I just arrived in San Antonio for the new 3 week version of CCC. I'll try to post every day or two if possible.
To answer some questions, the three week version is supposed to better emulate the nine week, in order to be TRADOC compliant. The idea is that this will become a monthly offering so that Captains can actually do it during residency years as an elective.
Day 1- Arrive JBSA (Ft. Sam Houston) between 0900-1600, earlier the better so as to be roomed at the new Candlewood Suites on post. Evidently the course has been held at various locations on and off post in the past, with some classes sharing dorm or hotel rooms. I got here at 11:30, checked in with the cadre in the lobby, and received a room with a single queen bed. I only brought one copy of my orders, having sent in my cyber awareness, Phase 1 completion cert, and other forms already. Given a map of the base and told to report at the helicopter at 0445 tomorrow in PTs for weigh in, then cut loose for the day.
Day 2- Report to the helicopter at 0445 in PTs with set of ACUs in a bag, line up roughly alphabetically, then go upstairs in the big AMEDD classroom building to the top floor for height/weight, scan CAC card, and enter contact info into an excel spreadheet. Cut loose until 0900, so really no need to bring the ACUs/boots. Report to large auditorium on first floor at 0900 for several in-briefs, mostly about off-limits businesses and how to do a proper push-up (lots of failures in the past, evidently). Stop at 1100, report back at 1300 for small group assignments in top floor classrooms. Given folder of some reading material and brief introductory lectures. Stopped mid-afternoon and sent home/hotel to prepare for APFT and read in preparation for the next day.
Day 3- Report to PT field at 0445, start APFT at 0500. Grading typical, not too rigorous despite all the warnings. Finish APFT around 0630, sent back to hotel to shower and report to class between 0800 and 0900 depending which small group you're in. Several lectures on leadership, influence, etc, then break for lunch. A few more hours of the same in the afternoon, then sent home to read.
Day 4- Class from 0830-1530 or so, learning structure of units, command climate, and mission command.
Day 5- Surprise 4 mile fun run at 0445. Then class from 0830-noon on company level training and property management. Afternoon lectures on UCMJ and jag duties.
Day 6 (Saturday)- How to write OERs and NCOERs. Afternoon gathering in the big auditorium to watch a movie about patient safety and talk about how TSG's goal is to transform us into a "high reliability organization". They asked for feedback from the crowd, and it turned into a 90 minute gripe session on funding, inane taskings, etc. They dismissed us out of frustration.
Day 7- No class, self study and complete more online training.
Day 8- Operational terms and military symbols (the little rectangles that represent units on a map), structure of the brigade combat team.
Day 9- Intro to MDMP (Google it, too complex to explain here). Decipher an OPORD and prepare to brief it back as a group, detailing the medical portion of the mission.
Day 10- Course of action development and "wargaming" (brainstorming how to accomplish our mission despite bad weather, broken coms, or other issues that might occur)
Day 11- COA analysis and discussion. Afternoon lectures in Blesse auditorium.
Day 12- 0800 lecture from MG Jones, likely next Surg General. Irrelevant discussion of his career path, little info on future direction of medcom. Some talk of safety and excellence initiatives, but no mention of where the manpower or funding for the extra work involved will come from. Invited applause from Kool-Aid drinkers at the end. Follow-on lecture from an Army Baylor grad on business case analysis- you have to use the financial analysis tools provided to decide if adding a step-down unit to an AMEDD hospital will be profitable, and if so, over what time. Conduct the BCA in the classroom that afternoon.
Day 13- Individual lectures on different topics, given by class members. You can use old lectures as a template.
Day 14- Self study, complete online modules.
Day 15- Make-up/retake APFT at 0530 for late arrivals or failures. 0800 report for all others for day 1 of leadership seminar (tips on how to be an effective leader that could easily and more effectively be compressed into a 15 minute lecture, but instead lasts two days) given by elderly retired line officers who think we're still in the Vietnam era Army of mustaches, cigarettes, and after-hours camaraderie at the O Club.
Day 16- round two of leadership seminar. The wheels essentially came off due to inapplicability of the subject matter (we cannot choose who we work with, and cannot fire the bad ones/retain the good ones), and the class revolted. Flame battles ensued between dull-eyed lifers and those not clawing for admin positions.
Day 17- Lectures on how to work with civilians. Actually very informative and helpful for field grades working in section/clinic chief positions.
Day 18- Lectures from AMEDD branch and others on direction of Army medicine (everyone will do a two year brigade surgeon stint, no matter number or recency of deployments), specialists can eat it, no one cares about skill attrition, we exist to serve the line, it's your job to retrain yourself afterwards, hooah.
Day 19- Graduation rehearsal for three hours, followed by 20 minute graduation. Got to get the Army song just right, his excellency the general will be there!
