Posted on Feb 4, 2020
Starting FA BOLC this August. How difficult are the courses?
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Could someone give me some insight on how FA BOLC is ran today? Which subjects were the most difficult parts? Is there anything that I could do to prepare in these next couple of months?
Thank you!
Thank you!
Posted in these groups: 
Field Artillery Basic Officer Leader Course (FABOLC)
0802: Field Artillery Officer
2ndLt
Field Artillery Basic Officer Leader Course (FABOLC) 0802: Field Artillery Officer 2ndLt
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 6
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While I've never attended a BOLC, it's best to remember that the courses are meant for you to pass and and taught by knowledgeable and experienced NCOs, and that the curriculum is a tried and true process that has successfully passed people much less smart than yourself.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
My experiences with courses in the Military is that if you read the class Syllabus, actually read the sections of the books that they indicate, and do the test questions, you will look like the smartest guy in the classroom. The only time I felt pushed to get the Reading/Home Work caught up was during my Engineer Advanced Course.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
LTC Jason Mackay - Somewhere along the line, I had an Academic Adviser that gave me the advice above, probably because I had that Deer In the Headlights look after being handed a 700 page manual that we were going to test on in about two weeks. I found it to be true in every course afterwards. The Army doesn't expect you to memorize everything, they do expect you to know where to look to find it out. Even in the Engineer Advance Course, my only real issue was that it had been 15 years since I had done any trig or advance algebra. Luckily we had some guys that were VERY good at it that volunteered to lead a study group that got me and most of the others in it though Bridging and Power Distribution.
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I went to FA BOLC back in 2011. When I went through the most “challenging” not really hard, was the gunnery. I’m not sure how it is now but manual gunnery is challenging. Just find a good study group, study and you will be fine. It’s really not that bad.
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1LT (Join to see)
I can second that. Several of my friends have finished FA BOLC this year and have said Gunnery was most challenging.
Still nothing to worry about.
Still nothing to worry about.
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Maj Charles Porter
It will be Greek for a while but the moment will come when the light will come on and you will be able to put accurate fire on a target with a "Slip Stick and a Wiz wheel from the front seat of a Jeep! shows my age.
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Manual Gunnery. You'll find out why. FABOLC is the hardest BOLC and had/has the highest failure rate of any officer initial PME. Flight school has more, but that's not BOLC. While I some might tell you to prepare honestly jus toay attention in class, bring what you're supposed to bring, and do your homework instead of going to Red Dirt. The NCOs and officers will teach you what you need to know. There's also weekend academic assistance. Go if you need help. Lastly there's pre-ranger. Don't give up your grades for it. In my BOLC class they all failed out of ranger school anyways and you're there to graduate not compete for a ranger slot.
Keep in mind I went through in 2016. It might be different now.
Keep in mind I went through in 2016. It might be different now.
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