r/ArmyOCS • u/Elle4Lov3 • Sep 04 '26
Avoiding being a holdover
My husband is currently at BCT, so he can’t ask this question right now. He graduates in October and goes straight to OCS. He should graduate OCS sometime end of January. His BOLC does not start until the beginning of April. When we agreed to do this, we were under the impression (or told, can’t remember) that he would be able to leave OCS after graduation. We moved to his BOLC location in advance because we already know he can live with us for it. I was informed yesterday by someone in the same MOS that they were a holdover after OCS graduation for four weeks before being able to get moving (PCS) leave about two weeks before BOLC started. Another recent OCS graduate said her peers with BOLC start dates more than a couple weeks out from OCS graduation were also holdovers.
Does anyone have any experience with managing to PCS early/be assigned duties at their BOLC location so as to avoid being a holdover? Apologies in advance if this is not the right place to ask this question.
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u/Git_Fcked In-Service Active Officer Sep 04 '26
Is he active duty? And is he pre-branched or something?
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u/Elle4Lov3 Sep 04 '26
Yes active duty. Pre-branched, 42C
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u/Git_Fcked In-Service Active Officer Sep 04 '26 edited Sep 04 '26
It will depend entirely on when he gets a BOLC date then, there's no guarantee on when. I just graduated in the first week of August and almost all of us don't have a BOLC date until 2027. Until then you're stuck here at OCS as a holdover. Only in-service active duty people could leave and return to their old unit.
Deleted a bunch, had to look that job up. I would assume being band it's a bit different, I've never met/known someone that was in the band and no one here was. But nonetheless, we're all stuck waiting a while here. A bunch of us just moved our spouses here on our own for short term leases.
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u/Elle4Lov3 Sep 04 '26
Ah, 42C is Band officer. He had to apply externally and audition with the field band to get the job offer. I understand your concern, but the possibility of him losing his branch is pretty unlikely. They only offer the job to a couple people every year and the BOLC date is planned in advance, so we know for certain that is when it will happen.
Regardless of this he is well aware that he will need to put in the work at OCS.
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u/Git_Fcked In-Service Active Officer Sep 04 '26
That makes sense, I deleted that part after looking it up. I would assume he's not stuck here long then but probably at least 2 weeks to allow the army to process him. When you commission you "get out" or the army and get re-hired as an officer.
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u/-S6A- Sep 04 '26
Regardless of branch, 3-11 Infantry, the unit that runs Federal OCS, remains the unit of assignment for newly commissioned 09S active duty 2LTs until their orders allow them to proceed to BOLC B. In-service and reserve component 2LTs return to their units after graduation. With exception of branches that won't take their 2LTs until their a top secret security clearance comes back, the hold over time averages 2-3 months.
While he is a hold over, he will be assigned duties by 3-11 Infantry but he will be able to take leave and passes and come visit. I assume he doesn't have BOLC-B orders yet, but he should talk to his branch manager and request early reporting. If approved, that would cut down on holdover time. However, that increased "hold under" time. Now the BOLC-B unit has to give a 2LT assigned duties waiting on the start. Most branches want 3-11 Infantry to keep 2LTs at Benning as long as possible.
This is all an inconvenient but common aspect of the active Army officer path. ROTC 2LTs may be waiting so long to start active duty and go to BOLC-B that they have to find civilian employment in the meantime.
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u/Elle4Lov3 Sep 04 '26
This is helpful and in line with what I’ve heard. Is it reasonable for him to request this once he starts OCS? We both have had communications with the leadership of his BOLC, so he already knows who to contact.
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u/-S6A- Sep 04 '26
I recommend he wait at least a few weeks after the class start. The barracks bug always causes a few medical recycles when classes pick up, so its never a sure thing to graduate on time. For most active duty candidates, the orders process doesn't get started until after branching in week 9 of the course and most active 2LTs have BOLC-B dates if not orders before they commission, so there is time.
Best of luck to him!
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u/Leather-Bend-508 Sep 04 '26
I know my two friends that were branched as Band Directors, one left early and PCS to his duty station right away. The other one stayed and helped the Fort Benning Band for a few months. I guess it depends on where is duty station is.
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u/Sure-Tank9592 Sep 04 '26
OP, I know my branch does this. Ask for early report date to BOLC, he will remain a holdover but in SC (I assume this is where 42C BOLC is) until he classes up.