As promised, here is the day-by-day DCOIC guide, though there's only 2 classes left. Note that some things can be different depending on your Class Officer and Class Chief. For example, I've known people whose class PT'd once or twice, while mine did 5 times, not including the swim test and "surprises".
You'll get sufficient instructions on how to get to the base, so I'll leave that out. I'll only mention when you arrive, there's a first-come, first-serve sign-up sheet for collateral duties. If you really want to get what interests you, it's better to arrive something like mid-Saturday if you're flying in.
Some of the things that happen every day or not on any particular day.
- Monday-Friday you will have chow for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as a unit.
- You will also be doing a group presentation, with a sign-up sheet for one of the topics.
- You will also have your picture taken in the studio for composites wearing your SDBs.
- Each day had an end-of-day brief by your Class Officer and Chief, and then afterwards as a unit led by your Class DIVO.
- We held quarters in the mornings, but only did it a few times.
- You will likely be having a community brief at some point. Either someone will come to base, or you'll have a teleconference call.
- Keep in mind most activities are as a unit. For example, when leaving the barracks,
- Your rooms will be inspected throughout both weeks, and some stuff may be thrown around or your bed sheets torn out if it's not up to snuff. There will be a formal inspection with a form filled out by the inspector(s) in the second week.
- Other than the mock PRT which involved running on a very narrow track, our PT was very basic. HIIT and circuit style stuff.
- You can and should paint a class mural and set up a class party end of the second week.
Overall, I often read, hear, or am asked about concerns regarding DCOIC. You do get firehosed with activities and information and the days will be very long, but I will say it was very easy. I've heard a fair amount of ODS, and if anything, it sounds like they get firehosed a bit less. They also do more training activities.
Day 0 (Sunday): Check-in and BCA at 1500. You will be sent home if your weight and measurements are beyond allowable standards.
Day 1: Welcomes by your Class Officer and Class Chief. Filling out medical and other forms. Uniform inventory and going to the uniform shop. In-briefs by the OTCN CO and DCOIC/ODS Director. Some presentations and instruction on the rank/rate system, saluting and greeting, drill.
Day 2: Urinalysis first thing in the morning. ADP Brief. SAPR talk. Going over service uniforms. A talk on your unit's collateral duties. Talk on Navy core values and leadership. Talk on physical readiness and the PRT, and an explanation of what to do for your group presentations.
Day 3: PT in the morning, then a mad rush back to shower and get ready for chow. Then the rest of the day was death by PowerPoint, other than lunch and dinner. After dinner was end-of-days and doing whatever you needed to take care of.
Day 4: Third class swim qualification! Lots of waiting, especially if you have a large class, but it was a lot of fun to get in the water. I loved it personally. That takes up the whole morning. After lunch is more classroom time until dinner and end-of-day.
Day 5: Morning PT followed by lots more time in the classroom. The lessons are already on the DCOIC sharepoint page (CAC required), but I can enumerate topics if needed. We also got our liberty brief, and then a fun but not-so-fun surprise in the evening.
After that, we had liberty just for the evening. Weekend liberty including overnight Saturday, however.
Day 6-7 (weekend): We had some stuff to do Saturday morning, and some people had community briefs, so we didn't start liberty until much later than expected. We had to be back by some time Sunday evening. Do take advantage of liberty.
Day 8 (Monday): Khaki inspections first thing in the morning. Know your gouge, and have your khakis squared away. Everything gets checked. The irons available are garbage and some just leak water everywhere, so do bring some Downy or Febreze wrinkle release spray at least. Then a long full day of classroom fun.
Day 9: Morning PT. Lots more classroom fun for the rest of the day. We also started giving our group presentations during this time.
Day 10: Morning PT. Lots more classroom stuff. We had our comprehensive exam after lunch, which is one of the graduation requirements. It was multiple choice and very simple. People were stressing over it a lot, especially since we really didn't have time to study, but everyone passed.
Day 11: Mock PRT in the morning. Same old showering then show, and then we did colors. More time in the class room, an out-brief, and an informal SDB inspection. We had our class party after that.
Day 12: Morning "surprise", followed by chow and out-processing activities. Congrats! You finished DCOIC.
Overall it was nice meeting lots of awesome people, but I felt the class was not challenging (other than the sickness/allergies and self-imposed sleep deprivation). So if anyone is worried, there's nothing to worry about. Frankly in my experience, the worst part of it by far was battling through NROWS, DTS, and the 5+ critical errors made by my NOSC in all of that.
I'm probably forgetting lots of little details, but they're inconsequential. Just prepare for early mornings, swimming, and death by PowerPoint.
