AMEDD BOLC Basic Information

Hello Reader,

My name is 2LT Matthew B. Duarte. I am an Army Officer Commissioned into the Medical Service Corps. I received my Commission after four years of hard work through Army ROTC the University of Northern Colorado on 05 May 2014. Go Bears. The purpose of these posts are to provide insight into what to expect at AMEDD BOLC. I was part of AMEDD BOLC class 14-147 and graduated on 31 October 2014. I have been learning a great deal and would like to share some of that knowledge with others and provide some of the answers that would have helped me along my way.

AMEDD BOLC Lodging: Unless you are a Permanent Party student (PCS to Ft Sam Houston) or have family in San Antonio, you will be lodged in a hotel for the duration of BOLC.  The majority of the class and I were initially lodged at the Double Tree Hotel about 8 miles from Ft Sam Houston. Most students commuted by POV but a bus would arrive to transport students to and from PT and Class. By Mid-September, the entire class was lodged on post, split between 2 IHG Army Hotels. It is much more convenient to be lodged on post for sure. It is about a 2-3 minute drive from the IHG hotels to the AMEDD Center and School.

Military ID Cards: CAC (Common Access Cards) will be provided if you do not have one before arrival. I was lucky enough to have received one prior. It took a while for some to receive their IDs so just be patient.

Meals: On weekdays, you will have access to the DFAC (Dining Facility) for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. To get in, you will need a BOLC meal card (issued during in processing) and either a CAC or a copy of your orders. On weekends, the Rocco DFAC was closed so we were paid per diem to buy our own food. I don’t recall the exact amount per weekend but it was pretty much a flat rate so you will pocket some money if you don’t eat out every weekend. If you are lodged at the IHG Hotels, they have a good complimentary breakfast which is served every day.

Transportation: It is very convenient to have a car at AMEDD BOLC. While Fort Sam Houston is not the largest post, it will make it easier getting to PT, classes, the PX, etc. That said, those that flew into BOLC made out fine and just needed to catch rides from others.

Physical Readiness Training (PRT): Generally started at 0500 or 0530 and ended at 0600 or 0630. This means you will be waking up fairly early. PRT was mostly conducted at the Platoon level. I was part of 2^nd Platoon; and for us, two students would lead PRT each day. It mostly consisted of the Preparation Drills, followed by CD1 or MMD, then a student created workout, and ended with the Recovery Drills. See the Army PRT handbook for more info on the Prep Drills, CD1, MMD, or the Recovery Drills if needed. PRT tended to be as beneficial as you make it, if you wanted to get stronger it was easy to push yourself to be better.

Field Training Exercise (FTX): Our FTX was conducted at Camp Bullis and was 15 days long spread over three weeks. We would arrive at the link-up location at 0430 on Monday morning, board buses, conduct FTX for five days, and return to Ft Sam Houston at around 1500-1700 on the Friday of that week. Then you are free for the weekend and then meet up at 0430 again on Monday and repeat.

Class: Majority of time at BOLC is spent in classes. Classes generally began at 0800 meaning you have about 1.5-2 hours to shower, change, and grab breakfast following PRT. Classes would end anywhere from 1500-1700. In the initial phase, all our classes were at the AMEDD Center and School (AMEDD C&S) and would be entire class instruction in the auditorium or Platoon sized instruction in classrooms and taught by your respective Platoon Advisors (PAs).

Platoon Advisors: Each Platoon has about 4-5 instructors. Most instructors are Civilians who are retired or former US Army Medical Personnel. Each Platoon also has an Active Duty Captain and Sergeant First Class who teach classes and are the advisors. The 4-5 instructors assigned to your Platoon will teach you nearly all classes both in Garrison and FTX. 2^nd Platoon had excellent instructors.

Free Time: Once you are released for the day, it is your time until first formation the next morning. We had two four day weekends during the course which was great. Labor Day and Columbus Day.

Fellow Students: AMEDD is the most diverse Corps in the Army. As a result, students will be from all Areas of Concentration (AOC) and Branches. There are Medical Service Corps, Medical Corps, Medical Specialist Corps, Army Nurse Corps, Veterinary Corps, and Dental Corps Officers spread throughout each Platoon. Just as diverse as the Concentrations are levels of experience. Some may have spent many years in the Army before Commissioning and others may never have spent a day in the Army before BOLC; so be sure to learn from others and help those who may be a little less experienced. While most students were 2LTs, there were a lot of 1LTs and CPTs and a few MAJs. While everyone is still a student, be sure to render proper respect and courtesy to students of higher rank. Our class was about 240 students. Each Platoon was around 40-45 Students. While pretty large, you get to know everyone pretty quick. 

Uniform: Unless otherwise specified, it is ACUs. You are authorized to wear your gaining units patch or the MEDCOM patch. Fort Sam Houston PX does not have the largest supply of patches so if your gaining unit is not an active duty BCT or Medical Brigade, I would recommend purchasing them beforehand.

Printer: I did not bring a printer. I planned on purchasing one at Ft. Sam but all the hotels had free black and white printing and so did the Stimson Library across of the AMEDD C&S. Bringing a printer is handy in that you can have color and will not have to stress when everyone is trying to print the same form or homework the night before it is due.

DA1059 (Academic Evaluation Report): AER for short. This is what you will receive upon conclusion of AMEDD BOLC. It will be written by your Platoon Advisor. The biggest part is whether you receive Exceeded Course Standards, Achieved Course Standards, Marginally Achieved Course Standards, or Failed to Achieve Course Standards. Everyone should aim for “Exceeded Course Standards” but only 20% of the class can receive this. Meaning around 48/240 students. You should try to do your best as the AER will permanently stay in your records. I received an Exceeds Standards and the biggest key is to just be focused on BOLC; training in PT prior to arrival, studying for the exams, working hard to better yourself and others, and employing what you learn to the best of your ability.