No apology necessary, stevew....I have to admit, the j/k threw me. I looked all over the post to see who the j/k you were responding to had posted. Obviously, I'm not up to speed on some of the "chat" acronyms. My bad. Certainly, as someone currently applying for OCC, you fully understand ALL of the qualifications that must be met to be considered to receive the great honor of being accepted as a candidate for OCS in your goal to be an Officer of Marines. I'm sure most folks reading your post realized you were saying this in jest. Please accept my apology for my misunderstanding. As someone who is likely much older than most folks who post on this site, I've seen and heard over the years so many negative comments concerning those who choose to serve their country in the armed forces. I'm 56 years old and grew up during the 60's where I witnessed the sometimes misguided philosophy of some of those in the "flower" generation and the insulting term, "military intelligence", that I heard so many times during the 60's kinda struck a nerve. Not realizing that you were saying this in jest, I overreacted.
The process, at least from the OCC standpoint, can be a much longer and arduous one than many realize. My son, a December 2002 Baylor graduate (double major, 3.2 GPA), started the application process with his OSO in August 2002. He didn't ship out to Quantico until October 2003. He got a part-time job upon graduation, working enough hours to cover living expenses but allowing time to train at the gym five or six days a week. He did that consistently for eight months! You are correct that the Marines are very physically fit. It takes a lot of work to get that way....and to stay that way. He was in terrific shape when he left for Quantico but was pretty beat down by the time he got his commission in December 2003. The physical rigors of OCS, even though most of the cadidates are in great shape when they arrive, never really allow their bodies to recover much while they are there. I think that is why the pre-ship PFT requirements are so "high" and so important. Even though you are in great shape when you arrive, you are physically beat by the time you finish the "short" ten weeks at Marine Corps OCS.
My advice to those who are considering applying for Marine Corps OCS, particularly via the OCC program, is to work consistently on the physical aspect (proper weight training, crunches, pull ups, etc.), be a good academic student, do community service and other extracurricular activities (this is another thing the Marine Corps likes to see), be a person of high integrity and honor, develop relationships with folks who will write good letters of recommendation, and run, run, run, run....
Being selected as a candidate for Marine OCS and having the opportunity to be an Officer of Marines is a high calling and an ultimate honor for you, your family, and your country. It is not easy to be selected and it takes a commitment and sacrifice on many fronts, and for many months. It is, however, worth it if you truly aspire to be a leader of Marines.
I apologize for the length of my posts....and for getting off topic. I hope my missive may be helpful to some of you. Grace and peace....
