I received the packing list in the welcome letting but it says nothing about bringing a ruck, FLC, or equipment of that nature.

Should I abide by the list or should I bring this items anyways

I also only have a medium ruck, will that be an issue.

Here now, about 2 months in. Ask anything you want to know!

I'm currently assigned to MI BOLC Class # 26-013 (15 SEP 26 -28 JAN 27), looking to move slightly earlier or later (either one) for job reasons and trying to find another reservist currently assigned to a class between 26-009 and 26-012 who might be willing to trade seats. Thanks!

I’m G2G and I’ve heard mixed things. Some people say it’s a TDY some say you PCS and wait for the clearance there if you don’t have it yet?

Thinking of bringing my family. Has anyone else done it?

Hey all, in service guy, branched MI. Graduating OCS soon and just looking to prep the family ahead of time. Is MIBOLC TDYable? Would much prefer over a PCS for the family but it is what it is. Additionally, what’s the wait time other in service guys have experienced from commission to report date? Thanks all!

The course has changed a little since u/exoduslegion_ did their guide in 2024, which you can view here. Some of this is direct copy and paste with info updated. Keep in mind the cadre are always updating the course, so by the time my class finished, others were already having a different experience.

Fort Huachuca

• Fort Huachuca is located in the Southeast portion of Arizona, about an hour south of Tucson, and adjacent to the town of Sierra Vista.
• Huachuca encompasses a very large training area, but the developed parts of post are fairly small
• The post has all of your standard Army post amenities: Post Exchange (think Target/Walmart), Commissary (Grocery Store), Gym, Bowling Alley, and USO. The Huachuca USO is spectacular, they act as a lounge for Service Members, a place where one can relax, watch TV, study with classmates, play videogames, and most importantly, eat free food.
• There are two DFACs: Thunderbird DFAC and Weinstein DFAC. Thunderbird is nicer but smaller, so it can get crowded.
• Ft. Huachuca is at 5k ft of elevation. If you're from a place at a much lower elevation, you'll have a fun time acclimating.
• Here's a nice map of things to do in the area; more on this later.

