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Disciplinary Essays
- Thread starter Zilch
- Start date
First Sergeant
Killin' and Drillin' YUT!
The D.I. Says...
I was the king of assigning essays at OCS. One pig was given the following due on my desk at reville the following day.
1000 word essay on following orders
1000 word essay on importance of personal hygiene
500 word essay on why you should not forget what the hell I just told you.
When I received the humorous crap I would wad it up and increase the penalty. The same goes for incoherent garbage. I did not assign you to write rap lyrics. I also looked for changes in penmanship to ensure there was no team work going on. It is all about the gut check. How bad do you want it. You really don't leave OCS smarter academically, but those who get the commission leave with a true gut check and know how to endure mental harrassment, physical pain and have a keen awareness of the true meaning of "Commitment".
Semper Fi!
I was the king of assigning essays at OCS. One pig was given the following due on my desk at reville the following day.
1000 word essay on following orders
1000 word essay on importance of personal hygiene
500 word essay on why you should not forget what the hell I just told you.
When I received the humorous crap I would wad it up and increase the penalty. The same goes for incoherent garbage. I did not assign you to write rap lyrics. I also looked for changes in penmanship to ensure there was no team work going on. It is all about the gut check. How bad do you want it. You really don't leave OCS smarter academically, but those who get the commission leave with a true gut check and know how to endure mental harrassment, physical pain and have a keen awareness of the true meaning of "Commitment".
Semper Fi!
stevo01
Registered User
sure you did
His profile indicates he was a DI at Navy OCS, not Marine Corps. That'd explain the differences.
2500 words in a night..phew.
Kiloco_2plt
Nasty Candidate
I decided not to get another essay after my 5'th or 6'th one (recieved beginning of week two). Didn't get another one for the rest of the time I was there. Just make sure you get them in on time.
Although, some kid in my company ran a temperature of 109 or something incredible like that during PT one morning. He ended up in Bethesda. The Col. went to see him, and asked him what happened, and he told the Col. that he wasn't getting enough sleep because of all the essays. So supposedly there is a new timeline for finishing essays (we had until the saturday liberty period), and you weren't supposed to be out of the rack, unless it was to use the head, after lights. (Not that we necessarily followed that rule... My staff still expected essays at 0500.)
Although, some kid in my company ran a temperature of 109 or something incredible like that during PT one morning. He ended up in Bethesda. The Col. went to see him, and asked him what happened, and he told the Col. that he wasn't getting enough sleep because of all the essays. So supposedly there is a new timeline for finishing essays (we had until the saturday liberty period), and you weren't supposed to be out of the rack, unless it was to use the head, after lights. (Not that we necessarily followed that rule... My staff still expected essays at 0500.)
Kiloco_2plt
Nasty Candidate
I was under the impression that it was supposed to be that way for good. But the only staff member that followed that rule, as far as I know, was the Company First Sergeant. Just expect to turn your essay in by 0500... Then you'll be surprised if you end up with more time. They only take about an hour to write, and as long as you don't put too much BS in it, they'll accept it. I think the whole point is just sleep deprivation.
They sent a guy home for that one. Told us very early on in my platoon that you'd better not write an essay till you get assigned an essay.
First Sergeant
Killin' and Drillin' YUT!
Good attention to detail Warrior!
First I commend you on your attention to detail regarding the doubtful previous reply to your reply. I was excited to see this forum, filled out a profile and posted one reply and posted one letter from one of my class presidents. Then I read some of the threads.
Damn! My heart broke when I read about how Navy OCS changed and basically chose to gut the Marine Corps from the curriculum several months ago. I cut and pasted many of the dialogs to include the hyperlink and sent to the 20 or so Officers that I still stay in touch with. We are all so pissed off that the Navy leadership decided to take out the pressure cooker and focus on statistics.
I know our methods were effective. Fine example. Helicopter Pilot from 02-97 has call sign of "Gunny". Remember now, you don't get to pick your own call sign. His commanding Officer hand picked him to serve one year in Afghanistan mentoring / leading ground forces.
