Chow Hall Procedures

[Logico]

I think (hope) what he is talking about is a favorite spot of the DI's to beat candidates - the "Kill Bush". It used to be the "Kill Tree", but IVAN brought it down in 04.

Yes, the kill bush is the favorite spot for DI's to kill candidates outside of chow hall. And yes it is actually a tree. Just like the "cool down circle" is actually a square. We thought about trying to put lights on it one night but couldn't get our hands on lights or a long enough extension cord. That would have been hilarious!

 

[Slammer2]

man...and here I thought we had the 4th member of the dixie chicks

 

[Harrier Dude]

Holy Crap! A lot has changed, and a lot is still the same. My gouge is way old (I was AOCS 20-89) but the chow hall gouge seemed right. The only differences were that it was "Hatch-body" and always "hatch", and there was no big deal with forks and knives. When the hell did that start? Also, being a secured class meant that you could sit down by fours instead of waiting for the whole damn class to get there before you could eat. As the 4th squad leader, my chow was always cold if my squad entered the chow hall last. Much better to be secured.

What are you guys calling "the big 4"? When I was there, there were two meanings: The Big 3 was either a reference to the 3 major academic classes (aero, nav, and engineering) or to the required items that had to be in your possesion at all times (ID card, dog tags, and a hankerchief). The "Big 4" was when the required items were unofficially expanded by candi-o's to include a condom before going on libbo. What does it mean now?

Also, anybody who wastes his time doing anything other than drinking lots of beer and screwing off prior to showing up in Pensacola is doing himself a MAJOR disservice. You're going to get thrashed when you get there anyway, no matter what. Enjoy the rose garden (if they still use it) and the room known only as "hell".

For those of you headed to Quantico instead, disregard the above paragragh. I've graduated from both OCSs (a very long story) and they're very different. Marine OCS is a non-stop PT red-ass where you can get kicked out at any time. Navy AOCS (and presumably OCS) was had lots of PT as well, but if you just shut the hell up and blend in (and don't DOR), you'll make it.

Thank God I'm done with that. Have fun!

 

[NavyLonghorn]

Holy Crap! A lot has changed, and a lot is still the same. My gouge is way old (I was AOCS 20-89) but the chow hall gouge seemed right. The only differences were that it was "Hatch-body" and always "hatch", and there was no big deal with forks and knives. When the hell did that start? Also, being a secured class meant that you could sit down by fours instead of waiting for the whole damn class to get there before you could eat. As the 4th squad leader, my chow was always cold if my squad entered the chow hall last. Much better to be secured.

What are you guys calling "the big 4"? When I was there, there were two meanings: The Big 3 was either a reference to the 3 major academic classes (aero, nav, and engineering) or to the required items that had to be in your possesion at all times (ID card, dog tags, and a hankerchief). The "Big 4" was when the required items were unofficially expanded by candi-o's to include a condom before going on libbo. What does it mean now?

Also, anybody who wastes his time doing anything other than drinking lots of beer and screwing off prior to showing up in Pensacola is doing himself a MAJOR disservice. You're going to get thrashed when you get there anyway, no matter what. Enjoy the rose garden (if they still use it) and the room known only as "hell".

For those of you headed to Quantico instead, disregard the above paragragh. I've graduated from both OCSs (a very long story) and they're very different. Marine OCS is a non-stop PT red-ass where you can get kicked out at any time. Navy AOCS (and presumably OCS) was had lots of PT as well, but if you just shut the hell up and blend in (and don't DOR), you'll make it.

Thank God I'm done with that. Have fun!

True that you should have fun before you leave for OCS, but the Code of Conduct, General Orders of a Sentry, and Rank structure, all need to be memorised at some point. Having them already in your pocket is pretty helpful, and lets you spend more time focusing on other things inbetween the beatings. Its true that you are gonna get beat either way, but if you dont have these things memorised, you wont pass inspection. If you dont pass inspection, its bad. So learn the knowledges.

 

[BigIron]

Yes, the kill bush is the favorite spot for DI's to kill candidates outside of chow hall. And yes it is actually a tree. Just like the "cool down circle" is actually a square. We thought about trying to put lights on it one night but couldn't get our hands on lights or a long enough extension cord. That would have been hilarious!

We used to get mashed in the "pit", which was right behind bat 1. They shut it down sometimes as folks were getting pink eye from all of the stray cats pissing in it. We also used to get mashed by Master Guns (Holtry) and PT with his tail hook. Although, that was by special invite only...........

Is there such a pit today?

 

[NavyLonghorn]

We used to get mashed in the "pit", which was right behind bat 1. They shut it down sometimes as folks were getting pink eye from all of the stray cats pissing in it. We also used to get mashed by Master Guns (Holtry) and PT with his tail hook. Although, that was by special invite only...........

Is there such a pit today?

Rose Garden and Suya.

 

[Sabre170]

Rose Garden and Suya.

And Kill Bush... as mentioned before. Other than those, anywhere you were and the DI felt like like the dreaded indoor SUYA.