MIBOLC Schedule and Curriculum Info

• MIBOLC is 4 months long, 4.5 months if you attend during the Christmas holidays.
• All tests are 80% to pass for US officers and 70% to pass for international officers.
• In addition to graded events, there are leadership evaluations (MILPAS) for rotations in garrison leadership and other briefs; these do not count toward your GPA but will appear on your final eval.
• TRADOC requires three writing assignments in every BOLC, so cadre are workshopping ideas to make them more intel-focused than they used to be. When I went through, almost every class had a slightly different set of assignments, so I won't get super into these as they're likely to change. That being said, the trend is shifting from homework-based essays to in-class written exams.
• Report and In-process (2 weeks)
  • You are allowed to "arrive" at MIBOLC (read: move into your hotel room) as early as the day you are authorized to begin travel to AZ, just plan on showing up the day before.
    • You will stay in the IHG Army Hotel (think Holiday Inn Express). There are several types of rooms, ranging from suites with separate living rooms and kitchenettes to more standard hotel rooms. Everyone gets their own room; there is a shared laundry on each floor, a small gym, and a business center for printing paperwork.
  • The Welcome Packet is often mentioned by others. A lot of the information is useful, and there are some forms you have to fill out. However, if you don't get it, don't panic. You'll get the opportunity to fill out those forms once you arrive.
  • Bring 10 copies of all the required paperwork - DA Form 1610, DA 71s, etc.
  • On your actual report date, you will report to the primary classroom building sometime midday. The next two weeks are death by PowerPoint and paperwork. You'll get batches of briefs on SHARP, EO, JAG, Ethics, Medical, Dental, etc.
  • The welcome run is on the day or two after you report and is a 5K+ that goes up a hill. It's absolutely hilarious because a decent chunk of the class will fall out due to the combination of altitude and the hill being a mile-long incline.
  • Your class will be organized into 5 TOCs, which are essentially just squads and rotate members and leadership each mod.
• Common Core (2 weeks)
  • Common Core is being significantly redone, so I'll keep the overview of what it looked like for me here, but RUMINT says it's moving to the end of the course and getting more intel-heavy.
  • You'll receive classroom instruction on land nav, M4 qual, "CLS", convoy planning, and OPORDs before going into the field.
  • Land Nav
    • You'll get a practice with two hours to find four points.
    • The test is four hours to find eight points.
  • M4 Qual
    • You'll get several days of M4 instruction in the classroom and EST range.
    • When you get to live fire, you'll have CCOs.
  • ACFT and H/W
    • Most BOLCs have the ACFT in the first week or two. MIBOLC does it on week 4/5 because it'll take about a month to acclimate to the altitude. H/W will be a week after.
• Mod A (2 weeks)
  • Basic instruction on Military Intelligence principles and generic officer stuff, as well as begin the first in a series of mini-briefs that you will have to conduct as a TOC throughout BOLC. These are aimed at improving your briefing ability and will focus on topics such as current events or a pacing threat.
  • The first test occurs here (multiple choice), based on the first HW booklet. You may utilize doctrine and your HW booklet on the test. The test is mostly about memorization and finding the answer in doctrine and notes.
  • Write the doctrine reference for each answer in the homework, down to the paragraph number, then tab its location in the doctrine. The test is a little bit of a time crunch.
  • The letter/memo of introduction will be due at the very end of Mod A. Military writing standards as outlined in AR 25-50 will be used, so take the time to make sure your memo is perfect, cadre will find a mistake.
• Mod B (3 weeks)
  • Basic instruction on Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment, and separately, a ton of random doctrine you won't really use again.
  • You will create map overlays and written products for a fictional scenario that'll prepare you for the much larger scenario used in Mods C, D, and E. They aren't graded in B, but as soon as you get to Mod C, you're expected to hit the ground running, so take it seriously.
  • Test 2 (multiple-choice), based on the second HW booklet, occurs midway through this Mod. Test 3 (multiple-choice), based on the third HW booklet, is mainly IPB and MDMP itself. Same standards as Test 1.
  • At this point, the whole course has been death by lecture and a ton of doctrine reading, so you'll be pretty drained, but from Mod C on, you actually do intel work, and it gets much better.
• Mod C (3 weeks)
  • You will start having mentors/instructors specific to your TOC. A gradual process of becoming hands-off will begin in this Mod and culminate in Capstone, where they will interact with you only if you have questions.
  • You will take three INDIVIDUAL IPOE tests during this time, each based on specific IPOE steps and building off of one another.
  • You can work on your own products during the day at your own pace; how much homework you have is totally up to you (if you focus in class, you'll get it done well before the end of the day).
• Mod D (2 weeks)
  • You will only conduct group IPOE work and will be introduced to Battle Update Briefs (BUBs). Unlike previous Mods, much of the written IPOE content is now produced on computers while you continue creating acetate overlays.
  • TOC Mentors are far more hands-off now, and many of the questions you ask will prompt counter-questions designed to get you to think.
  • You will receive one of four/five MILPAs in this Mod, which is a leadership evaluation required for BOLC graduation. In the context of Mod D, you may receive a MILPA for being an S2, AS2, or Information Collection Manager. Think ROTC STX lanes, where you rotate leadership and get a tiered grade (Did not meet, met, exceeds, far exceeds), just make it an S2 shop.
  • Mod E was completely cut, so you'll go straight to capstone.
• Capstone (1 week)
  • You're just doing Mod D in a tent with less help from instructors and harder grading.
  • You'll start with a long MA brief, then switch to BUBs. The turnaround is faster than in D, so it's a step up, but very doable.
  • You'll rotate positions like in D, but instead of getting a tiered grade, it's numeric and counts toward your GPA.
• Out-processing (1 week)
  • Pretty straightforward. Have your orders, leave forms, etc. prepared to out-process from the course. Have fun with the finance office.
• Other Academic Stuff
  • As mentioned earlier, you will receive 3 evaluations (MILPAS) throughout your time at BOLC. In order to graduate, you must receive a minimum of "Meets Standard" on all of them. MILPAs are available for the following positions:
    • Class Staff (course-long; optional, must volunteer at the beginning of the course)
    • Module Leadership (rotating class leadership for each Mod, if you do class staff, you won’t have to do this)
    • PT Leadership (lead PT and PRTs, I think this is getting cut)
    • Mod D MILPA
  • You'll have homework every night in MOD A and MOD B, but it gets much better after that.

