Range Time!

This week entailed my favorite Soldier skill:  Marksmenship!

We started my grouping, which is where you practice your breath control and trigger squeeze to "group" three shots within three centimeters.

Then we moved onto zeroing, which is where you shoot at a target to see where your groups fall.  For instance, if your groups are in the upper left, you adjust your sights down and right so your weapon "zeros" in on the target when you look through the sights.

Finally, we qualified!  For Basic Rifle Marksmenship, 40 pop up targets that you rotate through prone supported (place your weapon on a sandbag), prone unsupported (prop your M4 by your elbows), and kneeling (on your knees): 

Then, we did Advanced Rifle Marksmenship.  This was different because you shot multiple different shots and stationary targets while moving.  Very cool, and I kicked some of the boys butts!

Info Briefs

Most Adjutant General Officers serve as S-1 section leaders, who provide human resources support for a battalion (400ish soldiers).  Because of their staff position, AG officers must be exemplary speakers.  To test this skill, BOLC requires each person to deliever an Informational Brief about an assigned topic relating to the things that a S-1 should know.

I was assigned "Retirement Eligability and Processing Unit Requirements" so I visited the Retirement Office on post and made some new friends and gathered great information.

I delivered my brief and got some great responses from my class.  The number one thing that I need to work on is my military bearing.  I tend to teach like a teacher, not a soldier.

The Nitty Gritty Officer Rub

After two grueling days of Land Nav, we headed inside for Property Accountability lessons. 

Basically, the take away is:  YOU ARE THE OFFICER.  YOU SIGN FOR EVERYTHING IN YOUR PLATOON.  YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING IN YOUR PLATOON.

So, it is important to create hand reciepts.  A hand reciept is something that you have your subordinates sign when you designate a piece of equiptment into their control.  For instance, when I am a platoon leader, I will sign for all 3 computers and a whole lot of mail supplies.  As the OIC (Officer in Charge) I will rarely touch most of it, so I hand reciept it down to the enlisted soldiers who use it everyday.  Thus, if something goes missing or breaks, I know almost definitively who did it.

Land Nav

During the beginning of week three, we headed out to the field with the CAD (Combined Arms Department) to do some map reading and Land Navigation.  The course was set up like a grid, with a major North/South road, and East/West fire breaks (sandy paths between trees to stop wildfires).

This is one of the more major roads that I found my points on!

Operation Crimson Tide

Captain Noyes taught our Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) and made it fun!  She created a scenario where we were the USC Gamecock's football team and we were getting ready to tackle Alabama's Crimson Tide. 

We used the MDMP process and divided up into different sections (I was in charge of PAO), and created a commanders brief that we turned back around to CPT Noyes:

Convoy Ops

Talk about a full day!  We headed out to the Soldier Support Institute's Warrior Training Area where we briefed convoy operations from a sand table:

Then did a walk through:

And finally, we hopped on the computers and went through the mission:

Wanna Wrestle?

Wednesday started with some high speed PT:

Then I showered and headed to the padded Combatives Room.  We started with different drills where you had to "spiderman" across the floor, or "batman" across the floor.  The worst one was the EO (I dont remember what this was) but it is ridiculously hard and looks just as ridiculous:

But I did learn quite a bit about self defense and what to do when I hit the floor:

Don't Get Mad, Get CAD!

CAD = Combined Arms Department, who's motto is literally "Don't get mad, get CAD!"  Seriously folks, I cant make this up.

Anyway, the CAD teaches us all of our "Soldier" skills, like convoy operations, weapons, land navigation, etc.  And on Monday and Tuesday we began learning counter IED (improvised explosive device) and FCBC2 (basically a crazy GPS).

It was familiarization training, so we basically got to play with computer games all day and try not to get blown up:

The End of Week One

One of the continuing missions of week one was online training.  This included everything from safe driving to Casualty Assistance Officer training back to Anti-Terrorism. 

We also had many "mini-briefs" such as ASAP (the Army Substance Abuse Program, aka the ppl who do the pee tests), a Chaplain (not Chaplin, as in Charlie) Brief, a weekend safety brief, an A CO welcome brief, and more:

I Got a Coin!

Every girl loves her accessories, especially if they come in Army green:

Today we headed to CIF to sign out all the gear that we will need for the field, like sleeping bags and IFACs (Body Armour):

And what would BOLC be without a little classroom time?  We recieved our first block of actual "AG" instruction:  Effective communication. 

