it matters to you JUST THINKING

If faith is part of why you are thinking about serving, you no longer have to choose between enlisting now and ministry later. Enlist, do your job well, and this door opens around year four.

Compare the branches before you pick →

Source: Military Times, Nov 2, 2026 · Confirmed: 10 U.S.C. 2004c

Today's drill

Two minutes: run your current numbers on the PT Score Calculator and write them down. That is your baseline for the week.

RUN MY SCORE →

Fort Jackson has a new commanding general. About half of new soldiers start there

Guard drill-weekend child care is now free in every state

Enlisted troops can now train to become chaplains without leaving the service

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