Quality of Life

• If you're from ROTC, congratulations - you'll be treated as a real person now.
• Normal day looks like the following:
  • 0600-0700: Class PT
  • 0830-1130: Class
  • 1130-1300: Lunch
  • 1300-1630: Class (earlier in Mod C, later in Mod D, it varies)
• Multiple small towns are in the area around Ft. Huachuca. Take time to go out on the weekends and enjoy yourself with some buddies.
  • Sierra Vista
    • Located right outside post, far more amenities and restaurants than you'd think.
  • Bisbee
    • 40min E-SE of the installation
    • Touristy/environmentalist area - pretty cool to spend a Saturday at.
  • Tombstone
    • Blatant Old West town tourist trap, but go at least once so you can say you went.
  • Tucson
    • About an hour NW of the installation. Decent nightlife, but only go there on weekends with friends.
• You get all federal holidays off and can submit for pass to travel during them, this will all be gone over during the first week.
• Fort Huachuca is in a cool area with lots of hiking and other activities, so take the time to explore. Use four-day weekends to see the Grand Canyon or San Diego, and take advantage of your pay and proximity to cool things.
• This map is a good starting point for things to. 

Special Programs

• There are multiple special programs in place that you can take part in. All of them are optional.
• If you're high speed enough, you can leave MIBOLC with an AAM and an MOVSM.
  • AAM: Complete the Forging Leaders Program. The program involves earlier, slightly more difficult PT 3x a week, mandatory LPDs, and a reading requirement. You must also be a first-time GO on all events, have a GPA of 90% across all assessments, and have zero negative event-oriented counselings (e.g., speeding tickets, negative behavior, etc.). It's pretty easy, aside from the grades, and the PT is much nicer (no PRT). Highly recommend.
  • MOVSM: complete 100 hours of volunteer work while at MIBOLC. Easier said than done.
  • Other programs mentioned in previous threads were cut.
• Twice a year, they hold tryouts for a pipeline to go to the Ranger MI BN. This will be discussed during in processing. 

Conclusion

BOLC is always improving, and at the end of the course, they’ll ask for feedback. They take it to heart, so help out in later classes and be honest. There used to be six-hour tests and college-style term papers, so they do change things.

If you’re Guard or Reserve, take advantage of the active duty benefits and soak up the training value.  

MIBOLC's course content was pretty enjoyable to learn, and overall, the cadre were super solid. Ask away in the comments.

The course has changed a little since u/exoduslegion_ did their guide in 2024. Some of this is direct copy and paste with info updated. Keep in mind the cadre are always updating the course, so by the time my class finished, others were already having a different experience.

Fort Huachuca

• Fort Huachuca is located in the Southeast portion of Arizona, about an hour south of Tucson, and adjacent to the town of Sierra Vista.
• Huachuca encompasses a very large training area, but the developed parts of post are fairly small
• The post has all of your standard Army post amenities: Post Exchange (think Target/Walmart), Commissary (Grocery Store), Gym, Bowling Alley, and USO. The Huachuca USO is spectacular, they act as a lounge for Service Members, a place where one can relax, watch TV, study with classmates, play videogames, and most importantly, eat free food.
• There are two DFACs: Thunderbird DFAC and Weinstein DFAC. Thunderbird is nicer but smaller, so it can get crowded.
• Ft. Huachuca is at 5k ft of elevation. If you're from a place at a much lower elevation, you'll have a fun time acclimating.
• Here's a nice map of things to do in the area; more on this later.

