I went to Quartermaster BOLC in the fall of 2011.
It is located at the Army Logistics University campus at Fort Lee, VA. Quartermaster, Transportation and Ordnance BOLC are all taught at Fort Lee, and they combine to the Logistics branch when you are ready to attend Captain’s Career Course.
There are a lot of benefits to being a logistics officer, namely the civilian opportunities you will have after you are done being in the military.
Here is an overview of what I did at Quartermaster BOLC.
QMBOLC was four months long, with a lot of time spent in the classroom. We had PT very early in the morning, unless we had an exam, since those were scheduled during PT. We learned about each component of the Quartermaster Corps, which included a block of instruction on each Quartermaster MOS that is trained there.
This was beneficial for most people, so they could learn what their Soldiers were trained to do.
The essence of Sustainment is
- general supply,
- mortuary affairs,
- subsistence,
- petroleum,
- water,
- field services (to include aerial delivery and laundry/clothing repair),
- and materiel management (warehouses).
Other posts you may enjoy:
- Five Reasons I Love Being a Quartermaster Officer
- 3 Reasons to Become an Army Quartermaster Officer
- Honorable Ancient Distinguished Order of Saint Martin Award for Army Quartermaster Personnel
There are nine Quartermaster MOSs that are trained at Fort Lee.
I went through AIT at Fort Lee for 92F (Petroleum Operations Specialist) years ago, but my favorite block of instruction at BOLC was in the Aerial Delivery and Field Services Department, because we got to become certified as Slingload inspectors and Low Cost-Low Altitude inspectors.
Some of my active duty classmates went on to specialize in Aerial Delivery, which meant they got to go to Airborne school and then complete Aerial Delivery and Materiels Officer Course (ADMOC). If I were active duty, this would have absolutely been my first choice.
We also had the requisite OPD, to include giving oral presentations and writing memos. We spent a week doing a Land Nav block of instruction, a week at the range, and a week doing a combined FTX with ALC and AIT students (previously called Log Warrior), called Sustainment Warrior FTX (SWFTX). This was a great experience when I was an AIT student, and was even better as a BOLC student.
Most of us prior service students were assigned as staff, which was a bummer, because I would have really liked to be a PL and work with the AIT students. SWFTX is a unique training event, because it is literally the only TRADOC post that does something like this.
It was great to work with the other branches and get to integrate with Soldiers. For some officers, it was the first time they really did any combined training with NCOs and Soldiers.
Final Thoughts
QM BOLC was a great experience, and has valuable training for both seasoned Soldiers and new Officers alike.
What is your experience with Quartermaster BOLC? Do you have any questions?
Post all comments and questions below please. Thank you for stopping by.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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Hello Candace,
I assess this summer and am very interested in branching QM. I am prior E and also airborne. How difficult do you think it would be for me to get a slot at ADMOC?
When my good friend, Todd, told me he was working as a Quartermaster for the Army I really had no idea what the job entailed. Sure I understood he was doing something involving logistics and management of materials, but I never understood the level of excitement and adventure that can go along with a job like this until I was able to read this article. Aerial deliveries and airborne school sound exciting, but I imagine being responsible for maintaining all the materials that make a base function can get a bit stressful and overwhelming at times.
Serving as a QM is a good job. You don’t normally get the glory, but you do make a difference.
QM/logistics is a great field to go into because of the transferability to civilian life! My friends have gotten great positions with major corporations because of their military logistics experience. It’s always in high demand, it seems!
I think that teaching what each MOS that falls under the Quartermaster Corp is valuable, because it gives you a better understanding of how your role fits into the entire picture and enables you to more efficiently interact with each other. Those that I know who have gone through this training liked the OPD instruction on oral presentations and training, which turned out to be a important part of their jobs later on. Not having these skills would have proven to be detrimental.
Rumor has it that this is one of the more laid back BOSC schools, but it doesn’t sound like it to me, not only based on your post, Candace, but also based on reading I’ve done. I think it is more a misconception based on more class time, which is simply the nature of this particular training. It sounds like you did well and enjoyed it.
Thanks for the post, Candace.
I attended the Quartermaster Officer Basic Course in May thru September 2000. I believe we were E Company, 244th Quartermaster Battalion. I really enjoyed the course and met a lot of new friends. We learned about all the different MOSs within the QM Corps and we also studied leadership, marksmanship, physical fitness, the laws of war and many other things. The course was well organized and the TAC Officers were great.
It was nice hearing your story. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Chuck
Chuck, sounds like not too much has changed. Was your course 16 weeks also?
Either 14 or 16 weeks. I’m not 100% sure.