BOLC Packing List/ACU/ASU

Hither, I analyze the Army'due south packing list then that y'all do non buy incorrect items. I cannot stress the following point enough: DO Not Utilize THIS As Yous Last PACKING Listing FOR BOLC. IT IS Only A GUIDE. Apply THE LIST PROVIDED Past THE ARMY As YOUR FINAL CHECKLIST. I attended BOLC in the Summer of 2016 - the required gear listing may have since changed.

As a general dominion, Army sizes are significantly dissimilar from normal homo sizes. As a upshot, I would recommend trying on anything on this listing that has a size prior to purchasing several of them.

All of the items listed below can be purchased online from the Exchange website under War machine>Army Uniforms, or at whatsoever Army Exchange location. Unless otherwise indicated below, I would purchase all of these items from an Exchange to ensure you are getting the right color, manner, etc.

Army Combat Uniform (ACU)

As Rip Torn famously said in Men in Blackness: "Let'south put it on...the last suit y'all'll ever habiliment." The ACU will be your everyday vesture in training, and perhaps your career as a medico.

The ACU glaze should be long enough in the body to get nigh ane-2 inches past the end of your belt, or, every bit you can see in the picture, up until mid-way through your fingers. Your sleeves volition likely be too long, but in that location are push button cuffs to proceed them up. These come in a variety of sizes, including "Long" and "Short" versions of all sizes. They also come up in a female-tailored variety besides. You can probably get away with two of these, although I would recommend three.

Price: $48

The ACU trousers should exist worn as whatsoever other multifariousness of pants should. Depending on your body blazon, they may be a scrap baggy. This is not a big deal. Your ACU trousers volition be tucked into your boots. The length should be then that the below-the-knee-pocket in the pants does non get tucked into the boots. These, too, come in a female variety that for some reason, take an elastic waistband and toll $iii less. Also oddly, the men's sizes fall under small-scale, medium and large, while the female sizes are numbered. This, I am sure, makes full sense to someone, somewhere.

If you lot are a male, like me, who falls awkwardly betwixt the 3 available waist sizes, yous are authorized to vesture the female ACU trousers. The same is true for females in regards to male trousers, if that is your preference. Once again, you tin can probably go away with 2 of these, although I would recommend three.

Toll: $48

Your standard-effect patrol cap - don't call it a lid. They come in a diverseness of numbered sizes by the eighth-inch. It should fit loose enough to not get out an indentation on your forehead and not too loose so that information technology falls off if you shake your head around. As you tin can run into from the right flick, the cap should sit on your head then that the edge of the portion in contact with your head is parallel with the ground. Don't be afraid to bend the brim - this is actually encouraged . It will make the cap fit looser, then accept that into consideration when trying them on.

This is the one time I will recommend that you buy More than the Army tells you lot to get. They volition tell you to buy one cap. I must disagree, and suggest that yous buy two, for ii reasons:

  1. This is the "cherry on top" of your uniform. You MUST accept a PC on when wearing ACUs outdoors. They will figuratively, and possibly literally, burn yous at the stake if you are defenseless not wearing one of these babies. With this in mind, it is not a bad thought to keep a second cap in your backpack, your car, or anywhere else you may find yourself having forgotten your PC.

  2. You will desire your rank sewn onto the PC, for reasons I explain below. It takes a few days to get this done by the Regular army tailor, then you need a second cap while the first is being tailored.

Price: $eight

It'southward a belt. The colour of this chugalug MUST BE "TAN 499" or "OCP." If information technology does non say "TAN 499" or "OCP," do not purchase it. You'll but need 1 of these.

Price: $four

This is i of the few items in your compatible in which y'all have a choice. The Army has a number of requirements of boots. I wouldn't put much thought into that - just look at what boots are for auction in the Exchange - they are all acceptable. They should exist "Coyote Brown" in colour.

You will put a LOT of miles into these boots, and so exist sure to observe a pair that fits you lot well and is comfortable. DEFINITELY TRY THESE ON IN PERSON. Mine were a full size smaller than my normal shoe size. These take a big range in price. The boots pictured above are the Rocky S2V Coyote Dark-brown Military Boots. These are meridian of the line in both quality and cost. When I realized how long I would be wearing boots, information technology was a no-brainer.