So why would you take a high dollar flight instructor and send him to play Grunt for one year. Maybe because he carries himself like an Officer worthy of emulation in every facet of his being. I remember CMDR Theilman (Director of OCS in 1996) counseling me "Gunny Crouch, we are not trying to make Marine Officers here, we just want technical experts. If they happen to have those other qualities you Marines so desire then great, but let's not hold them to that standard". Made me damn sick. I questioned him on whether he was speaking for himself or the Navy. He said the Navy. I have a hard time believing that. My second class 02-97, I was told to have them immediately cease shouting the word KILL when given a command to go inside or perform some other task. Dr. Love as we called him privately told me "They will learn about killing later, lets not program them with this added stress". So starting from that day forward, I had my classes shout "YUT". It means kill in another language. We Marines have used it for a few decades at bayonet training. He never asked what it meant and I never offered an explanation.
I sent approximately ten officers (I would have to look at the old class T-Shirts to be sure) to BUDS to earn the title Navy SEAL. Each one earned it. Not a one washed out. If you wanted to be a SEAL, you could expect this from me that on even days you did leg lifts and odd days you did pushups. Only the exercises were conducted without me or other instructors having to tell the candidate to do so. I made it law after the first week that those who were pursuing BUDS had to exercise every time the D.I. was handing out mail, giving verbal instruction (outside of drill time) and frequently during instruction at academics. You can easily acquire a few extra hours in a day of cumulative PT fatiguing the muscles. If you could do no more reps, you held a resting position.
I cleared it with the instructors at the school house (only two of them since the others would not understand) that in order to prepare them for success at BUDS, they were going to have to exceed the OCS PT program. When they arrived at BUDS, they had mental stamina because they had conditioned their bodies for endurance.
Who is going to push them to succeed now? I remember Rear Admiral Johnson (SEAL) whose son was in Gunnery Sergeant Woolett’s class. He told us that there is a measurable difference between Navy OCS and the other two commissioning programs. Navy OCS had a success rate at BUDS of around 95% as I recall. I distinctly remember it was mid 90's percentage. The other two routes, NROTC and the academy were closer to 70% success rate. Hmm, really makes you wonder doesn't it?
Any way, I am not sure I will stick around this forum since the changes at Navy OCS have removed the D.I. from the picture and any commentary I have would be irrelevant in today's world. I will close with this statement; Class 09-97 had a candidate named G. Bowman (aviator type). His father was the Chief Naval Education and Training, RADM Bowman. Master Gunnery Sergeant Holtry warned me not to screw up. Well, my short term memory failed me and I was back to my old antics. At around week 6 the school shut down for Christmas. I thought for sure he would tell stories and I would get in trouble. But the firing never happened to me as I expected. During Candio phase the CNET visited. He inquired about his son. I said "I am sure he must have told stories about what I did and what happened here at OCS during his two week school break sir". The Rear Admiral replied "He tried but I shut him up. I told him I wanted him to experience what I experienced years ago from my D.I.. I felt that if he told me I would be put in a position to intervene because of my position of responsibility". I deeply respect that Warrior because he understood the meaning of the expression "Marine Corps Trained".
Semper Fi Warriors!
John Crouch
First I commend you on your attention to detail regarding the doubtful previous reply to your reply. I was excited to see this forum, filled out a profile and posted one reply and posted one letter from one of my class presidents. Then I read some of the threads.
Damn! My heart broke when I read about how Navy OCS changed and basically chose to gut the Marine Corps from the curriculum several months ago. I cut and pasted many of the dialogs to include the hyperlink and sent to the 20 or so Officers that I still stay in touch with. We are all so pissed off that the Navy leadership decided to take out the pressure cooker and focus on statistics.
I know our methods were effective. Fine example. Helicopter Pilot from 02-97 has call sign of "Gunny". Remember now, you don't get to pick your own call sign. His commanding Officer hand picked him to serve one year in Afghanistan mentoring / leading ground forces.
So why would you take a high dollar flight instructor and send him to play Grunt for one year. Maybe because he carries himself like an Officer worthy of emulation in every facet of his being. I remember CMDR Theilman (Director of OCS in 1996) counseling me "Gunny Crouch, we are not trying to make Marine Officers here, we just want technical experts. If they happen to have those other qualities you Marines so desire then great, but let's not hold them to that standard". Made me damn sick. I questioned him on whether he was speaking for himself or the Navy. He said the Navy. I have a hard time believing that. My second class 02-97, I was told to have them immediately cease shouting the word KILL when given a command to go inside or perform some other task. Dr. Love as we called him privately told me "They will learn about killing later, lets not program them with this added stress". So starting from that day forward, I had my classes shout "YUT". It means kill in another language. We Marines have used it for a few decades at bayonet training. He never asked what it meant and I never offered an explanation.