When it comes to Army Communication, it is all about being ACTIVE.  This means removing "to be" verbs, and crafting your speech to be direct and succinct.  Because of my Public Affairs background, this was second nature for me.  At the completion of the instruction, the briefer asked if anyone could summarize what we learned, so I volunteered.  He had me come to the front and talk everyone through the experience.  I did, in my bright and bubbly PAO attitude, and he LOVED it.  He gave me a coin to teach yet another lesson:  the thank you.  He says to accept any award through the T-COT formula:  Thank the agency for the award, credit the ppl who helped you, observe the award (tell everyone how pretty it is), and thank the agency again.  I was (and still am!) really excited:

Over the Wednesday Hump

This morning started a little earlier than we originally thought.  Thanks God for random urinalysis, right?  They are to deter the troops from drug use by randomly sampling random soldiers.  Today, we were all randomly sampled... woo.

Then we were briefed on "Reserve Component Duty" as well as AGR (Active Guard Reserve, basically reserve soldiers who work full time for the Army) by LTC Sula Irish:

Then discussed some ethical situations that we face as officers.

We also got our first taste of the Army's "Hearing Conservation Program."  Because the nature of our work is sometimes loud, many Veterans have dramatic hearing loss, so the Army is trying to help reverse the problem through education.

 Then we were fitted for our very own earplugs:

We ended our day of training by discussing CRM, better known as "Risk Management."  Thats right, Cadets, it never goes away.

FRAGO is My New Best Friend

This morning was the set date for the APFT, but unfortunately (or fortunately?) the test was rained out.  And not rained out... POURED OUT! 

After drying off from the APFT, we headed to the SRP (Soldier Readiness Program) where we had our medical readiness evaluated.  Basically, we had an initial health screening, a blood screening, lots of vaccines, an eye check, and a hearing check.  As you can see, I didn't have very much luck at the blood screening station:

Then we went for dental x-rays:

Holy Inprocessing, Batman!

I woke up to a steamy rainy morning, and all I could think about was the PT test.  I tumbled into my car and made it to the SSI (Soldier Support Institute) building #10,000 ten minutes early.  I was relieved after I met CPT Comiskey, our class advisor, who seems to be the perfect balence of coach/mom/drill sergeant. 

We started with an introduction to the course, basically a syllabus of a college course.  Within the course, we will have two sides of grading:  percentage events (PT test, formal and informal memo, reading review, information paper, a brief, a leadership grade, a supply test, and smaller technical tests) and go/no go events (Casualty training, culteral awareness writing, land navigation, M4 qualification, manage training, HR planning).  I must recieve a score of "70%" or better on each of the percentage events, and must recieve a "go" on all the go/nogo events.  Oh, my!

The nitty gritty started immediately: we signed for our computers, then we inprocessed with finance (basically filled out SGLI and DD Form 93), and inprocessed with personnel (make sure personal information is on file).  I got my new CAC (Common Access Card, basically and ID card with a chip in it to electronically verify).  It looks like this in my computer:

Finally, we were briefed on the course as well as special positions that people can hold, such as Class Leader (basically the PL), Squad Leader, S1 (in charge of personell issues and attendence), S3 (in charge of training, as well as collecting training documents, certificates, etc.), S4 (Supply), S6 (Computer stuff), PAO, Academic Officer, and PT Leader.  Fun Fact:  Did you know that S1 (with no "-" in the middle) is referring to the actual person, whereas S-1 refers to the section.

I was voluntold to be the PAO (big surprise, seeing as it is my college major *sarcasm*).  Check out my work at facebook.com/agbolc.

I ended my day with my initial counseling with CPT Comiskey to go over expectations for the course and expectations for my position as the combat camera man (PAO).

Get the Ball Rolling

When I arrived at Fort Jackson, I checked in at the Fort Jackson Inn (which, by the way, there are MANY different Army lodging locations so it took a while to find the correct one) but I was turned away because there was no room, so they sent me to a hotel off post for the next few months.  They stamped my orders with a control number, and I headed back out the gate toward my next adventure.  I started having flashbacks of Lorton from last summer (crampt, dirty hotel room with no amenities).   However, I was pleasantly surprised. 

I have a cute little kitchenette:

And a desk to do all my Army work and my MBA work:

A bed to sleep in:

And finally, a bathroom to primp in:

Driving Down

Because BOLC is three months long, they recommend driving so you have a car (transportation) so you don't have to rely on other people.

I packed up four tupperware tubs of "Army" stuff, plus two boxes of kitchen, two boxes of bathroom, and my sister-in-law Natalie's suitcase full of "civvies."  And I insisted on bringing my bicycle, so Christopher had to help me take the wheels and the handlebars off so it could fit in my tiny Cavalier.