A hot topic of argue is whether to get one or ii pairs of boots. The Regular army requires two, only after seeing the cost of one pair of Rocky's, I was a bit hesitant. The reason for two is that if you become your boots wet in the field, the humidity is and so high that the boots won't dry and y'all'll accept to wearable moisture boots until you go back to your hotel at the end of the week. They will not check if you lot have one or two pairs of boots, then the choice is yours. I ended up only purchasing i pair for BOLC and had no problems with this determination.

Cost: $lxxx-220; you may purchase these anywhere. I got mine from Amazon for $30 less than the Commutation.

It's a t-shirt. The color of this t-shirt MUST Be "TAN 499." or "OCP." If information technology does non say "TAN 499" or "OCP," do not purchase it. These sizes are really standard noncombatant sizes. You will need 8 of these.

Price: $5

Socks

The Ground forces is less particular about socks - probably because no one ever sees them. Unless you have a crazy-aggressive OIC who checks your socks, no i will know if you lot are wearing the correct socks. To err on the safe side, you should purchase knee-high socks in Tan 499 or OD Dark-green, although I take heard that black is acceptable. NO LOGOs. These should accept a decent amount of thickness/cushion. Y'all will be walking a blank minimum of 3 miles a day in gainsay boots, averaging about vi - you want to minimize the blisters you will inevitably go. They say to get five pairs. Considering they come in packs of at least 3 in the Exchange, yous should take at to the lowest degree vi. These cost less than dirt, so go crazy.

Skill badges

If you lot don't know what these are, then this section does not conern you. You lot're still here? Fine. Skill badges are earned from special trainings such as Air Set on School that many of your comrades will have completed during ROTC training. These should be sewn on. The tailor on base of operations will know where/how to sew them on.

The packing list volition say something about velcro vs sewn on for ACU and for your PC. Hither is my opinion on how to handle these:

Purchase ONE bundle of velcro Ground forces 2LT OCP rank insignias. One package contains ii rank patches, which is one more than than you demand as yous tin just tear off and apply on another uniform when y'all modify. Toll: <$v a pair

Buy I package of sewn-on Army 2LT OCP rank insignias. One package contains two rank patches. These volition be for your PCs. You need at least 1 PC to wear, so send one out to get this sewn on at a time. Price: <$3 a pair

Buy 1 set of 2LT subdued metal pin-on rank insignias. The reason for this is it volition take several days for the tailor to sew your rank insignia onto your PC. In this time, you need a rank for your other PC that you lot will wear daily. These things are annoying and will likely put a temporary dent in your brow, just hey, war is hell.

Proper noun tapes + U.S. Army Tapes

Do yourself a favor: BUY THESE FROM THE EXCHANGE WEBSITE LONG Earlier Y'all Get TO YOUR FIRST ADT/BOLC. I was blown away at the number of people who didn't have name tapes for the first week of BOLC. Yous look ridiculous without them and people can not identify y'all. Yous can buy the proper noun tapes at the base, merely they take about a week to go.

I put these together considering they may be purchased as a parcel deal on the Commutation website. The Army requires 3 name tapes and ii U.s. Army tapes. Do yourself another favor and purchase 3 of the packages shown above. That will give you 6 name tapes and three Us Army tapes. I have ane proper noun tape for my PC, one for my ACU coats, ane for my haversack, 1 I gave to my parents as a gift, one I gave to my girlfriend every bit a souvenir and I have one redundancy. For the U.s.a. Army tapes, I put i on each of my iii ACU coats.

If you want to be fancy, you lot tin become these sewn onto your PC and ACU coats. I didn't care enough to go this done during BOLC, but yous are more than than welcome to do and so!

Cost: $8 for ii name tapes and 1 U.s. Regular army record.

Your standard-issue velcro United states of america flag patch to be worn proudly on your ACU sleeve. They say to get 2. I don't see why you'd need more than that.

Price: $1.45

This will be your AMEDD unit patch. MAKE SURE Y'all Get IT IN OCP . Don't worry nearly getting this until yous get to BOLC. Like the US Flag Patch, they are cheap. It took me a week to become mine as they run out speedily due to the fact that anybody is buying ane. Its no big bargain though.

Ground forces Physical Fettle Compatible (APFU)

This will be the uniform y'all wear to PRT on those fun mornings as well as when you will wearable on your "off" fourth dimension while in field training.

Information technology'due south a T-shirt. Buy ii of them. The sizes are comparable to civilian sizes.