I sent approximately ten officers (I would have to look at the old class T-Shirts to be sure) to BUDS to earn the title Navy SEAL. Each one earned it. Not a one washed out. If you wanted to be a SEAL, you could expect this from me that on even days you did leg lifts and odd days you did pushups. Only the exercises were conducted without me or other instructors having to tell the candidate to do so. I made it law after the first week that those who were pursuing BUDS had to exercise every time the D.I. was handing out mail, giving verbal instruction (outside of drill time) and frequently during instruction at academics. You can easily acquire a few extra hours in a day of cumulative PT fatiguing the muscles. If you could do no more reps, you held a resting position.
I cleared it with the instructors at the school house (only two of them since the others would not understand) that in order to prepare them for success at BUDS, they were going to have to exceed the OCS PT program. When they arrived at BUDS, they had mental stamina because they had conditioned their bodies for endurance.
Who is going to push them to succeed now? I remember Rear Admiral Johnson (SEAL) whose son was in Gunnery Sergeant Woolett’s class. He told us that there is a measurable difference between Navy OCS and the other two commissioning programs. Navy OCS had a success rate at BUDS of around 95% as I recall. I distinctly remember it was mid 90's percentage. The other two routes, NROTC and the academy were closer to 70% success rate. Hmm, really makes you wonder doesn't it?
Any way, I am not sure I will stick around this forum since the changes at Navy OCS have removed the D.I. from the picture and any commentary I have would be irrelevant in today's world. I will close with this statement; Class 09-97 had a candidate named G. Bowman (aviator type). His father was the Chief Naval Education and Training, RADM Bowman. Master Gunnery Sergeant Holtry warned me not to screw up. Well, my short term memory failed me and I was back to my old antics. At around week 6 the school shut down for Christmas. I thought for sure he would tell stories and I would get in trouble. But the firing never happened to me as I expected. During Candio phase the CNET visited. He inquired about his son. I said "I am sure he must have told stories about what I did and what happened here at OCS during his two week school break sir". The Rear Admiral replied "He tried but I shut him up. I told him I wanted him to experience what I experienced years ago from my D.I.. I felt that if he told me I would be put in a position to intervene because of my position of responsibility". I deeply respect that Warrior because he understood the meaning of the expression "Marine Corps Trained".
Semper Fi Warriors!
John Crouch
First Sergeant
Killin' and Drillin' YUT!
An update on my last post
I called the Regimental Officer of the Day tonight to get some facts based upon information that I sent you all from the Navy OCS forum that was maybe 9 months old.
The ROOD who is in class 02-07 said:
I asked if there had been any significant change of commands lately. I was told the Director of OCS has been there about 4 – 6 months. Maybe what I read was simply evidence of a “Social Experiment” gone bad and they corrected things back to somewhat of what it used to be like and getting in some fresh blood.
I will call MGYSGT Foshee tomorrow to get the real deal and let you know what is up.
Semper Fi!
John Crouch
I called the Regimental Officer of the Day tonight to get some facts based upon information that I sent you all from the Navy OCS forum that was maybe 9 months old.
The ROOD who is in class 02-07 said:
- The drill competition happens in week 7
- They are still issued the rifle to drill with
- One RLP inspection (MTT) occurs. This is in week 3
- The Drill Instructor does not fade away
- And the best news, Master Gunnery Sergeant Foshee is in charge of the Marines. I knew this D.I. from my days at Parris Island. He was awesome. Very Intense! Unrelenting in meeting standards! Loves to discipline!
I asked if there had been any significant change of commands lately. I was told the Director of OCS has been there about 4 – 6 months. Maybe what I read was simply evidence of a “Social Experiment” gone bad and they corrected things back to somewhat of what it used to be like and getting in some fresh blood.
I will call MGYSGT Foshee tomorrow to get the real deal and let you know what is up.
Semper Fi!
John Crouch
Thanks for the info First Sergeant. Was there a rumor that the DIs were going away or something? I heard OCS was moving to Rhode Island but I didn’t think it was changing that much. Does anyone know if ADM Stockdale is still there?