Any recommendations or advice for ABOLC?

I'd like to help you but I went to AOBC in 74-75. The advice that I can give you is, know your weapons and be able to assemble them and disassemble them. Pay attention in your courses in the Weapons Department. Study your gunnery manual and KNOW it.

Know your vehicle, know how to operate it and KNOW how to maintain it. You will have to supervise maintenance as a company grade officer and lack of properly maintained vehicles and a high dead line rate can kill a CDR.

Our branch is the finest in the Army.it's a shame that you won't be training at Benning. Knox was a far better armor training location.

I too was a SSG who went to OCS, good luck in your career. STAY ON THE TANK!

First, congratulations (still a couple weeks, so behave) ! I attended Armor OCS at Fort Knox, and it was wonderful there in 1967 (yep, I'm that old). Have learned of the school being moved and the Patton Museum being moved both to an Infantry base, and am less that thrilled about that, but change is inevitable. I was single, so can't comment about the family part. Get insurance and banking/investment advice from USAA in San Antonio ASAP ! They are the best. 24/7/365 Worldwide. Read everything you can about George S. Paton and Manfred Rommel re: tank tactics. There are a few WWII Russian tank commanders that were some great tacticians too. Do the same about the battles in Kuwait and Iraq. We had M60's, M60A1's, A3's, and had familiarization firing and such with the Sheridan System, none of which you'll use, unless they are targets (heaven forbid). Never, ever do what I did when my driver didn't listen, threw a track on my vehicle and I stayed with the crippled tank to help fix it and turned the platoon over to my Platoon Sargent during maneuvers. Switch crews with him (he will hate that part, but he has the same radio as you & is needed to command the unit), have him switch crews with your WORST crew and assign the WORST crew the task of fixing YOUR tank. They won't like that either, but, NOT a
democracy. You will get to accomplish your mission with 4 good tanks and will NOT get reamed by your Company CO, Battalion CO, nor Brigade nor Division CO. Maybe take a "little heat" for losing one tank during an attack, but better than losing control of your unit. Have fun, stay in shape. Hope that you get a good duty station after Branch school. I "lucked" into Germany and traveled the Continent. Best wishes !

I sent through in 2007. Great course. It's demanding, not like NCO courses I attended. Be ready to do a lot of studying.

Most Interesting… Good Info.... Thanks for a Share....

Are you good at video games?

Fort Knox community has reasonably priced houses for rent. Understand the tank platoon uses various formations: 1. column when enemy is not expected 1. counter column when the risk is higher, wedge when enemy is expected, on line for attack by fire or when defending. Look at the other post because I explained where each tank goes. You will use sand tables applying this knowledge for several days. You will use the UCOFT which is the Unit Conduct Of Fire Trainer. It is essentially a simulator for the gunner and tank commander. You will go to the field with tanks for a week to familiarize you of the tanks. Good luck.

http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/cv/US_tank_doctrine.html