Posted on Aug 18, 2025
What options do I have after having my BOLC date cancelled by BN?
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Hello, I am seeking advice regarding a situation in the NYARNG. For context, I am an O-1, having commissioned through federal OCS back in September of 2024. A few days ago, I was notified by the Readiness NCO at my unit that my IBOLC slot (17AUG2025) needed to be canceled because I had not been issued a GTCC. Prior to speaking with him on the phone, I was not aware that I needed a GTCC and was informed that I only needed to bring relevant documents to IBOLC. My new IBOLC date has been scheduled for April 2026, 18 months after I received my commission. This cancellation has stunted both my military and civilian careers. On the military side, I will have no OERs or KD time and will already be eligible for promotion to O-2 by the time I arrive at BOLC. Additionally, I am ineligible to serve on the DOCCs mission due to not being MOSQ. On the civilian side, I have been applying for law school and trying to start a career; however, my timeline has now been pushed back a full year while bills continue to pile up. For the past few months, I have been unsuccessful in getting a job due to employers not wanting to hire someone who is going to leave in a few months. Though I have been in the National Guard for almost a full year, I am unsure what options I have to try to rectify this situation and potentially be slotted for an earlier BOLC seat. Are there any ways to rectify this situation? If so, what are they?
11A: Infantry Officer
Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course (IBOLC)
Posted 6 mo ago
Responses: 5
First question. Do you have your CTCC yet? If not, do not pass go, do not get scheduled for IBOLC. If you have received it, THEN you can have the conversation about how you get your IBOLC rescheduled to an earlier time.
Were you ever informed that you needed to apply for a Government travel CC? The answer is yes. The mandatory DTSS 101 brief lays it out, almost every briefing about going TDY does, and I'm 99% positive that if you go back through the stack of "pre-IBOLC" documents you were given, or told to read online, it would be in there.
However, you may not have been explicitly told to apply for one (i.e., given a checklist, specifically told to do so, etc.), and that is something leaders should do with those new to a process (so, if that's the case, bad on the unit for not doing so).
Regardless of how you got there, you are where you are now and the question is how do you get to where you want to go.
As I said, the very first step is to get your GTCC. As a future leader of Soldiers, you need to show your leadership that if you discover a relevant deficiency/issue, regardless if it affects you personally or the unit, you will take steps to rectify that deficiency/issue.
After that, then you can have the conversation with your Readiness NCO and, if you have no success that way, with your unit leadership. Show that you have rectified the issue as soon possible after discovering it, explain any mitigating circumstances that were beyond your control (possibly play on that suggestion that you should have been explicitly informed about the need for a GTCC), explain your personal situation, and see if there is anything they can do.
Were you ever informed that you needed to apply for a Government travel CC? The answer is yes. The mandatory DTSS 101 brief lays it out, almost every briefing about going TDY does, and I'm 99% positive that if you go back through the stack of "pre-IBOLC" documents you were given, or told to read online, it would be in there.
However, you may not have been explicitly told to apply for one (i.e., given a checklist, specifically told to do so, etc.), and that is something leaders should do with those new to a process (so, if that's the case, bad on the unit for not doing so).
Regardless of how you got there, you are where you are now and the question is how do you get to where you want to go.
As I said, the very first step is to get your GTCC. As a future leader of Soldiers, you need to show your leadership that if you discover a relevant deficiency/issue, regardless if it affects you personally or the unit, you will take steps to rectify that deficiency/issue.
After that, then you can have the conversation with your Readiness NCO and, if you have no success that way, with your unit leadership. Show that you have rectified the issue as soon possible after discovering it, explain any mitigating circumstances that were beyond your control (possibly play on that suggestion that you should have been explicitly informed about the need for a GTCC), explain your personal situation, and see if there is anything they can do.
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MSG (Join to see)
There is a large part of me that instinctively tells me that the 2LT was not properly in-processed to the unit. It's been a very ugly trend as of late. I'm a good case in point. When I was assigned to the HHC, 807th, I was never assigned a Sponsor and never finished my in-processing before I transferred. It was their policy to assign a Sponsor AFTER in-processing was done.