 

[BigIron]

What is SUYA. I don't recall this dreaded place....

 

[jg5343]

Sand Up Your Ass! Just a big ass sand pit hidden between the a/c units and Batt 2 behind the galley, complete with glass, sticks, and all kinds of roof material from the hurricane. Not to mention the two water hoses which made it WAY more fun.
Ahhhhh the indoor SUYA! It was crappy out once so the DI took us to the SUYA only to fill our sea bags with sand to bring indoors where the weather was nicer. I think cleaning that **** was worse than the beating we got in it. I will never forget the jackass that spread sand on his bed! I made every effort to keep it out of my room, but these dopes were so scared that they weren't spreading it enough that they put it all over there tables, racks, and lockers! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! They were all Nuc's if that helps any.

 

[PropStop]

Ahhhhh the indoor SUYA! It was crappy out once so the DI took us to the SUYA only to fill our sea bags with sand to bring indoors where the weather was nicer. I think cleaning that **** was worse than the beating we got in it. I will never forget the jackass that spread sand on his bed! I made every effort to keep it out of my room, but these dopes were so scared that they weren't spreading it enough that they put it all over there tables, racks, and lockers!

Man, that SUCKS. Aside from a few hurricanes (the indoor type) and numerous times filling our pockets with sand, we never had sand inside. i bet that was fun to clean up!

 

[BigIron]

Same place we called the Pit. We sometimes had to fill our waste baskets with sand and then toss it in some room, get mashed and clean it up.....real good times. Some things don't change:icon_smil

 

[Harrier Dude]

You declined at Navy Commission after OCS and were able to goto Marine OCS?

No. I was a NAVCAD (Naval Aviation Cadet) back in the day. You didn't get commissioned until you were done with flight school. I was caught up in the RIF of 1990, often called "Black Tuesday". I got out, went back to college to finish my degree, and got picked up for a USMC PLC air contract (after many many months of trying). Then I did Marine OCS, TBS, and flight school again. I told you it was a long story. This is just the readers digest version.

 

[BigIron]

No. I was a NAVCAD (Naval Aviation Cadet) back in the day. You didn't get commissioned until you were done with flight school. I was caught up in the RIF of 1990, often called "Black Tuesday". I got out, went back to college to finish my degree, and got picked up for a USMC PLC air contract (after many many months of trying). Then I did Marine OCS, TBS, and flight school again. I told you it was a long story. This is just the readers digest version.

So it was a Tuesday that "they" walked in and said anyone with a NSS below XX.X is free to go? or was it a gradual process?

 

[Harrier Dude]

So it was a Tuesday that "they" walked in and said anyone with a NSS below XX.X is free to go? or was it a gradual process?

Sort of. Phase 1 started a few months prior to "Black Tuesday". Basically they let anybody who wanted to quit, regardless of obligation, just quit and go home. Phase 2 was when they started really cracking down on the "3 downs and you're out" stuff. Phase 3 was the part where we all came into a room and got told who got to stay and who had to go.

Theoretically it was based on NSS. We all had an interview with the STAN officer, and he told us where we stood. I was just barely in the top half of the squadron. They were supposed to cut the bottom third. Some folks got to stay with worse grades based on other various "considerations".

I filed a discrimination complaint, and the commodore basically told me to get bent. Oh well. I guess discrimination doesn't count if it's toward white males. That pretty well soured my feelings for the navy.

As a NAVCAD, I had a choice: get out with no severance pay (golden handshake) or go enlisted as an E-3 with an open contract. The ensigns that were USN got traded to other MOSs. The ensigns that were USNR could try to stay in another MOS or take the golden handshake (about $25000).

Anyway, it was the worst day of my life (to that point) and by FAR the best thing that ever happened to me in the end. I got to finish my degree, get my wings eventually, and best of all got to join the Marines. My AOCS Drill Instructor even wrote me an outstanding letter of rec for the Corps. I'm sure that helped.

I had been flying TH-57s in HT-8 and wound up getting jets the second time around (go figure). Yes, I went through primary twice. Now I fly AV-8Bs instead of SH-60s, which I would have probably got if I'd stayed.

It worked out great for me, but a lot of other guys got SCREWED. There were T-44 guys that were completely done who didn't get winged and guys on the way to the boat in T-2s who got shut down in the chocks to be told that they were done. It can always be worse.

 

[dnweinreb]

I remember they gave us steak in the second week when all we had was the war spoon (summer '05). In retrospect that seemed the cruellest thing of all the stuff they did to us although that navy steak could have been used to make shoes. The kill bush is still there, the pit behind batt I is the rose garden (still considered greater Pensacola's largest kitty litter box) and I still have scars from the thorns in my hands from pushin in the bush. It was a relief to get rifles because I just did my pushups with my hands on the rifle to avoid the thorns. I never got dinged for that and I know the gunnys saw me doing it. A bit of quick wd-40 on the action and it was good to go for drill the next morning