I wanted to give an update to the recent bolc amedd course changes since I just completed it. As before the short course (reserves and national guard) joins up with the long course. This doesn’t happen until the end of the first week which is class room based. You will meet up with your long course platoon for a quick introduction, then you will be together for the field training at camp bullis. The field training is now 10 days long. There is no going back to the hotel during this 10 days, although you do keep the hotel room so no need to pack and move out. The initial packing list I received was not updated to reflect the 10 days in the field. There is no laundry so make sure you have enough clothes for 10 days (underwear, socks t shirts).
Student leadership decides on how the showering in the field works. So depending on your leadership you might be able to get a 5 min shower each day. Or a longer shower every other day. The showers are only turned on for about 2 hours and class sizes can be over 300 students. Last three days of the field exercise there are no showers at all.
We did not have much downtime in the first class room week or in the field. I think this varies from class to class. Classes went from 0800-1700 in week one. In the field we were up at 0530 and the day often ended at 1800, then you had to eat and shower and get ready for the next day. I didn’t have time to read any books or work out (although some other platoons did). During the day if you are sitting around they want you studying their study guides on weapons and TCCC, you can’t nap or read your own books.
You are given duties to do as a platoon, such as fire guard, kitchen, trash, water. So sometimes you have to get up earlier to do those duties.
You eat lots of MRE while in the field (lunch and dinner ). You can bring food but you can’t eat in the tents as they attract mice and then snakes.
You do not need to bring any of your TA 50 as you get issued what you need for the field by CIF.
Make sure you bring a red headlamp as that’s all they let you use in the field and you will need it for the bathrooms etc.
Bring 550 cord so you can hang stuff up in the tent. I also brought a few clothes hangers. You sleep on a cot and there is nowhere to place clothes other than the rucksack and duffle they give you.
You do have to pass land navigation but get a chance to retest. You have to pass carrying a 200lbs litter as a team of 4 for 50 meters.
Week one you have to pass height and weight (even if you have a current one). If you don’t have a current AFT (less then 6 months) you will have to pass one there in week one.
Hotels:
Half of our class was placed at a hotel 3 miles from the main class room MEDCO building but it was still classified as being on base (it was over by the hospital BAMC). Luckily I had driven my car, but only 6 of us had cars for 50 students placed there. Most ended up renting a car at their expense. Even with my car it made eating at the DFLAC and getting to class on time more challenging (since we had to go through gates which sometimes had lines ). I had a room to myself and it had a fridge and a microwave.
I had plenty of time to exercise in the last week as classes were shorter. However, in the 26 days of being there we actually only got one whole day off which was a Sunday after the field.
graduation was in OCP but I think this will change to the service uniform for future classes.