Basic Officer Leaders Course

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The Basic Officer Leaders Course (BOLC for short) is a three-phased training course designed to produce commissioned officers in the United States Army. It is a progressive model designed to produce American Army officers that are competent with leadership skills, small unit tactics and specific job capabilities.

Contents

[edit] BOLC I

For most Army officers, phase I of the Basic Officer Leaders Course consists of pre-commissioning training, either through ROTC, OCS, or at West Point. It is at this stage the officer candidate learns basic leadership skills and how to be an officer in general.

For direct commissioned officers, phase I consists of the 4 week Direct Commissioned Officer (DCO) Course at either Fort Benning, Georgia or Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The primary purpose of this post-commissioning training is to allow these officers, who generally have little to no prior military training or experience, to obtain the skills necessary to continue on to BOLC II.

[edit] BOLC II

Phase II of the Basic Officer Leaders Course (almost exclusively referred to as BOLC II) consists of small unit tactical training. Regardless of commissioning source, nearly all new officers (doctors and chaplains are currently the only branches that currently do not participate) as well as warrant officers will attend this 7 week training course at either Fort Benning, Georgia[1] or Fort Sill, Oklahoma[2]. As stated by the US Army School of Infantry:

The training is designed to ensure a tough, standardized, small-unit leadership experience The primary BOLC II mission is to develop and produce adaptive officers with increased maturity, confidence and competence that share a common bond with their combined arms peers and are prepared to lead small units upon arrival at their first assignment.

The basic goal of BOLC II is to teach leadership in a combat-simulated environment. It is also designed to reinforce the skills of followership, and that of building mental and physical toughness to lead soldiers under stressful environments.

The points of instruction for new officers attending BOLC II at Fort Benning and Fort Sill are identical. All officers will be instructed, over the course of seven weeks, on combatives, basic rifle marksmanship, classroom training on modern Army equipment, convoy operations to include a convoy live fire exercise, dismounted land navigation, advanced rifle marksmanship, US weapons, urban operations, and forward operating base (FOB) operations.[3]

In order to successfully complete the course, students must:

  • Pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) with a minimum score of 180, with at least 60 points per event.
  • Pass the basic dismounted land navigation course with a minimum of five out of eight points during a night-into-day course.
  • Qualify on the rifle range with assigned M4 Carbine with attached M68 close combat optic and Interceptor Body Armor (IBA).
  • Perform satisfactorily on at least two leadership rotations.
  • Complete all field training exercises FTXs.
  • Complete the 10-mile foot march.

[edit] BOLC III

Phase III of the Basic Officer Leaders Course, commonly referred to as the Officer Basic Course (OBC) for each branch, is designed to transform new combat-effective officers and train them to perform their wartime duties as commissioned officers. It is at this phase that they learn the specifics of the systems and interfaces which they will train on and administer from day to day.

[edit] Notes

The typical officer will complete the Basic Officer Leaders Course in sequence, from phases I-III. Although most officers complete phase I first, in some cases officers will complete phase III before phase II. One exception to this order is initial entry training for Army Judge Advocates, who complete phase III first, then phases I and II.

[edit] References

  1. ^ US Army School of Infantry. Basic Officer Leader Course, Fort Benning, Georgia. 2005.
  2. ^ 1-30 FA Battalion. Basic Officer Leader Course, Fort Sill, OK. 2006
  3. ^ Fort Sill BOLC II Overview. An Overview of BOLC II Graduation Requirements. 2006.