Billets at OCS

[Sabre170]

Some times it is recommended that you should NEVER volunteer for anything in the military... That being said, what billets are there at OCS and do you get appointed, recommended, voted on, or punished into the billet positions? Once you have a billet, what do you do? Can you lose the billets, if so how often does this happen?

I have heard of Class President and Adjutant but what others are there?

 

[virtu050]

mail body, trash body, linen body, RLP body, knowledge body, vice president, assistant adjutant, drill body, PT body, 1st lieutenant... if you care about class ranking in the end.. president, vice, adjutant will give u a little edge.. the other positions are an opportunity to show your class team your leadership abilities... in the end does it really matter? other than a chance to exercise your leadership.. no. i remember the 4th guy in my class didn't have any billets or PT skills but he had a near perfect academic avg.

 

[SWOdogJon]

I was the watchbill coordinator. It was a pretty sweet gig. I didn't volunteer for it either. The guy who had it before me got fired because he kept giving our more out of shape people watches during PT. I got "volunteered" for it.

 

[jg5343]

what types of watches are stood at OCS? The bootcamp fire watch was BS and a complete waste of time and effort. It was there only to introduce you to watches. Are the ones we stand gonna actually mean something or are they total BS too?

 

[virtu050]

generally BMOD or quarterdeck watch... you sit/stand by the battalion entrace and greet people/check id's, answer phones, tour the batallion building.. good time to study for classes or an upcoming evolution. word of caution when sneaking midrats into your rooms after the night watch... a fellow oc hid a pb&j sandwhich in his wall locker not thinking that the top doesn't lock quite right... we came back to a hurricane (thanks GySgt Reyes) and had our liberty secured.. which we promptly got back the day of liberty. hate those OCS mind games. surely enough, the pb&j sandwich was brought to hi-mom's for the OC to consume... mold growth and everything. not sure if he ate it.

 

[SWOdogJon]

Yeah. The watches are complete BS, just like the compartment watches at bootcamp. When you are a Candidate Officer, though, it is pretty cool because you can watch movies and eat junk food.

 

[Sabre170]

mail body, trash body, linen body, RLP body, knowledge body, vice president, assistant adjutant, drill body, PT body, 1st lieutenant..... president, vice, adjutant will give u a little edge..

What do the positions above do? Are some held more accountable for the brain-farts of others? Do any get less time to study? Do all billets have to stand watch?

 

[jg5343]

I remember from boot camp that those with jobs gots special privledges, especially during service week. Is that the same for OCS? i.e. less or no watches?

 

[SWOdogJon]

If by special privilages you mean unlimited access to the House of Pain or the Terrordome to do outrageous amounts of Marine Corps beatdown, then yeah. When I was enlisted and I went to bootcamp, I was the RPOC and I didn't get crap. What special privelages are you talking about?

 

[virtu050]

What do the positions above do? Are some held more accountable for the brain-farts of others? Do any get less time to study? Do all billets have to stand watch?

Drill Body helps the class with drill... lots of one on one time with the DI

Mail Body doesn't really do anything since the DI likes to do mail call himself

linen body gets fresh linens every week

trash body takes out the trash

1st LT is tasked with keeping the spaces clean.. delegates tasks like head cleaning, sweeping etc.

RLP body is charged with helping the class pass the inspections.. pretty tough job

PT body organizes extra PT sessions and nightly stretching..might get heat if the class sucks at PT

adjutant does the daily paperwork for the class... lots of interaction with class team.. some special perks like internet access.. no watch.. no sweepers.. but pretty stressful when you have other sh*t to prepare for and you have to do the daily roster and PRT scores

vice president- depends.. but usually doesn't do crap

president - gets the most crap.. usually gets fired.. a good class president will get mucho bonus points with the class team... even though he's constantly told that he sux

watch bill coordinator - writes watch schedule for class... can get crap if you put fat-bodies on watch during PT or noone understands how to do watch

knowledge body - stupid position.. during chow hall or any time you're standing in formation not doing anything... section leader will say "knowledge body, gouge the class" to which knowledge body replies "aye, section leader" "class 17-03, what is the third general order of sentry?" and the class replies "knowledge body, the third general order of sentry is..."
maybe a good knowledge body would help with academics too..

if you have a big class some positions could get out of watch, sweepers (pres, vice, adj)

i was class adj but never got any "special attention"... but some adj's do.. heard about this one guy who had a breakdown and just left OCS.. didn't say a word to anyone.. just left.


btw.. section leader is a daily rotating position based on alphabet/random.. section leader has "command" of the class while class president is the liason to the class team... no real authority... just lots of opportunities for motivational speeches... and bends-and-thrusts.

 

[Dunedan]

Yikes. Just make it through OCS. It's three months of your entire career.

 

[jg5343]

If by special privilages you mean unlimited access to the House of Pain or the Terrordome to do outrageous amounts of Marine Corps beatdown, then yeah. When I was enlisted and I went to bootcamp, I was the RPOC and I didn't get crap. What special privelages are you talking about?

Service week was the worst. They all got to go to the cushy 9-5 job at the drill hall and practice swinging that stupid sword while everyone else got the pleasure of going to the chow hall and working in the scullery for 18 hours a day. While we are geting up at 0330, they are sleeping. While we are coming in at 2230, they are sleeping. Not to mention none of them ever stood watch on the compartment. EVER! The watch bill coordinator had the best job. He always got special time to write the watch bill that looked EXACTLY the same for 9 weeks. AMAZING! An hour and a half to rewrite a watchbill. He got to write letters home and use the phone in the office while we were all field daying and doing BS before lights out. And remember, no liberty EVER in boot camp so after 8 weeks or so you can get pretty bitter at people that have it cushy. I HATE YOU BASTARDS!

"DIVISION 371, YOU HAVE FIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEE MINUTES!!!!"

 

[EngineGirl]

I HATE YOU BASTARDS!

"DIVISION 371, YOU HAVE FIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEE MINUTES!!!!"

Someones a little bitter now aren't they?

 

[jg5343]

Not now, but I was VERY bitter at the time. That's why I want to be on the other side this go around if I can be.

 

[Sabre170]

In Recruit Training during Mess and Maintenance Week, I got Pink Eye and was not allowed to serve chow or work outside, so I had a few days in the squad bay with the Guide and the Scribe.

I was also a Squad Leader for eight of the thirteen weeks so I did not have to stand Fire watch during that time either... but you can rest assured that when I was fired (for smiling) the new squad leader (who sucked) was hard on me and trying to pay me back for the previous eight weeks.