My Training

Just a little amendment (and explanation of terms) to what Lisa already posted about my first six months after I graduate and commission on 13 May 2006!

I will be going to Fort Lewis, Washington as a TAC (tactical training) officer (assisting to train the cadets who will be commissioning next year) at LDAC (Leader Development and Assessment Course), also know as Warrior Forge. That will be from 1 JUN - 23 JULY.

After a little leave I will be reporting to Fort Sill, Oklahoma (home of the field artillery) for a new bit of training for newly commissioned officers called BOLC II (Basic Officer Leadership Course 2 [the ROTC program now considered BOLC I]). The purpose of this training to counter act the new style of terrorist insurgency attacks going on in the world. There is really no front line anymore so the Department of the Army wants to insure that every officer, even the logies (logistic folk) like myself can react successfully in the event of an ambush or firefight. Most (including myself) are calling this "LDAC on steroids" and don't really want to do it but in all honesty it could save my life so I won't complain about six weeks of field training too much. I do get to fire a whole bunch of weapons so I guess it won't be all bad. I will be at BOLC II from 6 AUG - 22 SEPT.

BOLC II is followed up by BOLC III, aka OBC (Officer Basic Course) and my OBC course is at Fort Lee, VA, home of the Quartermaster Corps. This course will introduce me to all the many different aspects of the quartermaster branch so I have somewhat of an idea of what I'll be doing when I finally get to my first duty assignment. OBC runs from 1 OCT - 5 JAN. We're still trying to figure out if Lisa and Coryn will be coming to Virginia with me... hopefully we'll be able to work that out.

Following OBC I am going to try to get slots at two other schools offered by the army, both at Fort Benning, Georgia (home of the infantry). I hope to be able to go to the three week jump school course, aka airborne school. This would make me a qualified army parachutist. I'd then like to go to the five week rigger school where I would become qualified to fold and use the many different types of parachutes the army uses. The hardest part of that school would be the final week where you study personnel parachutes, learn how to fold and inspect one, and then jump with a chute you've packed! There's a good way to insure the folders are paying attention.

That's about all for now, but I'll keep you informed as I learn more.