Monster Marine OCS thread: stupid questions answered here!

[ArkhamAsylum]

Some would say that OCS and TBS are crash courses in dealing with people. As a wise man once told me, peer leadership equates to pure leadership, as you can't fall back on rank to make yourself heard.
And for Pete's sake, if you're prior enlisted, don't act like you own the place. Instead, teach your buddies the proper way to make a rack, roll their sleeves, blouse their boots, pack their gear, etc.

 

[Ground&Pound]

This is why i'm PTing my brains out and asking questions on here! Thier is no way i'm going to let myself be the shit bag of my platoon when I get there.....no way! Thanks for the advice guys...keep it coming if you've got it!

 

[usmarinemike]

Some would say that OCS and TBS are crash courses in dealing with people. As a wise man once told me, peer leadership equates to pure leadership, as you can't fall back on rank to make yourself heard.
And for Pete's sake, if you're prior enlisted, don't act like you own the place. Instead, teach your buddies the proper way to make a rack, roll their sleeves, blouse their boots, pack their gear, etc.

Good post. If you can lead peers to do something tough and like it, then you sure as hell can lead subordinates.

Hear hear on the prior enlisted thing. It's a ticket to know what's going on and getting everybody up to speed so the platoon can run smoothly; not a ticket to get everything done and then standing there wth your dick in your hand. I can't believe some of those guys were NCOs in a past life...probably air wingersaperbag_.

 

[Rustbucket]

My two cents on the subject is to resist the urge to try and do everything there yourself. If you need help with something, then ask your rackmate/fireteam/squad/ or someone in the plt for help. You will only look like a piece of trash by not and it will be noticed by everyone and remembered during "Spear Evals' Ask for help when you need it and offer it to others even when they don't need it. That is what OCS is about... teambuilding. Take it for what it's worth.

 

[ItsTurboTime]

This is why i'm PTing my brains out and asking questions on here! Thier is no way i'm going to let myself be the shit bag of my platoon when I get there.....no way! Thanks for the advice guys...keep it coming if you've got it!

Just being aware of this stuff and having that attitude will take you far at OCS. I'm currently on libo, just finished week 8. I don't know alot but I know a good bit about OCS by now.

 

[cwyx]

In my platoon for PLC JRs this summer we had to write down four good things and four bad things about every candidate in our squad. So no matter how good of a candidate you are everyones still going to thrash you. They will grind you on some menial $hit.

 

[propwash]

Itsturbotime: the fact that, while on OCS libo, you are online checking a web bulliten board, when you should be out living it up... are you kidding?

Don't sweat peer evals. All you can do is be who you are. If you are a good guy, it will show. If you are a turd, it will show. If you are the victim of circumstances, it works out in the end. If you are one of the pack, there you are. The worst thing peer evals do is provide corroberating evidence for the candidate who is already being looked at for disenrollment. If he sucks, but his peers say he is good, those evals may save his yet nonexistent carrer. But if he sucks in all the events, and his peers also say he sucks, the door is this way...

TBS has peer evals also. All part of the deal.

If all a person has to say about you is they remember your peer evals from OCS or TBS, then they too must have worried about their own performance enough to worry about other's standing. Every unit has its weak guy or two. But shit that happened 10 years ago does not determine a guy's worth as a senior Captain, Major, etc... usually... It can, but I'd say that's the rare personality that everyone already knows the story on.

None if it becomes any matter of record.

Do not become a self promoting politician trying to justify your circumstances. People sense that immediately. Just like in the real Marine Corps, it is "what have you done for me lately", not "but look at my record..." That's just how it is. We all have, or will, experience that at least once most likely.

If you think writing about people is bad, wait until you have eight sergeants and a few staff sergeants or junior officers you have to write fitness reports on; those actually matter regarding the future of their careers.

Again, be yourself and learn. Everyone can smell a rat, and as they say, the leopard can't change his spots.

This profession is 100% about people and interacting with them. Never turn your back on a comrade in order to further yourself. Loyalty goes up, down, and adjacent.

Remember, at OCS, the first in the class and last at the class are both called the same thing: lieutenant

Food for thought...

 

[ArkhamAsylum]

This profession is 100% about people and interacting with them.

Does that include meeting the citizens of an ancient civilization.... and killing them?

 

[HueyCobra8151]

In my platoon we did peer evals, then we wagon-wheeled and put our eval for each person on his foot-locker. Then we were instructed to alphabetize our peer evals...in other words: the peer evals were not secret at all and everyone knew everything that got written about them.

One guy in my squad got ranked 13/13 by every single person both times...he is now a 2nd Lt.

When I was Plt Sgt, I got medevac'd during SULE II, and got an unfavorable leadership evaluation for it. The next day we did peer evals and I got ranked #2 or 3 (can't remember) and almost every person said "Candidate HueyCobra8151 was the best Plt Sgt we have had yet," which may not have done much for my standing with the staff - but it definitely helped me not get too mind-farked by the unfavorable leadership eval.

