Mission Analysis

A few things to know:

• Unlike brand-new enlisted personnel, much of the preparation to a new/first assignment falls upon the responsibility of the brand-new officer.  This includes all moving tasks, setting up things at Personnel like ID cards, DEERS, etc.  Ask everyone related to HR, the recruiter, and recent BOLC grads for advice on how to complete these mandatory, prerequisite items.  (See my last post with the link to an article by an Army nurse; she's a direct commissionee but points out a lot of common, very-good knowledge to emphasize little things that will help you survive newbiehood).
• AMEDD already has a site for BOLC info: http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/bolc/.  Start looking it up for any and all info on schedules, packing lists, tidbits of advice.  You may also read up on the assignment (post
• Be organized with every bit of paperwork you are given or produce as a result of the military (i.e., reciepts from buying uniforms, certificates, your university education records, etc.) because no one, not even HR, will be there for you when you lose (or when they lose) crucial paperwork. 

Taking stock of where I am at the moment:

• Organized all my military-related paperwork.  I have a binder that I call "My (Military) Life).  I will make more copies of my orders, as I will need at least 5 upon reporting to Alpha Co, 187 BN, 32D Medical BDE.  How do I know this? Because on ATRRS, it says so in the description of the BOLC course.  Of course, it behooves everyone to have no less than 10 copies of orders on you, with an extra spare in your wallet. 
• Have my AD orders for BOLC (for a PCS, not TDY, and instructions to move my HHGs)
• BOLC packing list printed out and checked off (numerous times...).  About 95% done on getting my uniform items squared away (ACUs get crappy quick so I am looking at buying a couple more to give me some extras).  Officers get only one uniform allowance in their lifetime (enlisted get it more than once), but I am tracking what I'm paying for so perhaps I will save some bucks when the clothing allowance does kick in.  Also, if you have follow on training (and do not have orders to report to a specific unit after BOLC), then your unit patch will be of the 32nd Med BDE
  
• Taking care of HHGs.  Still working on the task of moving my house-hold goods to my new apartment by communicating with the FSH Transportation Office (if I lived out-of-state, I'd still be moving, but I just so happened to want to move into a nicer apartment before I start a grueling 24-month military grad school).  I may note exact building numbers later but, right now, I don't want to date my blog with info that may be erroneous in the future.  I'm planning on conducting a Personally Procured Move (PPM), formerly known as a DITY (do-it-yourself) move since I am brave enough, I live in the local area to the post, and I'd like to see if I can save myself some moolah by getting reimbursed from the government.  Not everyone will do PPMs; most will take on the other option of government moves.  More on this venture later.
• Still need to get my CAC.  I'm still listed as "Reservist" in DEERS.  You can check this yourself on the DEERS website (there are a number of ways to keep track of your personnel status on your own): https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/identitymanagement/authenticate.do?execution=e2s1. Apparently, I need to be listed as Active Duty and have some sort of record in "the system" that says I am ordered to receive a CAC.  Not sure if everyone will experience this, but my report date is 04SEP13 and I tried to get a CAC as early as late June/early July.  It could've just been me trying too soon, or my prior service records are doing something.  I don't know.  I also have this habit of my personnel files being tossed around in the wind and things don't get processed like they should.  Hence my attitude for taking care of myself when it comes to paperwork.  EDIT: Some folks have stated on on their way to BOLC, on PCS orders, you have to square away your CAC.  Well, I just called the ID card section at FSH, and all BOLC students will have time once they report in.  Finally...got clarification on that one. Also, since I am technically with Baylor, and am corresponding with Army-Baylor's staff, I am getting more info on inprocessing from them as a POC.  If you're a nurse, you have to ensure you are speaking with individuals in the unit you're assigned to as an officer student during BOLC.
• Getting my laptop.  I had the unusual fate of a laptop die on me RIGHT AFTER I finished my final paper for a class of my final UG semester.  I actually thank God for this case versus the situation where my grey hairs would explode out of my head of a dying laptop during the completion of that paper...I'm waiting for my new, but back-ordered, laptop to come in, hopefully before SEPT...I will need this for BOLC, as well as DPT school, and I am looking around for a good mobile Internet provider.  It will be useful to have a printer/scanner/copier of your own.  I may invest in a shredder, as I get a lot of personal info copied everywhere, but that will be later. 

There are some other things I have to square away:

• Take care of Education-Delay paperwork.  Researching when I need to file these forms.  As an ROTC grad, I applied for education delay because I wasn't sure of my Army-Baylor DPT acceptance status yet.  Now that I know, I am not going to be needing an ed-delay for active duty since I'm coming up for BOLC (AD status) in a couple months.  More to follow on what happens when one gets activated earlier than expected.
• Student Loans!! I also applied for a SLRP (student loan repayment program) that is an addendum to my base service contract.  It is technically an ADSO of 2 additional years of active service to the Army in exchange for them taking care of my student loans that I accrued.  Need to file that paperwork in conjuction with the grace period.    This stuff doesn't pertain to BOLC, but it can sure mess up my experience if I have to worry about finances while in training.  Things to before BOLC would be to take care of expected delays in payment (since delay in the first pay of big-kid's checks will likely not come in the first few weeks of AD time).  I may have to pay for some of my loans before the SLRP kicks in (after a year in AD).  Not all loan providers will grant a very nice deferment.  More to follow on this as well.