What to expect at Army OBLC?

[Sara010]

Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone could share some general experiences at OBLC? Like, where you stay? weekend free time? whether or not you should drive?

Thanks, I really appreciate it!

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[UltimateDO]

Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone could share some general experiences at OBLC? Like, where you stay? weekend free time? whether or not you should drive?

Thanks, I really appreciate it!

Things have changed a little since I was there but here is my $.02. You will stay on post at Ft. Sam Houston in one of two BOQs (essentially hotel rooms). Your non-FTX weekends will be completely free...this is supposedly where there have been some changes. We only had 1.5 weekends of FTX I think you have 3-4. I drove from Philly since I knew I was going to be exploring the area and visiting friends in Austin. If you don't drive you can cab it pretty much anywhere in town and you can bum a ride from your friends who do drive. Your days will start with PT (rarely) at 0500 or formation/class at 0700-0800. Your afternoons will end fairly early. You will eat breakfast and lunch (and usually dinner) at the mess hall. It would be helpful to have your ACUs ready to go when you get there so you are not stuck in the mad scramble in the first day. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[aau22]

I was wondering what the FTX experience is like. I'm heading to oblc this year too and it's nice to have some idea of what to expect from everyone who has already attended. This is a random question too but how's the food there?? I was also wondering for weekends if you eat at the mess hall or if there is a per diem or how that goes. Thanks for the info!

 

[Sara010]

Hey aau22! May I ask what school you're at? I am pretty excited about OBLC actually and according to some 4th year girls at my school the FTX doesn't seem so bad, but hopefully someone can enlighten us!

 

[monkeybaronjr]

As Ultimate DO mentioned, your FTX will be 3 weeks long as compared to when I went in 2005, which was only one week (5.5 days essentially). I'm not sure what else you'll be doing, but all we really did was land nav training, M9 qulification, M16 zeroing (didn't even have a chance to qualify...), and a hodgepodge of other random things. Pretty fun time in my opinion. I highly recommend driving if at all possible. My buddy and I drove from Philly and made it there in about 36 (with one 4 hour stop + traffic) hours and drove back in about 28 hours.]

The food wasn't all that bad in the mess hall. I think the USUHS guys got per diem and the HPSP guys got free mess hall access. There's a bunch of restaurants on and off base (another reason to have a car) and a ton of stuff to do on your off time (working out at the gym on base, Six Flags, Austin, Corpus Cristi, Schlitterbahn, Canyon Lake, tubing down the Guadalupe, downtown San Antonio, to name a few...). I had a blast. Bring your sunscreen.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[njaqua]

As Ultimate DO mentioned, your FTX will be 3 weeks long as compared to when I went in 2005, which was only one week (5.5 days essentially). I'm not sure what else you'll be doing, but all we really did was land nav training, M9 qulification, M16 zeroing (didn't even have a chance to qualify...), and a hodgepodge of other random things. Pretty fun time in my opinion. I highly recommend driving if at all possible. My buddy and I drove from Philly and made it there in about 36 (with one 4 hour stop + traffic) hours and drove back in about 28 hours.]

The food wasn't all that bad in the mess hall. I think the USUHS guys got per diem and the HPSP guys got free mess hall access. There's a bunch of restaurants on and off base (another reason to have a car) and a ton of stuff to do on your off time (working out at the gym on base, Six Flags, Austin, Corpus Cristi, Schlitterbahn, Canyon Lake, tubing down the Guadalupe, downtown San Antonio, to name a few...). I had a blast. Bring your sunscreen.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Does anyone know if during the FTX we will be at Bullis for 3 weeks straight or do we go back to FT Sam on weekends?

 

[aau22]

If you go to the obc site the entire schedule is posted...it looks like one is extended over a week long and then we have another shorter 4 or 5 day one later with some classes in between so I don't think it's just one long stretch. Thanks for the info guys!

 

[Sara010]

Yay! I'm getting more and more excited! Some of it probably has to do with the fact that I only have 3 more days of classes! (and one huge test... ) before I finish my 1st year!!!!!!


Well I will be driving from MD if there is anyone in the tri-state area willing to carpool (I am the only Army HPSPer at my school) that might work!

Thanks everyone!

Sara

 

[monkeybaronjr]

http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/obc/

In case you guys don't have the official website (as aau22 mentioned). You will find an updated schedule. Make sure you look at the HPSP/USUHS link and not any of the others. The pull down menus on the bottom left are somewhat helpful if you have zero prior military exposure (like I did). Enjoy!

 

[chrissyt]

Hey so I'm doing OBLC this summer in Texas and I got all the paperwork etc but was hoping for some practical advice on filling out travel vouchers etc. I am in the midst of exams and anything that requires time to research is beyond me. I was also wondering about the direct deposit thingy if I already have one set-up for my stipend do I really need to do it again for the OBLC money? Anyway any help would be much appreciated! Thanks,
-Christina

 

[delicatefade]

Watch out for fire ants at Camp Bullis. I woke up covered in them one morning.

 

[UltimateDO]

Watch out for fire ants at Camp Bullis. I woke up covered in them one morning.

Same thing happened to me and several others in the tent. Just make sure you bring some bug repellant then make a ring of it around your cot. No worries. Fire ant bites are not to be played with, a girl in my tent ended with a little MRSA cellulitis from a bite when we got back to Ft. Sam

 

[alpha62]

Some nurses and M.C were sucking face and dry humping in the cot next to me during the FTX at Bullis during my OBC.

This was during the honeymoon just before 9/11. I'm hoping some of these pinheads have figured out by now this is no freaking joke and where they're going is for real.

 

[ltdrjules]

Hey guys, I am comming from NH....hopeing to make some 6 week long, hang out buddies before I get down there...I am the only one comming this years from any of the NE schools so I just thought I would say HI

 

[delicatefade]

Oh, and if you're at Camp Bullis, try to coordinate your deuce schedule with the cleaning of the portapotties. They don't get cleaned every day, and more than once I went in there and found a big steaming pile so high it was almost above the seat.

 

[UltimateDO]

Oh, and if you're at Camp Bullis, try to coordinate your deuce schedule with the cleaning of the portapotties. They don't get cleaned every day, and more than once I went in there and found a big steaming pile so high it was almost above the seat.

That and try to keep it early in the day. The potties are little greenhouses that ripen as the days grow old

 

[tulane06]

I should be receiving my commission this week....do you think there is still space for this June/July's OBLC? I am a rising MS-2. Thanks.

 

[Sara010]

I should be receiving my commission this week....do you think there is still space for this June/July's OBLC? I am a rising MS-2. Thanks.

Hey! Yea, I think so, I was a late commission too and was able to get in

Check with your recruiter or look at your MODS account

Hope to see you there!