Insider Scoop on Navy OCS

[BACONATOR]

Quickest way to get out of OCS is to graduate. I've known people who DOR'd in week 2 of my class and were there at least 3 weeks after I graduated.

TRUTH!

The guys in student pool laughed at us while we were getting beat in the sandpit after they DORed in the first week. They got to "relax" and watch TV, go out on town and we were getting killed.

Then 11 weeks later as I was preparing to graduate and move on with my life, I laughed at them as they bumbled around base in their khaki pants and polo shirts, practically wearing a "I DORed" sign on their back (student pool guys have to wear polos and khakis).

Fastest way out of OCS is with a commission. If it's not for you, then DOR, and no harm, no foul. If you just want to go home, then DORing is just dumb.

 

[utak]

TRUTH!

The guys in student pool laughed at us while we were getting beat in the sandpit after they DORed in the first week. They got to "relax" and watch TV, go out on town and we were getting killed.

Then 11 weeks later as I was preparing to graduate and move on with my life, I laughed at them as they bumbled around base in their khaki pants and polo shirts, practically wearing a "I DORed" sign on their back (student pool guys have to wear polos and khakis).

Fastest way out of OCS is with a commission. If it's not for you, then DOR, and no harm, no foul. If you just want to go home, then DORing is just dumb.

It wasn't just polos and khakis, the priors who quit went back to wearing utilities.

 

[BACONATOR]

It wasn't just polos and khakis, the priors who quit went back to wearing utilities.

Of course. I had forgotten. I guess that first class who made chief in student pool got to put the khakis back on, after all....

 

[Spekkio]

Still must be hard to get the respect of other sailors when you dropped out of training.

 

[Kickflip89]

Still must be hard to get the respect of other sailors when you dropped out of training.

Although I know nothing of earning respect from other sailors yet, I'm gonna guess that it is easier for a chief who dropped out of OCS than an ENS who didn't.

 

[BACONATOR]

Although I know nothing of earning respect from other sailors yet, I'm gonna guess that it is easier for a chief who dropped out of OCS than an ENS who didn't.

And often times, the priors had extenuating circumstances. I think the chief select had an extensive injury, and just decided to go back to the fleet then sit in limbo for many months with no guarantee he'd be able to continue (or perhaps he was NPQ?).

 

[Spekkio]

Although I know nothing of earning respect from other sailors yet, I'm gonna guess that it is easier for a chief who dropped out of OCS than an ENS who didn't.

Do you really think that the type of person who is going to DOR (not talking about for medical reasons) is the type of person to normally command respect from others?

I don't think the respect you earn from others has anything to do with what you're wearing on your collar.

 

[BACONATOR]

Do you really think that the type of person who is going to DOR (not talking about for medical reasons) is the type of person to normally command respect from others?

I don't think the respect you earn from others has anything to do with what you're wearing on your collar.

2 types of respect: innate and earned.

Innate respect comes from the organization of the military. Sailors will respect the rank of a Chief or Officer because that's the way it is.

Earned respect is what is really beneficial, when they do their jobs and carry out orders because they personally respect the person giving the order.

This is also present in the civilian world in the employer-employee relationship.

Is the person going to put in the minimal work to get boss-man off their back or are they going to put in the extra mile because they really respect boss-man and he is busting his ass along with them?

 

[Spekkio]

I was talking about the latter, obviously.

 

[bb1125]

Dude, while I personally didn't know any priors that DOR'd, I can tell you it's different than a civilian off the street doing it. For a senior enlisted Sailor to go through OCS, chances are they were a superstar already at their previous commands.

I obviously didn't DOR, but it certainly crossed my mind a time or two, so I'll give you my perspective. I came from a squadron where I was the number one PO1, the "go to guy". I had spent ten years working my way up the ranks and was now the LPO of the largest detachment in our squadron. I was even selected as the Sailor of the Year for my squadron and my wing. I was a shoe in to make Chief last year, which had been a goal of mine since I joined the Navy. Not bragging, just giving you my perspective.

So, when I show up to OCS and I'm being treated like an E1 all over again, it was a bit degrading. When I had a 22 year old college kid yelling at me, telling me to stand at attention, I wanted to punch him in the throat and go back to my squadron. Just saying, for a prior, it's easy to DOR. It doesn't necessarily mean he was a spineless quitter, just that he already had a great career and didn't need to go through the bs. Hopefully, my perspective gives you some insight as to why it might happen. I seriously don't think it would do anything to deminish the respect they get from their Sailors. A Chief is still a Chief and they've been leading Sailors for a long time, so shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Harrier Dude]

Dude, while I personally didn't know any priors that DOR'd, I can tell you it's different than a civilian off the street doing it. For a senior enlisted Sailor to go through OCS, chances are they were a superstar already at their previous commands.

