What advice or tips do you have on how to manage attending BOLC with an infant?

2024-06-25T17:27:01-04:00

I am having to attend Transportation BOLC in order to avoid separation due to my extension waiver expiring. I will have a 6 month old baby at the time I am expected to be at BOLC. I will have to bring my baby with me and find some sort of child care while I am attending classes/training. Does anyone have experience or and tips for how to manage attending BOLC with an infant?

Response by COL Randall C. made Jun 25 at 2024 8:38 PM

2024-06-25T20:38:09-04:00

I was going to suggest that you option out of BOLC until they are 1-year old (you should be given an automatic six-month extension on the waiver due to the 365-day pregnancy deferment* if you so chose), but my SWAG from your statement is that you're already at the 3+ year mark from being commissioned. However, if you do want to go this route, then discuss it will your leadership and HRC about extending the waiver for another six months (or thereabouts). It would give you some more time to make arrangements prior to BOLC.

If you don't go that route, there are a number of Child Development Centers* (CDC) on Fort Gregg-Adams that you would be eligible for as you'll be on active duty orders when you're TDY there. Another option would be to contact the Family Child Care (FCC) providers on post (there are four listed for Ft. Gregg-Adams).

If you don't know what the CDCs or FCCs are, there's a link below* with the descriptions of the programs, requirements, standards, oversight, etc. However you can think of CDCs as more of the traditional "child care facilities" while the FCCs are usually military spouses that have been accreditated by DoD and provide care at their homes.

There's usually a waiting list, but you can be added by creating an account at militarychildcare.com*
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* Army Pregnancy Policy (2022-06) - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN35255-ARMY_DIR_2022-06-000-WEB-1.pdf
* Full descriptions of military-operated Child Care Programs - https://public.militarychildcare.csd.disa.mil/mcc-central/mcchome/military-operated-child-care-programs
* https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/military-installation/fort-gregg-adams/child-and-youth-services/child-care
*

ARN35255-ARMY_DIR_2022-06-000-WEB-1.pdf

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Jun 26 at 2024 9:21 AM

2024-06-26T09:21:21-04:00

Contact Ft Gregg Adams and see what kind of existing family services they have. Another route would be to see if there are any Facebook groups for Gregg Adams families/dependents/spouses and see if anyone has any childcare options for a 6mo old. Or if you're lucky, perhaps someone there may even runs an in-home day care that could help you out.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Jun 26 at 2024 3:12 PM

2024-06-26T15:12:58-04:00

I'm going to make an alternative suggestion, find a trusted relative and leave the child with them. I have no idea how difficult the Transportation BOLC, but I have completed my Basic Infantry and Engineer Advance Course. Infantry Basic is extremely busy and I was in the field a lot. I couldn't imagine trying to complete it and care for a young infant at the same time. Even cantonment in the Engineer Advance Course was usually 12 hour days.

Response by MAJ Ronnie Reams made Jun 27 at 2024 9:51 AM

2024-06-27T09:51:37-04:00

Has TC moved from Fort Eustis?

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 28 at 2024 6:54 AM

2024-06-28T06:54:49-04:00

Managing attending BOLC with an infant can be challenging but manageable with careful planning. Consider creating a support network of family and friends for childcare assistance during training sessions. Communicate openly with instructors about your situation to explore any available accommodations. Prioritize self-care and rest whenever possible to maintain energy levels. Additionally, researching local water heater installation services before deployment can help ensure a smooth transition upon returning home.
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Response by MSG Thomas Currie made Jun 28 at 2024 11:52 AM

2024-06-28T11:52:20-04:00

Perhaps you might do whatever you already have in your written plan for taking care of the child while your unit is deployed?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 3 at 2024 3:07 PM

2024-07-03T15:07:14-04:00

What is actually in your Family Care Plan, and reality are probably two different things.

I had a child born while in BOLC. Now, I also had a spouse take care of him the whole time. Every possible moment I could step away from BOLC and just be there for them was taken, and it was never going to be enough. I had to use up the entirety of my allotted hours from missing course instruction, and I was merely the father with a stay at home mother caring for the child.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That probably challenged my life the most of anything, and I didn't have to take care of him 24/7.

You're going to be faced with an uncompromising employer during the least compromising period of your career with said employer (initial Training) pitted against the most delicate period of a child's life.

Things you will need to lay the ground work for.
1) Establish a residence near BOLC you can drive to. Since you are not AD you are not going to get any assistance from the Army with this. What I did was rent an apartment off post on my own dime (but I was also pulling BAH anyway, so that covered it). I almost didn't make it happen. I was never given time during the week to do this, and I was lucky enough to find a place on the weekends.
1a) I think you have to do this. You need to be in driving distance (30 minutes) of your baby. The stress of those 4 months in BOLC entirely separated from the kid are going to weigh heavily on you. Missing the growth and development from 6 months to 10 months is going to crush you.
2) Then you need to find someone to take care of the baby 24/7, and have no expectation of any reliability when you will stop by to be with the kid, and put them up in said residence in #1.

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If you line up all your pieces you can probably pull it off and see the kid on the weekends.

If you try and see them during the week you are going to run yourself into the ground and risk failing a part of BOLC and defeat the whole effort.

Your objective of BOLC is to CHECK THE BOX, and meet the ARMY STANDARD. NOTHING MORE!!!!!
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The difference in my scenario and your is.
1) I wasn't the stay at home parent.
2) The kid was born with only 2 weeks of BOLC remaining.
3) I managed to get the cadre to allow me to take my comprehensive exam/project just before the kid was actually born. So effectively..... all boxes to pass BOLC were behind me the moment he was born.
4) When the kid was born I effectively stopped living in the hotel and went back to the apartment daily.

The most stressful period of time was before the birth. I was leaving my spouse and mother home alone while I stayed at the Hotel and focused on BOLC. I barely kept it together. I don't think it could have been done any other way. If I had gone to the apartment to be with her I would have fallen behind on BOLC course work very quickly.

Yes, the kid was born, and I was there basically every day thereafter, but by then I already completed all the requirements and was just coasting toward out processing, graduation, and the final dinner. My APFT for record was completed at the start, and I didn't really care how I performed for subsequent scores.

I cannot see going back to the kid every single day as workable, and I was able to dump the care of the baby entirely on the mother shy of my "hello I'm here for a few hours until 0400 the next day).

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I will leave you with this as my positive note.

Just get through BOLC. Make it happen. It quickly falls behind you in your career and becomes an inconsequential part of your career progression. You LT OER's quickly override your BOLC performance, and you make CPT automatically anyway with BOLC, so by time you are up for MAJ you nearly have 10 OERs after BOLC, and no one is going to be looking at your BOLC performance. Certainly not in the NG or USAR.

Be the Army Standard.

Response by SPC Kenneth Berry made Sep 10 at 2024 10:13 AM

2024-09-10T10:13:24-04:00

My advise is look at all your options. Talk to everyone you can around you that has been through it, especially the ones that just went thru. I know your mind will be on the baby instead of your task, might want to see if you can get someone to come with it is a stretch but maybe.