The Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC) is a two-phased training course designed to produce commissioned officers in the United States Army. Officer enter into the courses as Second Lieutenants but will be separated from service if they are not completed. It is a progressive model designed to produce US Army officers with leadership skills, small unit tactics and certain branch specific capabilities.
BOLC A
AMEDD Basic Officers leadership Course - BOLC 154 Graduation 2015 filmed in 4k on Sony FDR Ax100 This is a clip from my ARMY BOLC film. Hope you enjoy it. Link for Break on Through: https://youtu.be/Hyr24jT9qI0 Link for Paint it...
For almost all Army officers, Phase I of BOLC consists of pre-commissioning training, either through Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Officer Candidate School, or the United States Military Academy. It is at this stage the officer candidate learns basic leadership skills and basic small unit tactics.
For many direct commissioned officers (generally only medical providers such as doctors and nurses, as well as lawyers), BOLCÂ A consists of a six-week Direct Commission Course (DCC) at Ft. Benning, Georgia. The primary purpose of this post-commissioning training is to allow those officers who generally have little to no prior military experience to obtain the skills necessary to continue on to BOLCÂ B. DCC may not be required for all direct commissioned officers with prior service experience, but it is still required for active duty officers who participate in the Judge Advocate General's Corps Funded Legal Education Program.
BOLC B
The second phase of the Basic Officer Leader Course - previously referred to as the Officer Basic Course (OBC) and BOLCÂ III - is designed to develop new combat-effective officers and train them to perform their wartime duties as commissioned officers. It is during this phase that they learn the specifics of the systems and equipment they will use in their duty unit.
- Chemical, Engineer, and Military Police officers train at the U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence (MSCoE) at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
- Special Forces, Infantry and Armor officers train at the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) at Fort Benning, Georgia.
- Signal Corps and Cyber Corps officers train at Fort Gordon, Georgia.
- Military Intelligence officers train at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
- Adjutant General, Finance and Chaplain Corps officers train at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
- Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery officers train at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
- Logistics (Transportation, Ordnance, and Quartermaster) officers train at the Army Logistics University (ALU) at Fort Lee, Virginia.
- Aviation officers train at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
- Army Medical Department (AMEDD) officers train at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
- Judge Advocate General's Corps officers train at The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Notes
- BOLC II was a 7 week combat preparation course located at Fort Sill, OK and Fort Benning, GA. It was discontinued at the end of 2009, and as of 2010, any required training has now been merged into BOLCÂ B (formerly BOLCÂ III).
- Until June 2013, Army Judge Advocates, complete their training 'backwards', first attending BOLC B at The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School (TJAGLCS) in Charlottesville, Va., and then attend the DCC course at Fort Benning. As of the 191st Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course (JAOBC), the direct commissionees will attend DCC first and then attend BOLCÂ B at TJAGLCS.
- Chaplains, who are direct commissioned, complete initial training and BOLC in one setting at the US Army Chaplain Center and School (USACHCS) located in Fort Jackson (South Carolina). The initial phase is called Chaplain Initial Military Training (CIMT) with the remaining three phases consisting of Chaplains BOLC (CH-BOLC). The four-phases are usually referred to as CH-BOLC, with little distinct separation between the different phases.
See also
- Armor BOLC
- Engineer Officer Basic Course
References
