Advanced Infantry Officers Course

In the years following the end of World War II, the U.S. Army developed new methods and courses to train incoming officers, specifically infantry officers, on how to fight and win in future conflicts. One of the most important courses that the Army developed was the Advanced Infantry Officers Course. The Advanced Infantry Course was designed to help officers advance in their careers and develop a deeper understanding of how to command large numbers of troops. In this course, case studies depicting various battles were created and used as training tools for incoming students. These case studies ranged in size of command, mission, and operation so that they depicted so they could be used throughout the whole training course.

Due to their significant time on the frontlines and the constant necessity of the officers and men of the 103rd Infantry Division to adapt on the battlefields of World War II, a number of the case studies that were later used in the Advanced Infantry Officers Course came from the officers of the 103rd Infantry. These case studies explain in minute detail the terrain, enemy forces, American forces and support, and other factors that played or could have played a role in the action explained in each case study. Furthermore, the case studies show the history of the 103rd Infantry Division from formation as an active duty World War II unit to the end of the war. These case studies ranged in the level of command decisions from the company and platoon level up to regimental level, and could be broken down or studied in different methods depending on which command level the class or instructor wanted to focus on. For more information or to understand the different accounts and case studies of the battles that were turned into lessons for the Advanced Infantry Officers Course, please see below.