Monster Marine OCS thread: stupid questions answered here!

[mjmcdani]

I work in enlisted recruiting right now. Not only are we honest about the PLC program, we actually take kids over to the OSO to talk about it. Kids ARE notified that they can enter that program straight out of college. Since I did PLC I talk to many students about this.

If you think we're wrangling kids around you are sorely mistaken...

With regard to Boot Camp... I've done both and OCS is harder in my opinion. HJ is right on the ball.

If you read the original message, he's talking about bootcamp. I'm sure you're honest though.


I was under the assumption that week end liberty would give you less stress. I have been through bootcamp myself.

 

[bb1125]

If you read the original message, he's talking about bootcamp. I'm sure you're honest though.


I was under the assumption that week end liberty would give you less stress. I have been through bootcamp myself.

I could be wrong but....there aren't any Marine Corps Drill Instructors at Air Force boot camp, are there?

 

[VIZKRIEG]

I'm not even in yet, so take my post with that warning label, but I thought it was worth mentioning, Inverted, that even though you are an honest and straightforward recruiter, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty that are "smile balls," as mcmjdani so eloquently put it...

 

[Herc_Dude]

I'm not even in yet, so take my post with that warning label, but I thought it was worth mentioning, Inverted, that even though you are an honest and straightforward recruiter, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty that are "smile balls," as mcmjdani so eloquently put it...

I would say there are far less than "plenty" on the recruiter side. There are plenty of kids out there who are given things straightforward and only hear what they want to hear then go and tell people "my recruiter said this and my recruiter said that, but he lied!" when in reality he was being completely honest and the kid chose not to hear the other stuff.

We all know recruiters have a damn hard job, especially these days. But they still manage to do a great job sending quality kids off to SD/Parris Island to become Marines. Sometimes there are areas of confusion, and of course there is the occasional guy who is gonna be a slime ball, but I would be willing to bet they are few and far between.

 

[invertedflyer]

Inverted, that even though you are an honest and straightforward recruiter, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty that are "smile balls," as mcmjdani so eloquently put it...

Well, I suppose thats possible, however I agree with devil_dog and know that, at least in my region, communication with the OSOs is pretty good. Many students these days are interested in being in the reserves and doing the PLC program. Theres always bad apples out there, but IMO its every person's responsibility to do their own research... its pretty easy to get the facts straight, especially for people that are educated.

I was under the assumption that week end liberty would give you less stress. I have been through bootcamp myself.

mjm, I mean no disrespect, but 6 weeks of basic training is very different from boot camp. With regard to liberty, the libo that you are given in Marine OCS doesn't change the fact that the physical training is simply much harder than boot camp. The main reason for libo is so that you have at least one day that your body can recover. You get broken down physically much more at OCS because of a lack of recovery time... I lost nearly 15 lbs. in just a few weeks.

 

[HeyJoe]

I was under the assumption that week end liberty would give you less stress. I have been through bootcamp myself.

Didn't they tell you what happens when you "assume" something?

mjm, I mean no disrespect, but 6 weeks of basic training is very different from boot camp. With regard to liberty, the libo that you are given in Marine OCS doesn't change the fact that the physical training is simply much harder than boot camp.

And you are constantly reminded that you will be leading those Marines and what they are going through at boot camp. The point being all Marine officers are expected to be able to lead from the front. The same theme continues throughout TBS.

 

[Delta]

Coming back for seniors is an experience that haunts my dreams to this day. It was just bloody aweful coming back to that swamp that is Brown Field. I agree, 10-week is the way to go. If I had to do it again (my family would have to be held hostage or something) ... then I'd go combined. They pretty much just cram everything in jrs. and srs. into that last 6 weeks, you even repeat alot of stuff. You don't have time for much, and your body takes a fierce beating. Our attrition rate was only about 35% though.

How is the 10-week regimented differently than the 2 6-weeks? (just curious, because im a senior in college now, so i'll have to go 10 weeks after grad). You just dont have to deal w/ the first week of physicals twice?

 

[Lawman]

How is the 10-week regimented differently than the 2 6-weeks? (just curious, because im a senior in college now, so i'll have to go 10 weeks after grad). You just dont have to deal w/ the first week of physicals twice?

