Crusher Company, The U.S. Army Officer Candidate School

In preparation for Charley Company's coming graduation here is a link to information on gaining access to Fort Benning, and obtaining a visitor's pass. Please take special note that you must first visit the Visitor Center that is located at the main gate on the I-185 Access Control Point in order to receive your pass. Due to the recent REAL ID ACT, driver's licences from the states of Minnesota, Missouri, Washington and the territory of American Samoa will not be accepted as valid ID, so be sure to bring another form of identification to avoid any issues. All of this information is further explained in the link. http://www.benning.army.mil/gateinfo/index.html

On the October 5th Charlie Company took a trip to the site of the Andersonville Civil War Prison Camp. 52,345 Union Soldiers were held here, and an estimated 13,900 were put to rest from February 1864 - April 1865. The outer wall of the camp does not stand today. Instead we are left with a wide open field. To understand the magnitude of this camp know that it was intended to hold at most 10,000 prisoners at one time, but instead held 33,000 in its harshest conditions. There ...were no housing structures for those imprisoned, so they instead slept on the ground with a makeshift tent to block out the elements. Andersonville is a devastating example of what goes wrong when a leader does not adequately plan, logistics cannot be supplied, and prisoner of war welfare is not properly considered. It is a grave reminder to all future leaders that someday they too may be faced with similar tough decisions, and will do well to learn from the mistakes of the past. Further Reading: http://www.civilwar.org//warfa/warfare/andersonville.html

Today, Charley Company had the opportunity to attend an Armor BOLC live fire, and get a tour of both the Abrams M1A2 and Bradley. Learning about disciplines outside of their own branches, and becoming more familiar with others' work is especially important for future Officers. Every opportunity to expand an Officer Candidate's horizons increases the probability that they will discover a new way to think about a subject, or approach a problem from a new perspective. This increased understanding also paves the way for future cooperation. Also, it's always a benefit to walk in another Soldier's boots however brief that moment may be.

Bright and early at 0400, Charlie Co. Class 009-16 stepped off on their final 12 Mile Road March. Low on sleep, but high on determination, Charlie pushed through fatigue, blistered feet, and various aches to finish their march. It's this very determination that will continue to serve each and every one of these Officer Candidates in their near futures as 2nd Lieutenants. They know that when a task gets difficult all it takes is a step followed by another step to eventually reach the finish line, and accomplish their mission. With graduation looming on the near horizon, Charlie Co. is dead set on finishing the cycle above and beyond expectation!

After weeks of skill building, leadership development, and hard work, the Officer Candidates of Charlie Company Class 009-16 were put to their biggest test: Squad Situational Training Exercises (STX). Each training lane tests an individual Officer Candidate as a Squad Leader and their ability to recieve a mission, deliver an Operations Order (OPORD), execute their plan, and complete the mission with their team despite whatever obstacles may appear. Whether it be indirect fire..., unexpected enemy contact, or sustained casualties, every Candidate must be able to react, adapt, and overcome. Despite the many obstacles, Charlie Company more than succeeded in its mission thanks to a demonstrated competency in their Warrior Task and Battle Drills, a resolute grasp of small unit tactics, adaptability, teamwork, and a strong demonstration of leadership.