FORT SILL, Okla., June 10, 2016 -- C Battery, 2nd Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery, was activated June 2 with the mission of providing a prerequisite to the Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC) for direct-commissioned officers of the Army Medical Department (AMEDD).
"It's not really a part of the BOLC, but rather a pre-BOLC," said Lt. Col. Charles Matallana, 2-6th ADA commander. "It's a course designed for direct-commissioned medical officers who didn't do an accessions either in Reserve Officer Training Corps, Officer Candidate School or the (U.S.) Military Academy. It's to help them transition into the profession of arms. We understand that they're medical professionals, but prior to them going to BOLC, what we want to do is give them an inculcation into the basic fundamentals of the Army profession. So that's why we established a course that will really help transform them as to their leadership responsibilities beyond their medical expertise," he said.
The newly formed AMEDD Direct Commission Course will span four weeks for active-duty and three weeks for Reserve Soldiers. The AMEDD is expecting to maintain four active-duty classes and three Reserve classes each year. Most of the students will be second lieutenants in medical school, but captains, majors and lieutenant colonels with a mixture of different levels of education and experience will participate as well. The program expects to have an annual rotation of approximately 1,600 Soldiers.
Students will be trained in a variety of military skills, including basic rifle marksmanship, drill and ceremony, and land navigation. The end result will be to produce direct-commission AMEDD officers who possess military bearing, demonstrate basic Soldier skills, proficiency and fitness, have internalized the Warrior Ethos and Army values, and are prepared for their initial roles as AMEDD leaders.
"The course will help better prepare class members for BOLC at Fort Sam Houston, Texas by teaching them about military customs and courtesies, Army policies and procedures, and Army programs, such as Sexual Harassment/Assault Response Prevention Program and Equal Opportunity, as well as a feel for what it's like to be a Soldier, whether they're dentists, doctors or veterinarians," said Matallana. "They'll be placed in an immersive environment; they'll live in barracks, they'll eat in dining facilities and use Fort Sill's state-of-the-art training facilities."
The active-duty version of the course will run six days a week and the more compact Reserve version that will operate seven days a week.
An analysis conducted at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) level spurred the idea for the course. The results were viewed by TRADOC Headquarters staff at Fort Eustis, Va., and it came down to a choice between Fort Benning, Ga. and Fort Sill.
"I think what we have to offer in terms of growing leaders really showed that we were ideally suited to train this mission," said Matallana. "Of course, our proximity to Fort Sam Houston really enables our students to go from the Direct Commission Course here to Fort Sam Houston, which is in a day's drive, so that they can attend Basic Officer Leader Course."
The pilot course involved 40 people.
"From last summer to now, we have been doing a lot of refinement to the program, we've been assembling the team in terms of instructors and support staff and it's all going to come to fruition at the end of the summer," said Matallana.
Capt. Sandy Jackson was announced as the battery commander during the ceremony. Jackson was selected based on his high energy and ability to get things done, he said.
"As an instructor for the pilot course, Jackson worked long hours to make it happen, and he brought it to a successful conclusion," he said.
Jackson thanked Army leaders, his wife, family and friends for their support during the pilot program. Joining him on the command team will be 1st Sgt. Jeremy Kagan.
Social Sharing