10 week has a lot more lead in time to it. You almost spend the first 3 weeks getting aclimated to your new station in life (IE Candidate). Seniors was all the required stuff from the 10 week program minus the time for recovery. You hit the ground running at Seniors with the expectation that you should have been smart enough to remember how much things sucked at Juniors and prepaired yourself accordingly. Really the biggest difference is the PT and time between field stuff. For example 10 weekers dont run the Endurance course or CRT until about week 7. Seniors had done both twice by the end of week 2. Key thing is 10 weeks gives your body a much longer time to break down to badly to go on. Plenty of people limped across the 6 week finish line but would have been dead if they had to do the full 10 stretch. You simply run out of days you can be on sick call before they have to drop you for failure to evaluate. Keep in mind your not sleeping enough for your body to actually heal just feel a little better. Thats one of the reasons you get liberty. Its your oppertunity to do something effective with your time off, IE shop for needed stuff (moleskin, good socks, compression shorts) and to get some good sleep and good chow.

 

[Delta]

10 week has a lot more lead in time to it. You almost spend the first 3 weeks getting aclimated to your new station in life (IE Candidate). Seniors was all the required stuff from the 10 week program minus the time for recovery. You hit the ground running at Seniors with the expectation that you should have been smart enough to remember how much things sucked at Juniors and prepaired yourself accordingly. Really the biggest difference is the PT and time between field stuff. For example 10 weekers dont run the Endurance course or CRT until about week 7. Seniors had done both twice by the end of week 2. Key thing is 10 weeks gives your body a much longer time to break down to badly to go on. Plenty of people limped across the 6 week finish line but would have been dead if they had to do the full 10 stretch. You simply run out of days you can be on sick call before they have to drop you for failure to evaluate. Keep in mind your not sleeping enough for your body to actually heal just feel a little better. Thats one of the reasons you get liberty. Its your oppertunity to do something effective with your time off, IE shop for needed stuff (moleskin, good socks, compression shorts) and to get some good sleep and good chow.

thanks

 

[HueyCobra8151]

BTW, I only now realized the irony of Airwarriors.com

If you start a new post for a question that has already been asked everyone yells at you and says "USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION!!!"

But if you use the search function and find a post in your general line of questioning, then tack on your question to it, everyone yells "HOLY CRAP THREAD RESURRECTION!!!!!!"

(I only realized that because I was thinking in my head as I read this "HOLY CRAP THREAD RESURRECTION!!!!!!")

My son didn't think there were that many "games" at PLC, jr or sr. He is a really good athlete, and he found himself in the middle on the pack. Constant stress. Never failed an evolution, but never the top, either. He felt PLC was very intense, very challenging, esp srs. He felt that everyone who made it through the first few days was very well prepared physically, and from then on they just wanted to give you every opportunity to quit.

The real "mind game" at OCS wasn't necessarily them messing with you. The thing that farked my head up was when you would get a chit or an unfavorable evaluation [like when I got an unfavorable as Plt Sgt because the Corpsman made me get medevac'd, along with 30% of the rest of our Company], then you are in your rack at night wondering if you are going to get sent home or what.

I am a prior, so there were quite a few times where I was up at night thinking of strategies like: "Ok, if I get kicked out, I can lat-move to a critically short MOS, try and pick up SSgt, put in for DI duty or something, and maybe get my career back on track after this adverse fitrep." Not fun.

Edit: There was a guy at OCS when I went through who tore his quad, and the muscle retracted into a giant ball right underneath his hip and he gutted it out IOT to not have to come back the next summer. Pretty hard.

 

[C420sailor]

Edit: There was a guy at OCS when I went through who tore his quad, and the muscle retracted into a giant ball right underneath his hip and he gutted it out IOT to not have to come back the next summer. Pretty hard.

Jesus, that guy must have big clanging brass ones.

 

[Swanee]

Edit: There was a guy at OCS when I went through who tore his quad, and the muscle retracted into a giant ball right underneath his hip and he gutted it out IOT to not have to come back the next summer. Pretty hard.

Holy crap! I would almost call shenanigans on this one. I have seen someone tear a bicep, it was pretty gnarly, and he lost the ability to move his arm. Not to mention the atrophy his muscle went through during the whole repair process.

I can't imagine the physical therapy involved in getting his muscle back to where it was supposed to be in this guys leg. I guess if he only tore one of his quad muscles he could still walk or run (I wouldn't want to though).

Did you keep in touch with this guy after you commissioned? The guy with the bicep was out for about 6 months, and he got his repaired right away.

 

[Spekkio]

I'm still wondering why the difference matters to anyone.

 

[loadtoad]

I'm still wondering why the difference matters to anyone.

So 2nd Lt's and Ensigns can argue about who's three months of OCS sucked harder. And it is obvious that Navy OCS sucks more therefore we are better. The end

 

[phrogpilot73]

So 2nd Lt's and Ensigns can argue about who's three months of OCS sucked harder. And it is obvious that Navy OCS sucks more therefore we are better. The end

But Devil Dog, Yut, Yut!