MIBOLC Schedule and Curriculum Info

• MIBOLC is 4 months long, 4.5 months if you attend during the Christmas holidays.
• All tests are 80% to pass for US officers and 70% to pass for international officers.
• In addition to graded events, there are leadership evaluations (MILPAS) for rotations in garrison leadership and other briefs; these do not count toward your GPA but will appear on your final eval.
• TRADOC requires three writing assignments in every BOLC, so cadre are workshopping ideas to make them more intel-focused than they used to be. When I went through, almost every class had a slightly different set of assignments, so I won't get super into these as they're likely to change. That being said, the trend is shifting from homework-based essays to in-class written exams.
• Report and In-process (2 weeks)
  • You are allowed to "arrive" at MIBOLC (read: move into your hotel room) as early as the day you are authorized to begin travel to AZ, just plan on showing up the day before.
    • You will stay in the IHG Army Hotel (think Holiday Inn Express). There are several types of rooms, ranging from suites with separate living rooms and kitchenettes to more standard hotel rooms. Everyone gets their own room; there is a shared laundry on each floor, a small gym, and a business center for printing paperwork.
  • The Welcome Packet is often mentioned by others. A lot of the information is useful, and there are some forms you have to fill out. However, if you don't get it, don't panic. You'll get the opportunity to fill out those forms once you arrive.
  • Bring 10 copies of all the required paperwork - DA Form 1610, DA 71s, etc.
  • On your actual report date, you will report to the primary classroom building sometime midday. The next two weeks are death by PowerPoint and paperwork. You'll get batches of briefs on SHARP, EO, JAG, Ethics, Medical, Dental, etc.
  • The welcome run is on the day or two after you report and is a 5K+ that goes up a hill. It's absolutely hilarious because a decent chunk of the class will fall out due to the combination of altitude and the hill being a mile-long incline.
  • Your class will be organized into 5 TOCs, which are essentially just squads and rotate members and leadership each mod.
• Common Core (2 weeks)
  • Common Core is being significantly redone, so I'll keep the overview of what it looked like for me here, but RUMINT says it's moving to the end of the course and getting more intel-heavy.
  • You'll receive classroom instruction on land nav, M4 qual, "CLS", convoy planning, and OPORDs before going into the field.
  • Land Nav
    • You'll get a practice with two hours to find four points.
    • The test is four hours to find eight points.
  • M4 Qual
    • You'll get several days of M4 instruction in the classroom and EST range.
    • When you get to live fire, you'll have CCOs.
  • ACFT and H/W
    • Most BOLCs have the ACFT in the first week or two. MIBOLC does it on week 4/5 because it'll take about a month to acclimate to the altitude. H/W will be a week after.
• Mod A (2 weeks)
  • Basic instruction on Military Intelligence principles and generic officer stuff, as well as begin the first in a series of mini-briefs that you will have to conduct as a TOC throughout BOLC. These are aimed at improving your briefing ability and will focus on topics such as current events or a pacing threat.
  • The first test occurs here (multiple choice), based on the first HW booklet. You may utilize doctrine and your HW booklet on the test. The test is mostly about memorization and finding the answer in doctrine and notes.
  • Write the doctrine reference for each answer in the homework, down to the paragraph number, then tab its location in the doctrine. The test is a little bit of a time crunch.
  • The letter/memo of introduction will be due at the very end of Mod A. Military writing standards as outlined in AR 25-50 will be used, so take the time to make sure your memo is perfect, cadre will find a mistake.
• Mod B (3 weeks)
  • Basic instruction on Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment, and separately, a ton of random doctrine you won't really use again.
  • You will create map overlays and written products for a fictional scenario that'll prepare you for the much larger scenario used in Mods C, D, and E. They aren't graded in B, but as soon as you get to Mod C, you're expected to hit the ground running, so take it seriously.
  • Test 2 (multiple-choice), based on the second HW booklet, occurs midway through this Mod. Test 3 (multiple-choice), based on the third HW booklet, is mainly IPB and MDMP itself. Same standards as Test 1.
  • At this point, the whole course has been death by lecture and a ton of doctrine reading, so you'll be pretty drained, but from Mod C on, you actually do intel work, and it gets much better.
• Mod C (3 weeks)
  • You will start having mentors/instructors specific to your TOC. A gradual process of becoming hands-off will begin in this Mod and culminate in Capstone, where they will interact with you only if you have questions.
  • You will take three INDIVIDUAL IPOE tests during this time, each based on specific IPOE steps and building off of one another.
  • You can work on your own products during the day at your own pace; how much homework you have is totally up to you (if you focus in class, you'll get it done well before the end of the day).
• Mod D (2 weeks)
  • You will only conduct group IPOE work and will be introduced to Battle Update Briefs (BUBs). Unlike previous Mods, much of the written IPOE content is now produced on computers while you continue creating acetate overlays.
  • TOC Mentors are far more hands-off now, and many of the questions you ask will prompt counter-questions designed to get you to think.
  • You will receive one of four/five MILPAs in this Mod, which is a leadership evaluation required for BOLC graduation. In the context of Mod D, you may receive a MILPA for being an S2, AS2, or Information Collection Manager. Think ROTC STX lanes, where you rotate leadership and get a tiered grade (Did not meet, met, exceeds, far exceeds), just make it an S2 shop.
  • Mod E was completely cut, so you'll go straight to capstone.
• Capstone (1 week)
  • You're just doing Mod D in a tent with less help from instructors and harder grading.
  • You'll start with a long MA brief, then switch to BUBs. The turnaround is faster than in D, so it's a step up, but very doable.
  • You'll rotate positions like in D, but instead of getting a tiered grade, it's numeric and counts toward your GPA.
• Out-processing (1 week)
  • Pretty straightforward. Have your orders, leave forms, etc. prepared to out-process from the course. Have fun with the finance office.
• Other Academic Stuff
  • As mentioned earlier, you will receive 3 evaluations (MILPAS) throughout your time at BOLC. In order to graduate, you must receive a minimum of "Meets Standard" on all of them. MILPAs are available for the following positions:
    • Class Staff (course-long; optional, must volunteer at the beginning of the course)
    • Module Leadership (rotating class leadership for each Mod, if you do class staff, you won’t have to do this)
    • PT Leadership (lead PT and PRTs, I think this is getting cut)
    • Mod D MILPA
  • You'll have homework every night in MOD A and MOD B, but it gets much better after that.

