TRAINING

The Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course

The Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course (JAOBC) is comprised of two phases: the Direct Commissioned Course and the Charlottesville Phase.

Direct Commissioned Course (DCC) Your training begins at Fort Benning, Ga., with six weeks of the Direct Commissioned Course. This rigorous six-week course is designed to teach prospective Judge Advocates leadership skills and military tactics. All incoming Army Officers (West Point, ROTC and Officer Candidate School graduates) are also required to attend this course.

This course includes physical fitness training, foot marches, combatives, land navigation training, weapons training, practical exercises in leadership, and confidence courses featuring difficult obstacles that will challenge students to overcome their personal fears.

Charlottesville Phase Following DCC, Judge Advocates will undergo a ten-and-a-half week Officer’s course at The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School (TJAGLCS) in Charlottesville, Va. This school is located on the University of Virginia campus, adjacent to the University of Virginia School of Law.

During this phase, Judge Advocates will learn the organization, function, and mission of the U.S. Army JAG Corps, and will receive an overview of military law in the U.S. Army. This course focuses on areas of law that will be particularly important to new Judge Advocates in the first three years of practice, including military criminal law, government contract and fiscal law, legal assistance, claims, administrative law, and international and operational law. Computer training and practical exercises in trial advocacy and attorney-client issues are also a part of this phase.