I obviously didn't DOR, but it certainly crossed my mind a time or two, so I'll give you my perspective. I came from a squadron where I was the number one PO1, the "go to guy". I had spent ten years working my way up the ranks and was now the LPO of the largest detachment in our squadron. I was even selected as the Sailor of the Year for my squadron and my wing. I was a shoe in to make Chief last year, which had been a goal of mine since I joined the Navy. Not bragging, just giving you my perspective.

So, when I show up to OCS and I'm being treated like an E1 all over again, it was a bit degrading. When I had a 22 year old college kid yelling at me, telling me to stand at attention, I wanted to punch him in the throat and go back to my squadron. Just saying, for a prior, it's easy to DOR. It doesn't necessarily mean he was a spineless quitter, just that he already had a great career and didn't need to go through the bs. Hopefully, my perspective gives you some insight as to why it might happen. I seriously don't think it would do anything to deminish the respect they get from their Sailors. A Chief is still a Chief and they've been leading Sailors for a long time, so shouldn't be an issue.

Your perspective makes perfect sense. I had a Senior Chief in my AOCS class, as well as an HM1 and some very junior enlisted (already had a degree and joined just to apply for officer from inside). We had a couple of 2nd and 3rd classes as well, and several of them quit.

The juinior enlisted were used to getting yelled at, so no big deal. The senior enlisted could see the big picture and played the game. It was the middle group that felt like they had it better in the fleet and didn't need any of the BS. They couldn't quite see the big picture.

I saw the same thing at Marine OCS (although the most senior was a SSgt). Same reasons.

 

[utak]

Still must be hard to get the respect of other sailors when you dropped out of training.

Not really, when they go back to the Fleet, they'll tell all their peers and subordinates in their division about how they got "hurt" or "NPQ" or had "family issues". In fact, their several weeks/days/hours spent at OCS will give them a 1-up over their peers in terms of experience/accomplishment, cause when you think about it, it's hard as hell to get selected from the enlisted side in the first place.

It's swept underneath the rug and they continue on with their job, no harm done.

 

[Harrier Dude]

Not really, when they go back to the Fleet, they'll tell all their peers and subordinates in their division about how they got "hurt" or "NPQ" or had "family issues". In fact, their several weeks/days/hours spent at OCS will give them a 1-up over their peers in terms of experience/accomplishment, cause when you think about it, it's hard as hell to get selected from the enlisted side in the first place.

It's swept underneath the rug and they continue on with their job, no harm done.

I'm not so sure about that. I had a SSgt that worked for me that "didn't make it through OCS". I never got the full story from him as to why, and I didn't press him on it because it didn't really matter and I didn't want to embarrass him if it was a "bad" story.

He ended up as a decent, but not stellar, performer. That always had me wondering if it was a "we'll NPQ you before you get booted" kind of a deal.

If you feel you must DOR because "that life isn't for you" (how would you really know?), at least make it all the way and DOR at the end. You can keep your dignity that way.

 

[Kickflip89]

Do you really think that the type of person who is going to DOR (not talking about for medical reasons) is the type of person to normally command respect from others?

I don't think the respect you earn from others has anything to do with what you're wearing on your collar.

People DOR for all kinds of reasons. In some cases, it's a good decision. In any event, I don't think DORing from OCS is a significant enough of a "black mark" to erase the years of enlisted service needed to make chief.

Let's be honest. An officer candidate doesn't REALLY do anything to prove their worth as an officer. You can graduate making only the decisions that are obviously necessary to survive the program. You could throw people under the bus, not take care of your classmates, have a horrible attitude, and still graduate if you went about it the right(wrong?) way. OCS is hard, but it REALLY DOES boil down to speed, volume, intensity. If you can do those three things it doesn't matter what kind of leader / person you are, you can get through OCS. Maybe this was not true about AOCS and in Pcola, but it is from what I observed. OCS seems to me more about prooving you want to be an officer enough to put up with the BS than anything else.

Not saying that Chiefs are all awesome and that some of them didn't get to where they are simply by making everyone else around them look bad...but they've got YEARS of service prooving their worth as sailors and as leaders, and those years of service will ellicit respect. 12 months of doing push-ups and screaming...not so much.

Just my opinion.

 

[Nikki2184]

12 months of doing push-ups and screaming...not so much.

well, I agree with you about the 12 WEEKS of OCS, but push-ups for 12 months, that would earn quite a bit of MY respect! :icon_tong

Honestly, I think it depends on the person and the shop. A person can determine their level of respect independent of their history. Most places, if you do your job well and look out for your shipmates, you've got respect. OCS drop-out or not.

Of course, I know a Chief who mocks the LTJG because she took 6 months to get through OCS due to an in-PFA failure followed by an injury. And she eventually passed. But, he still respects her...at least, as much as a Chief ever respects JO's!!:icon_wink