United States Army Armor School

United States Army Armor School
US Army Armor School shoulder sleeve insignia
Active	1940–present
Country	United States
Branch	Armor Branch (United States)
Type	School
Role	Armor Training
Size	3,000
Part of	Training and Doctrine Command
Garrison/HQ	Fort Benning
Motto(s)	"Forge the Thunderbolt"
Colors	Blue, Red, Yellow
Anniversaries	1 October 1940
Commanders
Commandant	BG Dennis S. McKean
Command Sergeant Major	CSM Michael S. Clemens
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia

The United States Army Armor School is a training school located at Fort Benning, Georgia. Its primary focus is the training of United States Army soldiers, NCOs, and commissioned officers in the operation, tactics, and maintenance of Armor forces and equipment, including the M1 Abrams main battle tank, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, assorted crew-served and personal weapons, and various other equipment including radios. The school is also the site where U.S. Marines are sent for training on the Abrams tank. The Armor School moved to Fort Benning in 2010 as part of the United States' BRAC program.

The United States Army Armor School was established on 1 October 1940, in Fort Knox, Kentucky as the Armored Force School. 80,000 students passed through the school in its first four years, with the first class starting 4 November of the same year. As of 30 September 1965, the armor school had graduated 214,122 students – 59,737 of which were officers, 140,909 of which were enlisted soldiers, 13,476 of which were officer candidates – as well as students from 63 nations.

The school was established by then-Lieutenant Colonel Stephen G. Henry under the guidance of Brigadier General Adna R. Chaffee, for whom the headquarters building is now named after. On 1 July 1957, the school was given its current name. It originally consisted of seven departments: Tank, Wheeled vehicle, Motorcycle, Communication, Tactics, Gunnery, and Field engineering.

The Armor Basic Officer Leaders Course (ABOLC) is the introductory skills course for United States Army Cavalry and Armor Second and First Lieutenants. These officers, recent graduates of the United States Military Academy, ROTC programs, and Officer Candidate School, receive eighteen weeks of training in basic soldiering skills, maneuver tactics, troop- and company-level strategy, and logistical planning.