Cost: $7

Long-sleeved shirt

Imagine, if yous volition, the short-sleeve shirt from in a higher place, with longer sleeves! You will probably not wear this if yous exercise BOLC during the summer. Information technology is inexpensive, so buy the required two merely in example.

Price: $8-9

These shorts are not my favorite things of all time. They do not have pockets, just instead have 2 ID carte du jour holders - ane attached to the belt-line and one in the spandex liner. Oh, did I mention that it has a spandex liner? For my male comrades out there, the spandex liner tends to make your underwear a bit bunched up. Like I said, non my favorite function of the compatible. Yous are required to accept 2 of these.

Price: $16

Again, yous will probably not demand these for the summer BOLC. Just bring them along. You only need 1. They come in unisex and female person varieties.

Price: $34

Like a broken record: you will probably not demand this for a summertime BOLC. It is a pretty sweet-looking jacket and information technology is high quality, so I wasn't too broken up about having to buy ane.

Price: $52

Running shoes

These are up to you. The Army will tell you to bring "similar-new" sneakers. No i actually checks or cares. Color is as well irrelevant. As long every bit they are non beat to hell and are running shoes (non basketball shoes or annihilation similar that), you should be fine.

Sweat Socks

This topic gave me yet another *palmface* moment in regard to the listening ability of some of my BOLC comrades. The ii simple requirements of socks were: no logos and socks must cover your ankles. Need I say more on that? The socks are listed as white, but blackness socks were also adequate.

Yellow reflective belt

There are a few options on the Exchange website. They are nothing fancy. Pretty much any cogitating yellow belt similar the ones on the site volition exist fine.

Toll: $vi-viii

Extra gear

Things you don't *demand* only may want to have.

Backpack

At no point volition you actually Need your own backpack. I got one since I wanted a new backpack anyways. I know several people who got past without a backpack at all (your ACU has plenty of pockets). You will be issued an "Assault pack" (a tough haversack) that you lot will need for the field training.

If you are interested in buying a backpack, the rules are relatively simple: the haversack must be black, OCP, or coyote chocolate-brown in colour, and may not have any logos showing OR just do not carry it on your back. If the pack has a logo, you must embrace it upward with tape the same color of the backpack. If the handbag is black, use black record. If information technology is OCP camo, you may use OD green or coyote brown tape.

Elaborating on my before bespeak, you may have a backpack with a logo or is the incorrect colour, you lot simply are not allowed to vesture it as a backpack - you must carry it by hand at your side. Wearing a backpack on your dorsum makes it part of your uniform and therefore must exist the proper color and tin not accept logos.

If you get a camouflage haversack, information technology MUST be the same camo every bit your ACU. I.e, you can not wear an OCP ACU with an UCP backpack.

Camelbak

If you are non from a Texas-like region, you should know that you need to drink a LOT of water. Camelbaks provide a convenient way to do this. During your second week of BOLC, y'all will exist issued canteens. At this point, a canteen is office of your uniform and must exist on your person at all times. I had a Camelbak and stopped using it after this betoken. Although yous are required to take canteens on you, there is no rule confronting them being empty and using a Camelbak as your h2o source.

The same rule of backpacks in regards to colour and logos applies to Camelbaks.

Canteens

The canteens that you will be issued take been issued to many a BOLC pupil before you. A practiced number of people opted to purchase their ain canteens instead. There is nothing incorrect with this! They cost about $5.75 each from the Article of clothing and Sales store on base of operations.

Army Service Uniform (ASU)

https://sites.google.com/site/myarmyhpspexperience/bolc-packing-list/1200px-US-NEW-CLASS-A-UNIFORM.png

Your formal military attire. In medical school, you will only use your ASU for your interviews during your Army ADT rotations between third and fourth year, and for any formal military outcome. I finally purchased this uniform in my third year of school intending to wear information technology to the Military Specialty Nighttime at Walter Reed (which I highly encourage you to attend). As for BOLC,*** see the bottom of the page. Unfortunately, this will not be as unproblematic every bit putting together your ACU. There are a LOT of small details to get correct and there are a few resources you tin can employ to make sure you are on the right path, and I do my best for y'all, here.

This compatible needs to fit you PRECISELY, so I highly recommend that you visit a commissary to attempt on parts of the uniform before making a purchase. Furthermore, if possible, I recommend you have this uniform tailored past a tailor on a base. The exact specifications of the uniform are available in AR 670-ane , so you tin can take it to a non-military tailor, but given the corporeality of specificity entailed, you would exercise well to have a highly experienced tailor put it together.

