First Few Days

Ok so the first were days were half of what I expected, and half a complete surprise. The part I expected was all the paperwork, most of it you've done before and even if you have a copy in your file they usually make you do a new one. No big deal, just do it. Also you literally need at least 30 copies of your orders. I'm not kidding, for some random reason everybody from everywhere wants two copies. My packet from school only had 10, thank goodness I had made a bunch for myself before, saved me. Also make copies of your everything in your packet. It seemed to me that each office, like travel or finance wanted something random from the packet. Like I said the only thing that saved me some pain and wasted time was the fact that I made a copy of my entire packet and happen to take it with me. The oath of office is also needed frequently. Again these things wont make you recycle, but they'll save you some time in that first week. The surprise was the intensity. Do not think this is the easy part and Ranger school is the hard part (or so they tell us). The company commander was freaking people out. I'm not kidding when I say the guy next to me was literally shaking.

PT Test:
The PT test for us was the second day. I wont really say to much about the grading because its too dependent on the actual grader if they're "easy" or "hard." Just do stuff to standard. I will say that for my platoon the average was in the 250's. If you think that's low, just wait. Also pull ups (or chin ups) are part of the PT test. If you cannot do six you will receive a negative counseling and get a major deduction from your overall score. Then you have to come in every weekend for PT. That would suck, don't fail.  Height/Weight are right after the test. If you fail that you are automatically recycled if you're active duty. If you're National Guard they send you right home and you'll have to rebranch. It happened to a NG soldier in our platoon. One down already.

Platoon Trainer:
So your main trainer is a Captain, usually junior and this as their assignment for a year to 18 months before they take company command. They are legit. Apparently I got the luck to have the hardest one in the battalion. When the battalion CSM briefed the company he asked who was in a certain CPT's platoon, when we raised our hands he just looked at us and said, "Sorry brothers, your experience here will be harder than anyone else s, but you'll be better for it." Now after the first week I can already see what he means. Our platoon stays way later (First formation was at 0445 and we were released after 2000 the first three days) and does much more PT and when everybody else is talking and wasting time we are going over tactics. Double edged sword, I hope you get as lucky as I did. But usually each platoon recycles about 2-3 over the course (out of about 45ish) our platoon trainer usually recycles about 20 each cycle. Literally 10x the amount.

Along those same lines, they gave us a wake up call pretty bad the first night. If you've every heard this course is easy or you can just party on the weekends and show up in the right place, right time, right uniform and you'll pass youre mistaken. Come prepared to lead. I'll give you more information as the course goes along, but nobody in the company is taking anything lightly. There are additional duties you can volunteer for right off the bat, do them. I'm a sponsor of an international student, its awesome.

Also I posted a few good books to have the first post, I kind of lied. They expect that you have already read those completely, not just have them. Most of us were caught off guard. Also be familiar with military signs and symbols, if you're not it will be painful for you starting day 1.

Passes:
You will get passes for the holidays. Easter is this weekend so we have Friday off. If you want to go any farther than Atlanta you need a pass. They really don't care where you go as long as your back. I asked just for curiosity if I could fly back to Washington for the weekend, they said sure, just be back for accountability formation on Monday. Now I wouldn't recommend that, but just so you're aware it is an option.

Random Notes:
Know how to climb a rope, we have to do it every time we leave the building or get there. To get to the latrine or fill up a water bottle  we have to go outside, that means each time we take a piss we have to climb the rope twice. Sucks. People already have bloody hands.

Travel and Signing In

So as I was trying to prepare for IBOLC I tried to find stuff on the internet that other new LT's had written. I did find one blog that was really good (here it is: http://bolcjournal.blogspot.com/2010/09/preparing-for-iobc.html) but while it was good it was only one LT's experience a couple years ago. I don't expect too much has changed but I wanted new officers, especially infantry ones, to at least have a couple things to read and get a better picture as what to expect as they go to BOLC. The plan right now is to update this at least once a week and more if I find it necessary. Less if I don't have any time, because lets be honest, this is important, but my time at IBOLC is gonna come first.

In case you cared, I'm an ROTC graduate from BYU. Was prior service but not combat arms. Because I was a December graduate I got my IBOLC dates pretty early and they changed four times, always earlier. I even got my RFO's about my next tentative assignment. But onto the important stuff...

Anyways, a bit about your PCS. If you don't mind a little hassle when you move I recommend doing a full DITY, I'm scheduled to make about $2500 from it after everything is said and done. Married couples I've talked to have made more than $3000. It really isnt that bad. Oh and check travel routes before you go, when I drove through Nebraska there had been a massive snow storm the night before, so while the roads for fine for us 12 hours later, there were at least 30 semis and a bunch of other cars abandoned on the side of the road, most of them had just slid off. No bueno.

So everything I've heard is to not report in early, I agree. I did however do a few recons and went on post a few times. Mostly to see how long it took me to get from my apartment to the gate and to where I need to be every morning. The whole "signing in" thing was a bit of a joke though. Just for kicks and giggles I went in one day early and an LT from a different class who got the poor assignment to waste his Saturday sitting at a desk all alone, handed me a welcome letter from my new 1SG and told me to be at the appointed place at 0430. Yes, 0430...damn. Anyways the letter basically said that the first week was going to be all in processing and to bring a backpack with every piece of paperwork you have.  The letter also said to be prepared to be on post until 2000 every night, but everyone I've talked to who went through in processing here at Benning said its more like 1000 every day. Ill let you know next week.

Records: Most of it youll have received from your S1 but prior service will need all their enlisted stuff and other things like lease agreement, marriage certificate, etc. Make sure to review your packet, page by page and make yourself personal copies. All my army paperwork was in a big unorganized box but now its time to get serious. 

Uniform: So I got both unit patches for my follow on unit and the follow me patch here at BOLC. Id heard you wear the follow on unit if you know it, and I talked to the NCO on staff duty and he said, and I quote "Hell yeah wear that thing! You dont wanna look like some new and confused LT with the "Follow Me" patch." Well ok sergent. Ill let you know what they say. Other than that make sure you wear clean uniforms. Your first paycheck will have money specifically for that, dont waste it, buy yourself some legit uniforms. 

Housing: If you want to live of post, you can. I recommend it and there are tons of places. Do make sure before you sign anything to make sure your apartment complex has been ok'ed approved. Met an LT who didnt do that, suffice to say he is in a world of hurt at the moment. Then you have to decide for how long, if you get a ranger slot you gotta decide if you wanna pay two months for a place you wont see, or put stuff in storage or what. Food for thought. 

Oh, and they dont do base decals here anymore on post, so just make sure to always have your CAC card, or at least military ID with you. And if you want to have a firearm in your car when you go on post, do the paperwork, dont break that rule. 

If you have any questions feel free to comment and Ill answer you the best I can. Obviously there are some basic OPSEC stuff so I wont go into too much detail about the actual training itself, more about what to except and how to better prepare yourself. I had to opportunity to be a Gold Bar Recruiter and had a lot of time to study, before you come I would suggest you read four books first:

FM 3.21-8 (Duh)

FM 3-90 Tactics

Ranger Handbook (its full of great information and isnt really that long)

Starship Troopers (if this book doesnt make you jacked to go infantry nothing will) 

Also for official infantry stuff check these links:

IBOLC Homepage- http://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/199th/ibolc/

Training shedule- http://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/199th/ibolc/content/pdf/IBOLC%20Training%20Calendar.pdf

Breakdown of scoring- http://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/199th/ibolc/content/pdf/IBOLC%20Graduation%20Requirements.pdf