AMEDD 2018 66s

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Hello all! I have recently been selected for commission as a 66s (critical care nurse) into active duty Army. Just waiting on my scroll and my release from my current unit (Reserve unit). Just wondering if anyone else out there is headed this same direction and can provide some good insight about the Army side of nursing. I have been in the Reserves for 14 years now and a nurse for 3 (all ICU). Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

Hi JLB ,

Can you or anyone else on this post explain what the board process is like? Like several others, I am in the USAR currently and I work in the ICU. I am interested in switching to active duty as a 66S and have talked to several AMEDD recruiters. From what I understand, the deadline to submit your packet is in October and that you have to be released by your current unit. I was told it could take several months to get formal orders to AD. I just want to plan the next year or two accordingly so that I know when to submit resignation letter, find housing, and help my SO find a job in advanced in whatever area we would be moving to. Also, what is a scroll?

Also congrats on getting selected for AD!

Thanks!

JLB,

I am currently in the same position, I've been in USAR for almost 2 years but I started an active duty packet sometime in March, 2018. The G1 signed my dd368 and my recruiter told me my "unofficial" scroll was approved June 30th. I will be going in as a 66S as well, It's been a month and I haven't heard anything back ( total 5 months ) yet. I was wondering what happened with your situation and how long your whole process took - thank you for sharing and best of luck. And also congrats !

Ray,RN87, Sorry it took so long to get back with you. This is how my timeline as gone so far:

I submitted my packet around August 2017 for the Sep '17 board (I had been working on the packet since June 2017)

I did not make that board and was pushed over onto the OML

Got "selected" October 2017

Received orders March 2018

Went to DCC in Fort Sill, OK July 2018

Now I am currently in BOLC at Fort Sam.

I encourage you to hang in there. It is a LONG process but you will eventually get in there. Also, seeing that you are prior service. Keep in mind when you go to DCC that it will be incredibly elementary to you. You will feel like a private most days and, to be honest, it is a waste of time for a prior enlisted. But just remember you have the choice to make it a good or bad experience. The good I took from it is I met some REALLY awesome people, many of which came on to BOLC with me immediately after DCC. If there is anything I can do to help you, please do not hesitate to ask me. But email would probably be the best way to contact me. Private message me if you need my email. Take care!

Hi JLB ,

Can you or anyone else on this post explain what the board process is like? Like several others, I am in the USAR currently and I work in the ICU. I am interested in switching to active duty as a 66S and have talked to several AMEDD recruiters. From what I understand, the deadline to submit your packet is in October and that you have to be released by your current unit. I was told it could take several months to get formal orders to AD. I just want to plan the next year or two accordingly so that I know when to submit resignation letter, find housing, and help my SO find a job in advanced in whatever area we would be moving to. Also, what is a scroll?

Also congrats on getting selected for AD!

Thanks!

kgbartolome93, I may have answered your question with my reply to RayRN87. It does take a long time. I think from the start of my packet to the day I left for DCC it was around 12-13 months. It takes a LONG time. You will have time to submit a resignation. I think I had around 1.5-2 months? I got orders on 29 May and had to leave 8 July. But you will have already known before that you got selected so you can start planning then. My recruiter was excellent in keeping me in the loop (i.e. "your orders should be here in the next few weeks, etc.). Do not make any hard plans until you have orders in hand though. Your scroll is basically the document that goes before congress to get selected/approved. There may be someone out there who can explain that better than I can, but that is the "jist" of it.

Do you mind speaking on your experience at DCC and BOLC so far? I am commissioning Monday as a 66s and was curious about the process from swearing in to DCC/BOLC.

Specializes in ICU.
On 12/8/2018 at 12:06 PM, Alex892007 said:

Do you mind speaking on your experience at DCC and BOLC so far? I am commissioning Monday as a 66s and was curious about the process from swearing in to DCC/BOLC.

I commissioned back in March 2018, went to DCC/BOLC in the summer of 2018 and am now stationed at Tripler in Hawaii. I am a 66S (ICU nurse)

DCC - 4 weeks of hurry up and wait, with a few days doing "Army" things like the obstacle course, range time, going thru the gas chamber, etc. You stay in the barracks, do PT, march to chow, go to class, lights out by 10. It is basically an officer's crash course into the military while getting everything in line (paperwork, uniforms, etc.) It is in Ft. Sill, OK.

BOLC - 2ish months of more structured training. It is a gentleman's course so you live in a hotel and don't have to march everywhere, can leave post, etc. Unlike DCC, it is run by medical officers (mostly 70Bs). You have a month of classwork where you learn about the structure of medical forces in the Army. This is mostly geared towards the 70Bs and a lot of it you won't have to worry about too much in your career. However, the Army is in a huge transition period (moving from AMEDD to DHA) which is resulting in a huge restructuring of how the Army does things. Anyways, BOLC is fun. Show up at the right time in the right uniform and you'll be good.

The second half of BOLC was in the field for about a month, but you come back to the hotel on the weekends. I had a blast. You do land nav, combatives, weapons qual, set up Roles I, II, and III, CBRNE, etc. I loved it.

The last part of BOLC is the nurse track. It is about 2 weeks long and is mostly geared for all the new ROTC nurses going to med-surg but the direct commissions founds some useful info too. You'll renew your BLS and speak, do some leadership stuff, and just get an idea of what it is like to be an Army nurse.

***If you are a direct commission and the Army gave you credit towards rank for your prior experience as a nurse, when you get your AD DA 71, send it to HRC so you can make sure you are promoted on time. I did not know this and as a result, I have to wait 6 month to be promoted to 1LT even though technically I am already promotable. (I will get back pay, but it is just a hassle).

This is a really brief and short summary of DCC/BOLC. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to PM me or ask here!

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