What options do I have after having my BOLC date cancelled by BN?

2025-08-18T23:01:31-04:00

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?

Response by COL Randall Cudworth made Aug 19 at 2025 9:01 AM

2025-08-19T09:01:33-04:00

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.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 19 at 2025 9:17 AM

2025-08-19T09:17:13-04:00

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/

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.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Aug 19 at 2025 4:56 PM

2025-08-19T16:56:12-04:00

I grew up in a time period where company loyalty was important, and being up front with an employer was valued. That is a thing of the past in many fields and most employers only care about what money you can make for them. Don't advertise your military service when applying. I have yet to have an employer really care about my military time and recently I went part-time to go to school, my employer cut my salary 25%! When I gave my notice, not even a thank-you card. I realize it is contrary to our military values but when it comes to finding a job, you need to put you and your bills first because right now you are the only one that cares.

If law is what really floats your boat, put that first. You have already been putting the NYARNG first and we see how that has worked for you. Take care of yourself and your life goals and when NY and the US Army need you, dont worry, let will welcome you back. You will make a better officer and leader by being happy with your bills taken care of.

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Aug 21 at 2025 12:04 AM

2025-08-21T00:04:04-04:00

I remember when these cards first came out. I thought they were a bunch of BS myself. I already had a credit card I used for travel, yet the government thought they needed to make me get another card I was responsible for paying. At first I thought it was a "government" card, meaning they paid the bill, which should be the way it is. But in the long run, it is just another ploy for the big banks to get their paws on government money, yet still making us be responsible for paying it. After I found out what the scam was, I never used mine, I continued to use my personal card. I guess the banks have clamped down on the government and found a way to force service members into using "their" product so they can keep their fingers in the pie.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 21 at 2025 1:14 AM

2025-08-21T01:14:45-04:00

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.