To answer some questions, the three week version is supposed to better emulate the nine week, in order to be TRADOC compliant. The idea is that this will become a monthly offering so that Captains can actually do it during residency years as an elective.
Day 1- Arrive JBSA (Ft. Sam Houston) between 0900-1600, earlier the better so as to be roomed at the new Candlewood Suites on post. Evidently the course has been held at various locations on and off post in the past, with some classes sharing dorm or hotel rooms. I got here at 11:30, checked in with the cadre in the lobby, and received a room with a single queen bed. I only brought one copy of my orders, having sent in my cyber awareness, Phase 1 completion cert, and other forms already. Given a map of the base and told to report at the helicopter at 0445 tomorrow in PTs for weigh in, then cut loose for the day.
Day 2- Report to the helicopter at 0445 in PTs with set of ACUs in a bag, line up roughly alphabetically, then go upstairs in the big AMEDD classroom building to the top floor for height/weight, scan CAC card, and enter contact info into an excel spreadheet. Cut loose until 0900, so really no need to bring the ACUs/boots. Report to large auditorium on first floor at 0900 for several in-briefs, mostly about off-limits businesses and how to do a proper push-up (lots of failures in the past, evidently). Stop at 1100, report back at 1300 for small group assignments in top floor classrooms. Given folder of some reading material and brief introductory lectures. Stopped mid-afternoon and sent home/hotel to prepare for APFT and read in preparation for the next day.
Day 3- Report to PT field at 0445, start APFT at 0500. Grading typical, not too rigorous despite all the warnings. Finish APFT around 0630, sent back to hotel to shower and report to class between 0800 and 0900 depending which small group you're in. Several lectures on leadership, influence, etc, then break for lunch. A few more hours of the same in the afternoon, then sent home to read.
Day 4- Class from 0830-1530 or so, learning structure of units, command climate, and mission command.
Day 5- Surprise 4 mile fun run at 0445. Then class from 0830-noon on company level training and property management. Afternoon lectures on UCMJ and jag duties.
Day 6 (Saturday)- How to write OERs and NCOERs. Afternoon gathering in the big auditorium to watch a movie about patient safety and talk about how TSG's goal is to transform us into a "high reliability organization". They asked for feedback from the crowd, and it turned into a 90 minute gripe session on funding, inane taskings, etc. They dismissed us out of frustration.
Day 7- No class, self study and complete more online training.
Day 8- Operational terms and military symbols (the little rectangles that represent units on a map), structure of the brigade combat team.
Day 9- Intro to MDMP (Google it, too complex to explain here). Decipher an OPORD and prepare to brief it back as a group, detailing the medical portion of the mission.
Day 10- Course of action development and "wargaming" (brainstorming how to accomplish our mission despite bad weather, broken coms, or other issues that might occur)
Day 11- COA analysis and discussion. Afternoon lectures in Blesse auditorium.
Day 12- 0800 lecture from MG Jones, likely next Surg General. Irrelevant discussion of his career path, little info on future direction of medcom. Some talk of safety and excellence initiatives, but no mention of where the manpower or funding for the extra work involved will come from. Invited applause from Kool-Aid drinkers at the end. Follow-on lecture from an Army Baylor grad on business case analysis- you have to use the financial analysis tools provided to decide if adding a step-down unit to an AMEDD hospital will be profitable, and if so, over what time. Conduct the BCA in the classroom that afternoon.
Day 13- Individual lectures on different topics, given by class members. You can use old lectures as a template.
Day 14- Self study, complete online modules.
Day 15- Make-up/retake APFT at 0530 for late arrivals or failures. 0800 report for all others for day 1 of leadership seminar (tips on how to be an effective leader that could easily and more effectively be compressed into a 15 minute lecture, but instead lasts two days) given by elderly retired line officers who think we're still in the Vietnam era Army of mustaches, cigarettes, and after-hours camaraderie at the O Club.
Day 16- round two of leadership seminar. The wheels essentially came off due to inapplicability of the subject matter (we cannot choose who we work with, and cannot fire the bad ones/retain the good ones), and the class revolted. Flame battles ensued between dull-eyed lifers and those not clawing for admin positions.
Day 17- Lectures on how to work with civilians. Actually very informative and helpful for field grades working in section/clinic chief positions.
Day 18- Lectures from AMEDD branch and others on direction of Army medicine (everyone will do a two year brigade surgeon stint, no matter number or recency of deployments), specialists can eat it, no one cares about skill attrition, we exist to serve the line, it's your job to retrain yourself afterwards, hooah.
Day 19- Graduation rehearsal for three hours, followed by 20 minute graduation. Got to get the Army song just right, his excellency the general will be there!
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