Too bad I couldn't bring my puppy... he ran circles around Chris and I while we packed the car.

I had a hard time leaving Chris, but he promises to visit.

The drive down was pretty uneventful, but I did learn one thing about my car choices:  My next car WILL have cruise control!

Pre BOLC Warm Up

Turns out, BOLC work begins even before your boots hit Fort Jackson.  I have a six page "honey-do" list from the Army, asking me to bring everything from uniforms to mouth guards to my marriage certificate. 

Its just over a week until I need to start driving down and I am beginning to get anxious.  I'm not nervous, I'm just not ready to leave my new husband quite yet.  He has been helping me pack all my "Army Crap," as he affectionately calls it, into clear plastic rubbermade tubs and make the most of my last moments in Pennsylvania.


For those of you who are wondering what exactly a freshly commissioned 2LT takes to BOLC, it comes in a formal (and UNCLASSIFIED) document known as a BOLC B Information Paper.  Why BOLC "B," you ask? Because BOLC "A" is USMA, ROTC, OCS, Direct Commission, etc.  The "A" section of BOLC is where you learn basic Soldier skills, and "B" is where you learn your specific job in the Army.

The document below is my BOLC B Information Paper, so all Wanna-be-AG Cadets can take a look!

Be Blessed!

-e

ATSG-AGS-TD 4 May 2012
INFORMATION PAPER
SUBJECT: General Information for the Adjutant General Basic Officer Leader Course (AGBOLC) Phase B
1. PURPOSE: To provide information concerning reporting for AGBOLC Phase B in order to safely plan and execute your arrival and in-processing. The information presented below is an overview of your in-processing requirements. Alpha Company and the Training Support Battalion (TSB) S-1 section will give you more specific information on in-processing upon your arrival.
2. FACTS:
a. Reporting Procedures.
(1) You must report by the report date on your orders. If you do not report by that date, your pay may be stopped. If your orders authorize early arrival, you will receive guidance from and work for Alpha Company, TSB, until your class start date.
(2) To sign in, all officers must report to the Fort Jackson Inn, Building 7550, located on Benning Road, in order to receive their lodging assignments (no prior coordination/reservations required – rooms are already reserved for students). The phone number for the Welcome Center is Defense Switch Network (DSN) 734-7576 or commercial (800)276-6984/7576. If on-post lodging is not available, officers must ensure they receive a Statement of Non-availability (SNA) from the Welcome Center (this is simply a stamp and control number placed on your orders). If an entire class is projected to reside off post, billeting may not give you a SNA when you arrive. It will be accomplished as a group during week one.
(3) Upon receipt of lodging, officers must also sign into the TSB. During duty hours, the officer must sign into Alpha Company, TSB, located in Room 2044 of the Soldier Support Institute (SSI), Building 10000, at the corner of Lee Road and Hampton Parkway. After duty hours or on the weekend, the officer must sign in with the TSB Staff Duty Officer (SDO), also located in Building 10000, by the main entrance on Lee Road, and then report at 0900 in the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) on the next duty day to Alpha Company.
(4) Alpha Company, TSB, is your unit of assignment for the duration of the course. In case of personal or safety emergencies, you may contact the unit at DSN 734-8141 or commercial (803) 751-8141. If calling after duty hours, you can reach the TSB SDO at DSN 734-3635 or commercial (803) 751-3635. You can find further information at their website: http://www.ssi.army.mil/TSB/Alpha/ ATSG-AGS-TD SUBJECT: General Information for the Adjutant General Basic Officer Leader Course (AGBOLC) Phase B
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b. Class Dates/Location. Your specific class dates will be published in your travel orders. The course is currently 12 weeks long. Students normally are scheduled to report NLT Sunday and class begins on Monday morning. Training is conducted Monday - Saturday. The uniform for the first day is the Improved Physical Fitness Uniform (IPFU). Students will be provided a short break following the weigh-in to change into the ACU.
c. Required documentation. On the first day of class, you need to bring the following, in order to in-process:
(1) 10 copies of your orders and/or DA Form 1610 with any amendments.
　
(2) Leave form (DA Form 31).
　
(3) DD 93 & SGLI (if you have recent copies).
　
(4) Dental records (bring even if you turned them into Hagen Dental Clinic because you are in a PCS status to Ft. Jackson).
　
(5) Medical records (contact/eye glasses for SRP).
　
(6) Vaccination/shot records (to include civilian shot records).
　
(7) Copy of profile (if applicable).
　
(8) Common Access Card (CAC).
　
(9) Family Care Plan (if applicable – see AR 600-20 for guidelines)
(a) If you do not have a CAC, you will receive one on Day 1 of class. You must bring: orders; two forms of photo identification (ID); Social Security card.