When making your buy at a commissary, there will both be an instructional affiche somewhere in the compatible department, highlighting the parts of the uniform, every bit well every bit a helpful attendant who may or may not exist a compatible near-expert.

Here is a guide on how to put on your pins and such: http://sturdyyetfragile.blogspot.com/2017/11/regular army-dress-blues-measurements.html . You lot can utilize Google as your friend AND the residents at your rotation volition be happy to aid yous set your self straight!

I have not used this website myself, but https://www.marlowwhite.com/army-uniforms has entire uniforms laid out for you to purchase all at one time, and fifty-fifty explains what to clothing when. At the very least, it looks like a great place for a checklist.

Lastly, there are three levels of dress uniform: Course A, Class B and Dress. The Class A is essentially a more than relaxed version of the Dress with mostly the same parts and same goes for Class B with regards to A. I'll clarify this at the end. While the moral of this story is: READ AR 670-1 , to outset, I want to get over all of the parts:

I will start this section off with a warning: in that location are different brands and materials that become into the parts of an ASU. You MUST ensure that the fabric of your glaze matches the textile of your trousers/skirt. The large deviation here is price and experience. In my opinion, the more than expensive glaze was much more comfortable, but was slightly heavier. It is up to you, but make certain those materials lucifer! The last part to emphasize hither is that it should be an Officeholder coat appropriate for your gender . This should fit yous every bit whatever accommodate jacket should.

Price: $115-198 (depending on quality and occasional sales)

As mentioned in the ASU glaze description, ensure that the material of the glaze matches that of the trousers. Trousers are required for men and are optional for women. The iii things to look out for here are: Material, Gender, and Officer golden complect. I believe the braid is slightly narrower for women, but just go the trousers/slacks with the complect sewn on and yous'll take no worries. As for fit, these are to exist worn high on your hips.

Toll: $35-70 (depending on quality and occasional sales)

I must apologize to my female viewers, as this is not exactly my area of expertise. AR-670-one does non specify how a skirt should fit and I am rather defective in skirt-fitting experience. My best communication is to follow pictures online and enquire for aid from the uniform department bellboy. I also believe the brim is the same for both officers and enlisted females. Two points of note: AR 670-1 says that hosiery should be worn with an ASU skirt. As well, while a skirt or trousers are permitted with Grade A or Class B, a brim is REQUIRED for Dress .

Toll: $48

These come up in both a long and a short diverseness for men and women. There is no officer/non-officer differentiation, here. You can run into on the ShopMyExchange site that there are various sizes and fit styles - the best plumbing fixtures volition do! Be sure to get at least 1 long and one curt sleeve shirt.

Cost: $20-40

Your standard blackness beret to be worn with your Grade A and Class B uniform. The beret requires your rank insignia to be worn in the middle of the blue region. The cap does need to be shaved on occasion, every bit it does get fuzzy, only you can spotter youtube videos to figure that one out.

Cost: $twenty-30

The headwear that will summit off your ASU Dress compatible. YOU PROBABLY DON'T NEED THIS But Notwithstanding - the beret will suffice for your needs until you have a very formal event. The cap is for males and the hat for females. Be sure to learn this in the officeholder variety. The cap/hat will crave a hatband every bit well every bit a mentum strap, which I will become to later. The cap/hat should be the aforementioned textile as the coat and pants.

Price: $34-95

To be safety, here, I would go with whatever the commissary offers. You'll only find 2-3 choices. Simply go with whatever your centre/wallet feels is best! For women, AR 670-1 is annoyingly quiet when it comes to shoes. Again, with women's style not being my thing, I am going to guess that pumps are to exist worn with the brim and oxfords with trousers, just I wouldn't take my word for it...

Toll: $45-90

The neckwear is to be worn with your Apparel uniform, Class A and Class B. The neckwear is optional with the brusk-sleeved Course B. This applies to both men and women. For men, the necktie is worn when in the Grade B and A, but when wearing the Wearing apparel uniform, the Bowtie is worn instead. For women, the aforementioned standard is applied, but with the neck tab at all levels.

Price: $iii-ten

Information technology is a belt! It is blackness, cotton with a gold buckle. Non much to say - there'due south only one choice, so y'all tin't go wrong! Wear it with all ASU set up-ups.

Price: $4-x

To be affixed to your ASU coat sleeves After it is tailored for size. Be certain to get the maroon medical variety.