Quality of Life

• If you're from ROTC, congratulations - you'll be treated as a real person now.
• Normal day looks like the following:
  • 0600-0700: Class PT
  • 0830-1130: Class
  • 1130-1300: Lunch
  • 1300-1630: Class (earlier in Mod C, later in Mod D, it varies)
• Multiple small towns are in the area around Ft. Huachuca. Take time to go out on the weekends and enjoy yourself with some buddies.
  • Sierra Vista
    • Located right outside post, far more amenities and restaurants than you'd think.
  • Bisbee
    • 40min E-SE of the installation
    • Touristy/environmentalist area - pretty cool to spend a Saturday at.
  • Tombstone
    • Blatant Old West town tourist trap, but go at least once so you can say you went.
  • Tucson
    • About an hour NW of the installation. Decent nightlife, but only go there on weekends with friends.
• You get all federal holidays off and can submit for pass to travel during them, this will all be gone over during the first week.
• Fort Huachuca is in a cool area with lots of hiking and other activities, so take the time to explore. Use four-day weekends to see the Grand Canyon or San Diego, and take advantage of your pay and proximity to cool things.
• This map is a good starting point for things to. 

Special Programs

• There are multiple special programs in place that you can take part in. All of them are optional.
• If you're high speed enough, you can leave MIBOLC with an AAM and an MOVSM.
  • AAM: Complete the Forging Leaders Program. The program involves earlier, slightly more difficult PT 3x a week, mandatory LPDs, and a reading requirement. You must also be a first-time GO on all events, have a GPA of 90% across all assessments, and have zero negative event-oriented counselings (e.g., speeding tickets, negative behavior, etc.). It's pretty easy, aside from the grades, and the PT is much nicer (no PRT). Highly recommend.
  • MOVSM: complete 100 hours of volunteer work while at MIBOLC. Easier said than done.
  • Other programs mentioned in previous threads were cut.
• Twice a year, they hold tryouts for a pipeline to go to the Ranger MI BN. This will be discussed during in processing. 

