BCT
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Basic Combat Training |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Military |
BCT has two meanings. It stands for Basic Combat Training (military term) or Brigade Combat Team (military unit and organization).
Meanings of BCT at a glance
| # | BCT stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basic Combat Training | Military › Military Term |
| 2 | Brigade Combat Team | Military › Military Unit and Organization |
1. Basic Combat Training
Military · Military Term Abbreviations
Army basic training, about ten weeks long, that turns civilians into soldiers through drill, marksmanship, physical fitness, first aid and field training. It is held at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the Army's maneuver center in Georgia.
Example: After BCT at Fort Jackson, she heads to AIT to train as a medic.
Training is divided into red, white and blue phases, ending with a field exercise and graduation. Some combat specialties combine basic and job training in one station unit training (OSUT). In unit organization, BCT also means brigade combat team, so context matters.
2. Brigade Combat Team
Military · Military Unit and Organization Abbreviations
Main deployable maneuver unit of the US Army, a self-contained brigade of roughly 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers with its own infantry or armor, artillery, engineers, reconnaissance and logistics. The three types are infantry (IBCT), Stryker (SBCT) and armored (ABCT).
Example: The ABCT shipped its tanks and Bradleys to Germany for a nine-month rotation.
The Army reorganized around brigade combat teams in the mid-2000s so brigades could deploy without borrowing pieces from their divisions. Stryker brigades use eight-wheeled armored vehicles, armored brigades use Abrams tanks and Bradleys, and infantry brigades include airborne and air assault variants. In training, BCT also means basic combat training.
Related abbreviations
More military term abbreviations
- BAH – Basic Allowance for Housing
- BAS – Basic Allowance for Subsistence
- BCD – Bad-conduct discharge
- BCGs – Birth control glasses
- BDA – Battle damage assessment
- BDU – Battle Dress Uniform
- BLUF – Bottom line up front
- BMT – Basic Military Training
See all 248 military term abbreviations →