Cost: $ten-15

There are many varieties of these, simply exist certain to go a set of Army Medical shoulder boards/straps, male or female person. These are affixed to your ASU coat.

Price: $30-50 (Not sure why these price this much)

Comparable to the shoulder boards, these are affixed to your ASU shirt. These come in male/female diversity

Toll: $4-8

A pin-on rank to be worn on your beret. Pick up a set of these!

Toll: $8-10

While it is annoyingly difficult to find, you must obtain the Medical Officer maroon lid band to be affixed to your ASU cap for males. Females simply need to obtain the ASU officer lid band.

Price: $fifteen-35

You volition also demand a chin strap to go along with your ASU cap (males only). Information technology, oddly enough, goes on your forehead in a ceremonial gesture. It should exist gold.

Price: ?

Your archetype plastic proper noun tag. To be worn on your ASU at all levels. Get 2: ane to be worn on your ASU shirt and one on the ASU coat.

Price: $iii-four

You volition likely simply meet the criteria for two: the National Defence Service ribbon for your service during a time of state of war (equally shown on the left), and the Army Service Ribbon (right) for having completed BOLC. Note that the ribbon will not have a mountain included , then you volition have to selection ane upwardly separately (they sell mounts to accommodate any number of ribbons, so don't try wearing two single mounts for 2 ribbons). To exist worn on your ASU coat. This website volition aid y'all effigy out the order of your ribbons.

Cost: $3

U.S. Insignia/Branch Insignia pins

Gold-plated pins to be worn proudly on the lapel of your ASU coat, bilaterally (can't escape the md jargon...). Because nothing in life can be easy and straight-frontward, you will really need ii different sets of pins. Earlier you graduate medical school, you are technically in the Medical Service Corps. As such, you should wearable the silver pins shown above. After you graduate, you get to wear the gold pin shown above.

To be articulate: you need the gold U.South. pins along with EITHER the Medical OR Medical Service Corps pins.

Price: $five-eight each set of 2

Get yourself an Army Medical crest!

Cost: $8-x

Badges

With the lack of a station, let's not worry nigh crests, and if yous are far along plenty in the Army to take a badge, there is cipher I tin can tell you about this that you lot don't already know.

Putting it all together...

Equally I wrote earlier:

Hither is a guide on how to put on your pins and such: http://sturdyyetfragile.blogspot.com/2017/11/regular army-apparel-blues-measurements.html . You tin use Google equally your friend AND the residents at your rotation volition be happy to aid you set your cocky straight!

After all that, allow's put the pieces together and get yous in a classy compatible! I go in "descending" social club as it is simplest to recall of the Dress uniform first, and remove pieces to get to the Class A, and somewhen the Class B:

Dress

  1. Trousers/skirt (mandatory for females), long-sleeve shirt (with proper noun tag (1/2) and shoulder marks - if you don't plan on taking off the glaze, you lot can pass on the name tag and shoulder marks), belt, bow tie/neck tab, black socks and oxfords or pumps

  2. ASU Coat

    1. Name tag (2/2)

    2. Bilateral U.Southward. Insignia and Branch Insignia pins

    3. Ribbon

    4. Shoulder boards

    5. Sleeve braids

  3. Cap/hat

    1. Chin strap (male)

    2. Hat band

Grade A

  1. All components of the Clothes uniform

  2. Switch the bow tie for cervix tie (male person)

  3. Trousers may be switched in for skirt (female)

  4. Cap may be switched with beret depending on what you are told to exercise

Course B

  1. All components of the Dress uniform minus the glaze and minus the cap

  2. Add badges and ribbons to ASU shirt

  3. Add beret

  4. Long or curt-sleeve shirt may be worn

    1. If long-sleeve is worn, the neckwear must be worn

    2. If curt-sleeve is worn, the neckwear is optional

***There seems to be some confusion as to whether or not this uniform is necessary for BOLC. In my welcome e-mail service for BOLC, we were told that the ASU would exist necessary for the BOLC graduation ceremony. Shortly later, I received an eastward-mail clarifying the outset, which stated that the ACU, not the ASU would exist worn for graduation from BOLC, and thus would not need to be purchased and brought to BOLC.

I am Not telling you lot that y'all exercise not need an ASU for BOLC. If you have concerns, I recommend that yous achieve out to the officer who sent you lot your welcome e-mail service. They may very well issue a description east-post.