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COL Randall Cudworth
MSG (Join to see) - Couldn't agree more. Unit leadership, more and more, seems to 'check the block' (and in many cases, doesn't even do that) on stuff instead of doing it properly.
If the LT's claim is accurate, I'm surprised the GTCC issue didn't come up sooner (such as when he went to OCS).
If the LT's claim is accurate, I'm surprised the GTCC issue didn't come up sooner (such as when he went to OCS).
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SGT Ruben Lozada
Good afternoon COL Randall Cudworth. Excellent response. I recall the first time I ever heard of a GTCC is when I entered the Navy Reserves. My unit told me it is required in order to go on AT. I'm glad that I applied and got it prior to going on AT, because is sure came in handy. The same went for when I entered into the Army Reserves. My unit told me that I needed a GTCC in order to go a particular school to TDY. I knew a lot of reservist who couldn't go TDY or go to a school because he or she didn't have a GTCC. Our Army Reserve unit dedicated a drill weekend in order for Soldiers to apply for a GTCC. It's unfortunate that you had your date canceled, but I blame your unit for not informing you prior to scheduling that date.
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Presently, you're in luck to the aspect that you still have 13 more months to complete BOLC. But, that time can be whittled down very quickly if you don't pay attention to the clock. As the good Colonel said, double check your emails and other documents showing that you were informed you needed one.
Start here to begin the process for your card:
https://www.travel.dod.mil/Programs/Government-Travel-Charge-Card/Cardholders/
Start here to begin the process for your card:
https://www.travel.dod.mil/Programs/Government-Travel-Charge-Card/Cardholders/
Government Travel Charge Card | Cardholders | Defense Travel Management Office
DoD Government Travel Charge Cards (GTCC) are issued to personnel for use during official travel. GTCCs are Individually Billed Accounts, or IBAs.
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MAJ Ronnie Reams
Glad I retired before all this CC stuff started. I read the link above, and I think that just getting a plane ticket and a cash travel advance* was much easier. Guvment card appears to be PITA.
*I think at some point I remember getting traveler's checks in lieu of
cash, but not sure.
*I think at some point I remember getting traveler's checks in lieu of
cash, but not sure.
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MSG (Join to see)
MAJ Ronnie Reams - I still remember the days of going to the base travel office with my orders, them doing all the travel plans....and then I submit the Voucher to the Finance office.
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LT, as a heads up, keep track of your own personnel data and file. While I had completed BOLC (QM) The school house never uploaded my certification. So the rest of the Army didn't know that.
I only stumbled upon that situation because I was the Company Commander, and noticed that in my own unit personnel list of soldiers I personally was listed as NON DEPLOYABLE.
So I had to poke around and figure out why that was the case.
Turns out I was still in the system as non MOS Qualified (two years after having completed BOLC).
This later came back to bite my classmates in the rear. Come time to get promoted to CPT I made the list like everyone else, EXCEPT many of my BOLC classmates.
Since I had squared away my BOLC certs I sailed by without a problem, others that didn't got stuck until they fixed it too.
I guess what I'm saying is, LOOK IN your own IPSSA or HRC record ON LINE, and see what the system recognizes your Branch and MOS as.
Just because you are holding a BOLC graduation certificate doesn't mean anyone else in the Army recognizes it, least of all HRC.
I only stumbled upon that situation because I was the Company Commander, and noticed that in my own unit personnel list of soldiers I personally was listed as NON DEPLOYABLE.
So I had to poke around and figure out why that was the case.
Turns out I was still in the system as non MOS Qualified (two years after having completed BOLC).
This later came back to bite my classmates in the rear. Come time to get promoted to CPT I made the list like everyone else, EXCEPT many of my BOLC classmates.
Since I had squared away my BOLC certs I sailed by without a problem, others that didn't got stuck until they fixed it too.
I guess what I'm saying is, LOOK IN your own IPSSA or HRC record ON LINE, and see what the system recognizes your Branch and MOS as.
Just because you are holding a BOLC graduation certificate doesn't mean anyone else in the Army recognizes it, least of all HRC.
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