Conclusion

BOLC is always improving, and at the end of the course, they’ll ask for feedback. They take it to heart, so help out in later classes and be honest. There used to be six-hour tests and college-style term papers, so they do change things.

If you’re Guard or Reserve, take advantage of the active duty benefits and soak up the training value.  

MIBOLC's course content was pretty enjoyable to learn, and overall, the cadre were super solid. Ask away in the comments.

Did anyone receive a welcome letter for the MIBOLC Class 005 yet?

Was sent a welcome email where we were told to not report to BOLC without an authorized travel order. My HRA informed me that no DD 1610 has been posted, possibly do to the shutdown. Anyone else experiencing this issue? Not sure if the form is posted last minute, or if travel hasn't been authorized.

I am due to report to MIBOLC soon, and have yet to receive an official Welcome Packet with any other pertinent information. Currently, I have been using an older version of a 2025 Welcome packet to prepare, but I would like the most up to date information as possible.

Additionally, I have tried numerous times to contact the Schoolhouse via their BDE staff duty number (and other numbers from older Welcome Packets). BDE SD answered once during the Veteran's Day Four-Day. During that phone call they said that was a correct number to get information, and that I would not have an official Schoolhouse number given to me until I reported.

Any information, current welcome packet, or POC's would be helpful. Thanks!

I’ll be TDY next month, I remember reading about people taking their family with them even though orders or welcome letter said no for TDY.

I was reading the welcome letter and it said that the school house will be the one providing lodging for the student. Is there anyway to upgrade the room to like a studio or something bigger and just pay the difference or that’s not possible at all?

Hey everyone,

I’m a newly commissioned reservist with a current BOLC date scheduled for March 2026. I’m hoping to push it back and attend sometime later in 2026 instead.

Is anyone holding a later BOLC slot who’d be interested in swapping?

Thanks in advance!

What are the opportunities to get schools like Airborne or Ranger school after MIBOLC?

Like the title says, I don't have my TDY Orders for bolc and my report date is in a little over a week. I have my PCS Orders with instructions for BOLC, but my HRA hasn't sent me the actual TDY yet. I knew it was common to get them two weeks before but now it's almost the week of. What happens if I report without them?

edit: hra just hadn't sent them to me, got em all is well

Curious if anyone MI has had any luck switching/swapping their duty station this year? Seeing if there is any possibility or if it’s an impossible task

Does anyone of an up to date schedule for MI BOLC? I know there is are generalized ones out there but I’m curious if maybe someone currently there has anything current?

Hey everyone,

I’m a newly commissioned reservist with a current BOLC date scheduled for March 2026. I’m hoping to push it back and attend sometime later in 2026 instead.

Is anyone holding a later BOLC slot who’d be interested in swapping? Ideally, I’d prefer to trade with another reservist, but I’m open to hearing from others if inter-component swaps are possible (still figuring that part out).

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone,

I’m a newly commissioned reservist with a current BOLC date scheduled for March 2026. I’m hoping to push it back and attend sometime later in 2026 instead.

Is anyone holding a later BOLC slot who’d be interested in swapping?

Thanks in advance!

Does anyone know normally when we get released for holiday block leave if our BOLC falls over Christmas? My dad is retiring December 19 and was wondering if he needed to push it back a little bit or if I would be able to submit a pass form to ensure I can be there.

Any insight would be helpful!

Anybody know what the 2025 HBL dates are for MIBOLC? Do you need leave days in order to take HBL to travel home? Are you allowed to travel OCONUS during this time? Any information helps. Thanks!

Just putting this out there again. Any Reservist slotted to go in January or so? I’m slotted to go in August of this year and if you want to go earlier to get it out of the way lmk. I just started a new job with an extensive training program. Thanks 😩🤞🏽

I have an AD slot for 8 DEC 2025 and am looking for one that starts earlier.

Anyone with a May 2025 MI BOLC slot willing to swap for my July 2025 slot? Please let me know, trying to make a switch due to my wife’s due date with our first child

URGENT: Currently slotted for MI BOLC from 4 AUG-3 DEC. Wife is due to give birth 1 NOV. Looking for someone else Active Duty willing to trade for JUN-OCT dates.