OCS is pretty cutthroat though IMO. If you are weak, your peers will destroy you.

The funny thing to me is how much they changed from the first to the second. Some guys I thought were hot-shiat in the beginning turned into complete turds, and guys that I had first placed as marginal really came through as studs on my second eval.

 

[propwash]

ArkhamAsylum, it certainly could, especially if that culture wrote an adverse peer eval about your culture...

 

[ArkhamAsylum]

ArkhamAsylum, it certainly could, especially if that culture wrote an adverse peer eval about your culture...

If that's the case, then my culture owes a great many arse-kickings to other cultures.

 

[sharp452]

Is it worth the wait?!

Hey guys, first off I just wanted to sound off by saying thank you all for all the great intel that this site has provided me!!!

And now my question, Not really a question but more of your opinions.

So I'm about to graduate with a BA late December of this year and shooting for OCS-197 as a SNA in the end of January of 08. To be complety honest, trying to graduate and prepare for OCS is kicking my ass! simply because I dont have enough time. This is because I work a full time job from 9-5 and go straight to class 6-10 everyday. Weekends are my only time to study and besides getting ready for all the tests (ASVAB, ASTB, FPT) I still have an overload of school assignments.

So I am really thinking about just focusing on finishing school and shooting for the OCS 1st Inc in June. That way I can have more than enough time to prepare for OCS and not get overloaded trying to rush everything for the December class.

I'm 25 now and I turn 26 in Feb, so either way I look at it I will earn my commision when Im 26 if I go to either the January or June OCS. I know thats close...

You guys think I should just stop being a little B**CH and suck it up? Cram ass and go to OCS in December? Or Take my time on preparing after I get my BA?

Answers, opinions, comments and even smart remarks are welcomed!

Thanks Gentlemen.

-Sharp-

 

[WVUBetaHornet]

So I am really thinking about just focusing on finishing school and shooting for the OCS 1st Inc in June. That way I can have more than enough time to prepare for OCS and not get overloaded trying to rush everything for the December class.

Sounds like you answered your own question bud...

Do what you want to do, not what other people tell you. It's fine to get advice and opinions (such as mine ) about your situation, but it's ultimately you making the decision that is right for you...if you feel that you should finish up school (which it seems you do), prepare more thoroughly for OCS (always a good thing), while at the same time not getting overloaded by rushing yourself...then take the June date.

Good luck with everything.

 

[3P4Life]

25 or 26 it doesn't matter, just be the fastest bald headed freak in a pair of silk shorts that you can be, that's all that matters. Don't go there injured, distracted, or unable to blow the doors off the PFT.

As for studying. 2.0 and go man. Enjoy your time while you can, cause once you are in life is going to change big time. I will promise you that nobody is ever going to ask you what your GPA is ever again unless you do something nutso like NPGS, TPS or heaven forbid MOI.

The real question is the one you haven't asked yet. The real question you have to ask yourself, is do you like your balls sweaty hot and nasty, or frozen, and prune like? If you like hot and nasty, then go for the June class and watch them rott off your body. If you like it cold, then go for the December class and bring a lot of handwarmers to bring the boys back to life.

FLASHBACK Winter 1997: "Balls, meet Mr. Quigly. Mr. Quigly, meet my balls."

If I was you I'd go in the summer and suffer and like it, who knows you might even get the prestigious silver bullet award and some free books from the Marine Corps Association .

 

[flysupertomcat]

Hey guys, first off I just wanted to sound off by saying thank you all for all the great intel that this site has provided me!!!

And now my question, Not really a question but more of your opinions.

So I'm about to graduate with a BA late December of this year and shooting for OCS-197 as a SNA in the end of January of 08. To be complety honest, trying to graduate and prepare for OCS is kicking my ass! simply because I dont have enough time. This is because I work a full time job from 9-5 and go straight to class 6-10 everyday. Weekends are my only time to study and besides getting ready for all the tests (ASVAB, ASTB, FPT) I still have an overload of school assignments.

So I am really thinking about just focusing on finishing school and shooting for the OCS 1st Inc in June. That way I can have more than enough time to prepare for OCS and not get overloaded trying to rush everything for the December class.

I'm 25 now and I turn 26 in Feb, so either way I look at it I will earn my commision when Im 26 if I go to either the January or June OCS. I know thats close...

You guys think I should just stop being a little B**CH and suck it up? Cram ass and go to OCS in December? Or Take my time on preparing after I get my BA?

Answers, opinions, comments and even smart remarks are welcomed!

Thanks Gentlemen.

-Sharp-

You're assuming you're going to get picked up on your first try. Unless you're a rock star (which you very well may be), the chances are fair that you might not get picked up your first time. You need to plan for that. Like most people will say, apply early and apply often. You're getting to a critical point, age wise unless you have prior enlisted service.