OCS preperation questions

[Flyer09]

I can see me breaking my leg and calling up my wife to let her know I wont be seeing her for another 9 or so months.

There are a couple of us here now that are in that exact position. Nobody has broken a limb here in quite some time I believe but many get stress fractures or pulled muscles. I'm on the 8 month plan right now because of an injury. I plan on healing up and continuing on with the program as do 95% of the other medical injuries that occur at OCS.

They are going to tell you to report any medical conditions that may arise. Some say if you can push through then push through. Some will say report any and all medical conditions. I say listen to your body as you know your body better than anybody else. I tried to push through the pain with what I assumed, and was diagnosed, was a pulled groin. That pulled groing caused me to roll out of my original class. I classed up a week later with the class following mine and after an afternoon or RPT I knew something wasn't right with my hip/leg so I went in. Come to find out I had/have 2 stress fractures in my pelvis and had I continued on I could have caused serious damage and ruined any future I may have had in the Navy had those stress fractures expanded and turned into full breaks!

Don't get discouraged if you get injured and roll out of your class. People keep asking me if I am going to stay when I tell them I have a minimum 4 month healing process and I tell them that I have put way too much time, money, and effort to leave Newport without my Ensign Bars! If I have to spend a year here in order to full recover then so be it but I am not leaving until I get dressed in my choker whites and see those bars on my shoulders.

 

[blackjaw]

15. POTUS Obama
14. VP Biden
13. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
12. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus
11. Chief of Naval Operations ADM Gary Roughead
10. Commander NETC RADM Gary Jones
9. Commander NSTC RADM Clifford Sharpe
8. Commanding Officer OTC Newport CAPT Joseph A Mcbreaty
7. Executive Officer OTC Newport CMDR Julie O'Neal

1. section leader (don't really need to know this one)
2. Class chief petty officer_____, USN and Class Drill Instructor ______, USMC (This is dependants on your specific class...each class has it's own DI's and Chiefs)
3. Class Officer, LT. ______, USN (dependant on your class as well)
5. Assistant Operations officer, Officer Candidate School, Major Kissoon, USMC
6. Operations Officer, Officer candidate School, Lt. CMDR Favatta, USN

I was just looking for this info today. Thanks for compiling it guys.

 

[Spekkio]

There are a couple that have been removed from the program due to poor preformance. 1 was a complete lack of effort and the other is a more personal reason. The 2nd may be let back into the program because of the dedication that has been shown but if you show a complete lack of effort you will be removed from the program and sent home several months later. The DI's here are awsome and know what they are doing. They can see who is improving and actually trying to better themselves and they want to see that. Put out 110% and you shouldn't have any issues making it through the program.

Yes and no. I know more than a couple people who shouldn't have made it through the program, let alone made it through without ever rolling back.

 

[blarged]

Yes and no. I know more than a couple people who shouldn't have made it through the program, let alone made it through without ever rolling back.

When you talk about people that you personally don't think should have made it through, what set of standards are you setting?

They weren't physically fit enough to make it through?
They weren't academically on top of things to make it through?
They didn't show the characteristics of a Naval Officer to make it through?

Just curious.

 

[Insomneo]

They didn't show the characteristics of a Naval Officer to make it through?

This. It's usually not just you who thinks this. If it were, you'd likely be wrong since you've been in the Navy for a minute.

However, it will usually be your class team, who make this evident. It usually consists of them being OFP all of the time, often screwing over others in the process. You'll know it when you see it. Unfortunately, unless they DOR, they will get through the program, no matter how hard your class team tries to weed them out.

What is so sad about this however is two things. One is that they will soon have to lead "in the fleet", and you will begin to feel sorry for the sailors that will be under their command. And two is that it takes away from the rewarding feeling that you deserve for making it through.

Regardless you should still be proud, especially if you gave it your all. Your class team will know this, and more importantly you will have proven yourself to yourself... hope that makes sense.

 

[Spekkio]

They weren't academically on top of things to make it through?
They didn't show the characteristics of a Naval Officer to make it through?

Combination of these two and this:

However, it will usually be your class team, who make this evident. It usually consists of them being OFP all of the time, often screwing over others in the process. You'll know it when you see it. Unfortunately, unless they DOR, they will get through the program, no matter how hard your class team tries to weed them out.

I actually disagree with. A guy in our class made it through who I swear was mildly retarded and absolutely clueless anytime he was given a simple task to accomplish on his own. Our class team didn't notice at all because our class covered for him every single time.

Sometimes the class team just picks someone at random to screw with to see how the class will react. Otto got extra attention at OCS just because of his forum reputation.

OCS these days is a pump, not a filter.

 

[Flyer09]

I'm going to back what Spekkio said. If you physically qualified when you get here you will get into shape while here even if it takes you a little while longer. I haven't seen anybody attrited from OCS because they can't take the physical demands. I've seen people DOR but not attrited. They have gone out of their way to help those that need it. I won't go into specifics but the help is there.

The 2 cases that I have seen are a combination of your 2nd and 3rd examples. Lack of Officer Like Qualities will get you booted from the program just not in a timely fashion. Failing academically will also hurt you and force you back as well. I have seen classes carry the weaker candidates through the system. Whether you like it or not your class is a team and if one person fails then your team fails. How will your class respond? That is something that your class will need to come to terms with.

Straight from Captain Mcbreaty, OCS is having to pick up the slack in the need for Naval Officers. The Marines are picking up more and more officers from the Academy and NROTC so that leaves OCS to pick up the slack. FY08 OCS graduated some 1,000 Officers. FY09 looks like around 1,200 Officers and FY10 is expected to be even bigger than that. If OCS turns into a stronger filter than there will be a shortage of officers in the fleet. In my opinion OCS is great at what it does. The program is sound and weeds out nearly all of those that don't have the will to see it through to the end. Yes a few slip through the cracks but that happens everywhere but I still say OCS is doing a great job and graduating great officers that will make excellent additions to the fleet.

 

[Spekkio]

Failing academically will also hurt you and force you back as well.

You have to be moderately to severely retarded to fail out of OCS academics.

I always found it funny how every person who failed the first moboard/nav exam was a SWO.

 

[blakaccl1]

\
OCS these days is a pump, not a filter.

definitely agree with this! I saw some candidates (Officers Now!) who didn't really seem to have any leadership skills, were always down on themselves, and stressed over every situation and showing no bearing to boot. The Aviators in my class definitely were capable but some SWO's in there are gonna have a really hard time commanding any sailors.

Yet they made it through. Like i said OCS is more for training and not an application process to become an Ensign. Once your in your most likely going to make it if your willing to try hard to pass...even though your weak personality becomes evident. This isn't true for everyone as I have seen a person get attrited in there 8th week, but that was after a handful of chances.