Mini-OCS Hello all, this candidate just completed a Mini-OCS at Camp Blanding, FL. Boy am I in for a hell of a summer. Four Gunnery Sergeants came down from Quantico to give us an authentic experience. My SGT. Instructor was Gunnery Sergeant Bothwell, Anybody heard of him? I actually kind of liked the way he ran things, but I have to keep in mind it was a watered down version of what I will be leaving for July 9th. If anyone can attend any of these around the nation it would really help in my opinion, it gets rid of the fear of the unknown, now I am motivated more than ever and know somewhat to expect. We started out Friday afternoon with a mock Pick-up, and then went to bed. Saturday morning we awoke at around 0430 with Fire watch's taking place through out the night. We ate and then took around what I believe to be a 6 to 7 mile hump in full camo with packs (not very heavy), then ate lunch (MRE). We then started a round robin evolution where our platoon started out with a compass course, then did a mock SULE, and then LRC. We finished the day with the Obstacle course which was quite fun. We finally finished physical activity at around 1700 and ate Sonny's when we arrived back to the barrack's. Then came a debriefing/QandA with our OSO's, and hit the rack's. Sunday morning we got up at 0500 and ran a PFT, and people recieved awards for the highest PFT score (Super PFT), a Candidate from Tallahasse or Gainesville got a 400, He kicked my ass, but OSO Norcross took the honors for the highest averaged PFT scores. We left, I slept, and am very depressed/motivated (not too contradicting) about leaving for Quantico for 6 weeks. The only part I was disappointed with was that Nathan Fick, the author of "One Bullet Away," was supposed to speak but could not make it.
oh, man, i was supposed to go but couldn't make it. i was curious as hell as to whether or not any of my staff from juniors would be there. G.Sgt.Bothwell was, i believe, Company 1st.Sgt., but i wasn't getting much sleep at the time so my memory's hazy. i remember him, just not sure about how i adressed him. pretty sure if i saw any of my direct staff there, or more importantly if any of them saw and recognized me, i would have pissed myself. sucks to hear about Fick, though, that was the part i was most pissed about missing (actually, probably the only part i was pissed i was missing.. humps, MREs, and making the rack a dozen times in fifteen minutes i can live without until this summer). friggin' close to bringing his book to get it autographed. oh well. glad you had a good time. that was a cake walk. see you this summer =)
Hmm...Sonny's BBQ ehh...sounds like Starke, FL...Camp Blanding right...Only place to eat around there haha. I wish I could have gone, but our Semper Fi Society had a field ex saturday, mandatory for us Middies. O well, I guess I still got a little Marine Corps this weekend. Im headed to OCS May 28.
Gunny Bothwell is one mean SOB, he wasn't one of my platoon's SI's, but I'm fairly positive he screamed at me a couple times.
Mmmm, Camp Blanding. Brings back some memories. Did you know that they taped the "Boot Camp" reality show there? Brett
We are having our summer nrotc orientation at camp blanding this august. Should be interesting. Hopefully I'll be in pensacola by then and not driving the van everywhere as the newly stashed ensign.
Gunny Bothwell was one of my SI's and I thought he was fairly easy on us. Gunny Tirado was our other SI so I guess the devil himself would seem kind of easy going in that respect.
Gunny Bothwell is a funny dude, he made us laugh our asses off. He puts off a rough exterior, and does push you, but at the end he made us laugh it all away.
You know what they are taping out at Hollowman AFB? Thats right folks, the Transformers Movie. My friend does Ground Comms out there and they called the shop trying for some stuff they needed. Apparently his NCOIC said he'd work with them but he had to be in the movie, and he had to get killed.... by Starscream specifically. This mini-OCS sounds like it would have been fun. To bad we dont have anything like that up here that Im aware of.
There's OCS prep weekends up here Lawman. At least 9th district does. I went to Camp Atterbury (S. Illinois) a few years ago, and I believe they're running them in Wisconson this year. I know candidates from the office are going in a week or so.
Yeah, this year's mini OCS was definitely good to go. Lots of good stuff, although I have to say I liked it more not being a candidate this year It's really a good prep for OCS though; I know I took a lot away from it when I went last year.
for those of you wondering what the schedule for one of these is like attached is what our schedule will be comprised of.
Not absolutely sure about this one, but I think it was Gy.Sgt.Bothwell that I remember yelling "Ten thousand maniacs! I'd rather be raped by ten thousand maniacs than follow you into combat! TEN THOUSAND MANIACS!" heheh, not sure if that's exactly how it went or that it was definitely him, it was directed at a kid in another platoon in my company one morning at PT, but for the rest of OCS and even today hearing the phrase "ten thousand maniacs" gets me laughing
Wow, I cant believe there is a post about Gy Sgt Bothwell. He was one of my SI's in 187! He was the best man! Yeah, I can see how he'd be scary to another platoon, but he loved our platoon! As long as you didnt hear, "Boy.. you done messed up my drill... and you know I loves my drill"... you were good to go! (Either that or if your nickname was "Turcini") He was cool as hell. I saw him afterwards back in TBS at the mainside gym. He was a laid back guy. He remembered everyone and wanted all the gossip. WO Summers was much worse for us! He laid the hammer down. But the worst was SSgt Wright... I had chill when I heard him coming.