(b) If you have dependents who need an ID card or need to be enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), you will need their birth certificate and social security card. Spouses will also need a photo ID and marriage certificate. All documents must be originals or notarized copies.
(9) Finance documents. To inprocess finance and start receiving the correct pay, you must bring the following:
(a) Direct Deposit Slip (Form 1199A) or voided check from home bank/savings institution. You are required to have a savings and/or checking account. All forms of military pay occur via direct deposit. ATSG-AGS-TD SUBJECT: General Information for the Adjutant General Basic Officer Leader Course (AGBOLC) Phase B
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(b) Orders with all amendments.
　
(c) Copy of Officer Appointment Letter.
　
(d) Copy of DD214s (if applicable).
　
(e) Certified copy of marriage certificate or divorce decree (if applicable).
　
(f) Spouse’s Social Security Number (SSN) and duty location (if dual military).
　
(g) Official State copies of children’s birth certificates (if applicable).
　
(h) Copy of court order for child support (if applicable).
(i) Mortgage/lease/rental agreement (if USAR/ARNG).
(10) Officer Record Brief (ORB) updates. If you need updates made to your ORB, bring copies of pertinent source documents (such as awards, military education certificates, etc.). This only applies to officers who attend the course in a PCS status.
(11) Vehicle registration. If you need to register your vehicle (to receive a windshield decal), you will need vehicle registration, CAC, driver’s license, and proof of insurance. If you are not the registered owner of the vehicle, you also need a notarized letter from the owner, stating that you have possession of the car. If you have a valid military vehicle decal from another installation, you do not need to get a Fort Jackson decal.
(12) Weapon registration. If you bring a privately owned weapon (POW) to Fort Jackson, you will need to the following information to register it: serial number, make, model, finish, and caliber. You must store the weapon in the unit Arms Room for the duration of the course. It is recommended NOT to bring POWs to the course.
(13) Additionally, you will need to know your local address and room phone number, provided to you by the Welcome Center/hotel (e.g. Dozier Hall, Room 206/Room Phone Number ext-67206).
d. Uniforms. All officers will bring and wear the required uniforms in accordance with Army Regulation (AR) 670-1, Appendix C (available online at www.apd.army.mil).
(1) Duty uniform. Throughout the course, the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) with patrol cap is the duty uniform. On your left sleeve, you will wear the shoulder patch for either your gaining unit of assignment or for the Soldier Support Institute. ATSG-AGS-TD SUBJECT: General Information for the Adjutant General Basic Officer Leader Course (AGBOLC) Phase B
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(2) Field training. All officers will sign for a basic issue of TA-50. This includes a ballistic helmet; however, if you have an Army Combat Helmet (ACH), you may use that instead. The Kevlar/ACH must have an ACU-patterned cover with sewn-on rank and a helmet band.
(3) Physical fitness training (PT). The PT uniform is the Improved Physical Fitness Uniform (IPFU). Ensure you bring all components of the IPFU, to include summer and winter uniforms (with black gloves and gray fleece cap). You will be issued a PT belt. In addition, you will need a mouthguard for Combatives training. (4) Formal events. You can expect at least one formal function. The uniform for active duty officers is the Dress Blue or Army Service Uniform (ASU). For Reserve and National Guard (TPU) component officers, the uniform is the Class A or Army Service Uniform (ASU). If you currently do not own any dress uniform you are required to purchase one prior to or immediately upon your arrival at Fort Jackson, in accordance with AR 670-1. Be advised that both the Dress Blue and Class A (Greens) uniforms are being phased out and replaced with the Army Service Uniform as the standard dress uniform. You will also need a black beret with pin-on rank.
e. Supplies. If you own a personal computer, you should bring it with you. The Basic Officer Training Division will issue you a classroom laptop to use for the duration of your course, but you will NOT be able to take the computer from the classroom. The school’s computers have Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point,
Access), which is the standard for the AG School and the SSI. A limited amount of basic office supplies for the purpose of student presentations is available, but is not provided for personal use; therefore, you should bring some basic office supplies with you.
