Posted on Jan 19, 2016
1LT Platoon Leader
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I'm coming up on my 18 months TIG from 2LT - 1LT. One of my bestfriends went through OCS at Benning with me and he will be getting promoted sometime during FEB to 1LT...when he asked me whether I would be I told him "No because I haven't been to BOLC".

He was surprised that I wasn't getting promoted; so here are my questions:
- Do I need BOLC to get promoted to 1LT? I thought that was correct...
- I've heard of other NG LT's that got promoted before BOLC...how does that work?

I've gotten so many mixed answers from my Training / Readiness NCO, Commander, fellow officers.

Can someone please explain this to me?

I have not been to BOLC (Going to QM BOLC in April!)
Edited 9 y ago
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Responses: 19
CPT Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear Officer
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Yes it is required. The reason you see 1LT at BOLC is because they went to a two year military college became a 2LT while they finish their 3rd and 4th year....or they are branch transferring
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1LT Ryan Millican
1LT Ryan Millican
9 y
Actually it's a unit call, I did have some 1LTs in my BOLC class and they were neither 2 year military college or rebranching. If your unit can work it they could get your 1LT before you went if it was due, but it probably requires a waiver and an explanation on why you haven't been yet. But just remember almost everything in the Army is waiverable.
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CPT Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear Officer
CPT (Join to see)
9 y
It's different in the reserves then. Promotion branch at HRC will not promote a 2LT unless they are branch qualified
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2LT Maintenance Platoon Leader
2LT (Join to see)
6 y
just found this thread but here is my XP. my recruiter has been recruiting for 15 years and since I dead set on Cyber he suggested I do reserves because he would have find a unit with vacancy for me. He found me two Units one was corp of engineers, they gave me platoon leader position as O-2, second was signal in cali they gave me a O-2 Vacancy as Battalion Maintenance Officer, we couldn't find cyber so I took the signal. So 1LT is correct it is the Unit commanders call. another OCS applicant from that was from my recruiting station signed the same day as me but he docent get to pick his branch they army picks for him at end of OCS and he will start as O-1, to me the reserve was a better choice.
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MAJ Protection Chief, G34
MAJ (Join to see)
>1 y
SPC Ardalan, you have been only put in a paragraph and line position on the UMR, when you graduate OCS you will still be an O1(2LT). That is where everyone starts. You may be placed in an O2 (1LT) slot, in order for you to go to OCS but when you return there is no guaranty you will be placed in that position.
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LTC Director, International Affairs (J53)
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1. Yes, BOLC required for promotion to 1LT. Reference: AR 135-155, table 2-2.
2. Aviators, owing to the long duration of BOLC and delay in obtaining seats, have a special provision to gain promotion to 1LT/CW2 with partial completion.
3. As stated in other posts, ECP lieutenants have their own provision of regulation which allows promotion to 1LT without BOLC.
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1LT Platoon Leader
1LT (Join to see)
9 y
Roger that sir. In my case I was delayed going to BOLC twice to no fault of my own...I came in after commissioning at a hard time in the year & due to NH being such a small state the funding simply wasn't there to send me until I became a "priority case". Therefore I had several people in my COC that stated it was the BC's choice whether I was promoted or not due to circumstances outside of my control. Apparently they are wrong.

Thank you sir for providing in the reg on this & after looking through Table 2-2 / notes, its clear that BOLC is a requirement for promotion.
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1SG Civil Affairs Specialist
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AR 600-8-29 does not list BOLC as a requirement for promotion to 1LT...
But it should be.
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1LT Platoon Leader
1LT (Join to see)
9 y
That's what I thought TOP. With the lack of any AR to point to...I suppose this explains why I've gotten so many "grey" answers from everyone at my unit
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