DCC Packing List: The Complete Interactive Checklist

This interactive checklist consolidates the packing requirements for the Army’s Direct Commission Course at Fort Benning. Use the checkboxes to track your progress as you prepare. Your selections are saved in your browser for the duration of your session.

The official DCC page publishes a packing list with each class’s welcome letter, and that document is always your authoritative source. Requirements may change between classes. What follows is based on the January 2025 packing list and supplementary guidance from my experience in 2014. Always defer to the packing list provided with your orders.

Prohibited Items

Do not bring any of the following. Violations may result in counseling, recycling (repeating the course), or dismissal.

• Privately owned weapons — firearms, tasers, brass knuckles, pepper spray, batons, knives over 3 inches, swords
• Nicotine products — tobacco, vapes, nicotine pouches (prohibited throughout the entire course per the January 2025 SOP)
• Alcohol — not authorized during Basic or Intermediate phases; limited to two drinks at the DCC Social during Senior Phase only
• Caffeine — not authorized during Basic Phase
• Dietary supplements — prohibited with limited exceptions
• GPS-enabled watches, hot plates, electric grills
• Personal linen — barracks provide pillow, sheets, and blanket

Tips from a DCC Graduate

A few practical recommendations based on my experience that the official packing list does not cover:

Break in your boots before you arrive. New boots during ruck marches are a recipe for blisters. If you already own boots that meet AR 670-1 standards, bring them.

Get name tapes made in advance. The PX turnaround can be weeks. When I attended, I paid a premium at Ranger Joe’s, a military surplus store in Columbus, Georgia, and had them made in minutes while I waited. Online ordering is even easier.

Bring more copies of your orders than you think you need. You will hand over documents at multiple stations during in-processing. Army systems do not communicate with each other well, and you will be asked for physical copies of documents the Army already has on file.

Keep your important documents in an accessible folder. In-processing moves fast. You want to be able to pull out your orders, ID, and forms without digging through a bag.

For a week-by-week account of what to expect at DCC, see my DCC series, starting with Week 1. For the full JAG training pipeline, see How to Become an Army JAG Officer.