f. Lodging. Officers on temporary duty (TDY) for AGBOLC are projected to reside on post. Your TDY status prohibits payment for Family lodging, and Family members are NOT authorized to accompany students while the Soldier is in TDY status at government expense. Students who wish to have dependents accompany them for any portion of the course must coordinate with the A Co. Commander. Lodging charges an additional fee for any dependents/guests staying in your room as well, which is not reimbursable – this expense comes out of your pocket. Only officers whose orders specifically state that they are authorized to move their Family members to Fort Jackson will be authorized to seek off post housing. Lodging costs range from $59-69 per night for on-post lodging. All students should be prepared to pay for roughly 45 days of lodging. Pre-payment of lodging is required for settlement of your travel voucher. You will file a partial voucher roughly 30 days into the course and must have a lodging receipt to be reimbursed. Please budget accordingly. Some students have experienced financial hardship in the past for failing to plan for this expense. Students are highly encouraged to possess a credit card to assist with covering their lodging payments. While at Fort Jackson, your mailing address will be: ATSG-AGS-TD SUBJECT: General Information for the Adjutant General Basic Officer Leader Course (AGBOLC) Phase B 5
Name, Rank
A Co, TSB, AGBOLC (Class #)
10,000 Hampton Parkway
Fort Jackson, SC 29207
g. Transportation. Soldiers who are PCS or TDY en route are entitled to a Do-It-Yourself (DITY) move, where the service member can transport their own goods from their current duty station to their final destination. Some Soldiers on regular TDY may be eligible for DITY moves if stated in their orders. Those entitled to a DITY move must begin the process at their current duty station by preparing a DD Form 2278.
Each vehicle transporting goods must be weighed both empty and at its full weight. The
weigh-in may take place at the trip’s origin or destination. A weigh station is no longer available on Fort Jackson; however, the transportation office at Fort Jackson can provide you with information regarding the nearest weigh station. Their number is (803) 751-4237. The final claims process can be done at Fort Jackson or the Soldier’s follow-on duty station.
h. Physical Fitness. The school emphasizes the physical fitness program from the beginning of the course. You should evaluate your current fitness level to ensure you can pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and meet height and weight standards before you arrive. Consult AR 600-9 or TC 3-22.20 for these standards. During the first
72 hours of the course, all students will weigh-in and take a record APFT. If you do not make weight or pass the APFT within 30 days of arriving at AGBOLC, you may be removed from the course. You will conduct group physical training daily.
i. Technical Expertise. This course will broaden and reinforce your technical knowledge about Human Resources support. Some of the topics the school emphasizes are replacement operations, casualty operations, personnel readiness management, essential personnel services, personnel accountability and strength reporting.
j. Common Core. This course reinforces the Soldier and leadership skills developed in BOLC Phase A. Instruction in this area includes small unit supply and maintenance management, land navigation, convoy operations, and basic rifle marksmanship.
k. Training Exercises. You will participate in field training and staff exercises that will test the information learned during classroom instruction. These events provide the opportunity to evaluate technical proficiency.
l. Academic Evaluation Report. Class advisors assess the abilities of each officer through the use of the DA Form 1059. The four evaluated categories are demonstrated abilities, academics, physical fitness training, and professionalism. ATSG-AGS-TD SUBJECT: General Information for the Adjutant General Basic Officer Leader Course (AGBOLC) Phase B
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(1) Demonstrated Abilities. Class advisors grade officers on land navigation, M4/M16 weapon qualification, written communications, oral communications, leadership skills, group work, and research ability. Officers will conduct research, write papers and memorandums, and prepare and conduct information briefings. This work will require both individual and team effort.
(2) Academics. The minimum standard to achieve is 70 percent on all common core exams and AG technical exams.
(3) Physical Fitness Training. Class advisors award points based on your final record APFT. The goal is to improve your score by at least 20 points and/or obtain a score of at least 290.
(4) Professionalism. As officers, students must set the appropriate example for junior personnel. Class advisors expect you to exemplify the Army Values. Points are awarded in four areas: professionalism, participation, followership, and leadership.
m. Prerequisites. Prior to arriving at Fort Jackson to attend AGBOLC Phase B, you should read and be familiar the following field manuals, which are central to your human
resources and common core instruction. These manuals are on the Army Publishing Directorate website (http://www.army.mil/usapa/doctrine/Active_FM.html).
(1) FM 1-0, Human Resources Support, April 2010.
(2) FM 3-0, Operations, February 2008.
(3) FM 6-22, Army Leadership, October 2006.
(4) FM 7-0, Training for Full Spectrum Operations, February 2011.
3. CONCLUSION. Although this course is demanding, you will find it personally and professionally rewarding. For additional information on the installation please visit the Fort Jackson homepage at http://www.jackson.army.mil. If you have questions, you may contact your Class Advisor, ++++++++++++++++++.