OCS questions

[ASUSunDevil]

Can anyone give advise on what exactly to bring in January? I don't want to carry around too much stuff but want to have enough. My OSO said not to bring a lot, generally someone else will have it, and you don't want to have to carry it all around. He said someone will have 3 sea bags and ask you to carry one for them but f*** that. I have been reading posts about bringing socks/under armour/poly etc. Are you allowed to bring your own stuff or are you issued everything? Are you able to buy better stuff once you're there? How much time off do you have at OCS? After 3 weeks you get Saturday nights off? Umm, I think that's it for now.

 

[openbah]

Here is my pack list for January OCS that I have compiled from other lists I've seen in the past.

PT Gear / Clothing
- BodyGlide
- Gold Bond powder
- Thorlo boot socks (black) to avoid boot blisters
- Compression shorts
- 3 sets civvies (wrinkle free permanent crease and a plain polo shirt)
- 1 pair of nice shoes
- 1 (or 2) pair of go-fasters
- 1 pair boot insoles
- 2 pairs of white running socks
- Underwear for about 3 days
- Pair of broken-in boots
- Extra sneaker laces
- Black dress shoes

Toiletries
- Toothbrush / toothpaste
- Mouthwash
- Q-tips
- Wet wipes
- Hand sanitizer
- Liquid shower soap (not bar soap)
- Foot powder
- White towel
- Deodorant
- Lotrimin Ultra


Other
- Ruler (for rack and uniform inspections)
- Zip lock bags (to organize and keep things dry)
- Extra pens (erasable) and pencils
- Laundry pen (Sharpie's "Rub a dub")
- A cheap water resistant watch
- Couple white washcloths for cleaning rifle
- $400-500 (small bills)
- 2 in. clear tape, for your canteen
- 1 roll of 1/2" and 2 rolls of 1" athletic tape
- Nice scissors
- Headlamp with red LED light
- Waterproof spiral notebook
- Cell phone and charger

Pack everything in Ziploc bags and mark everything.

 

[DocT]

Openbah's list is pretty good to go. That list would be on the long end of what to bring. I'd scracth the foot powder because they will make you buy that anyway. You'll buy white towels and wash cloths while you're there, so bring a hienous nasty towel that you can throw away. Three sets of civvies is a bit much, maybe an extra shirt, the no-iron kind is priceless. Being OCCers I would drive my POV at all costs, and leave the extra civvies and whatnot in my car. It's like having an extra big wall locker that no-one will ever inspect. The less you bring, the less you're scrambling after during pick-up. Don't pack your sh!t in a suitcase with wheels or anything. Bring a duffel bag or a seabag.

ASUSunDevil, you'll get libo after the third week. From roughly 4pm Sat. to 7pm Sun. You can buy anything else you think you need at the PX then.

http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11150

The above link is to a thread that discusses most of this stuff in explicit detail, if you haven't seen it already. Good Luck and Semper FI, Doc

 

[Killer2]

Head lamp w/ Red LED? Or you could place the moonbeam on the rack above you if your on the bottom or on the wall locker over your shoulder. Thats just me.

Echo what Doc said about the towels and powder.

I think the one thing that a lot of people forget and was 1st on my list was Common Sense.

I didn't bring all that stuff with me but I was only there 6 weeks so I am sure that some of that stuff your taking you would need arond week 8.

 

[Augustus]

I found the moonbeams to be of poor quality however operational.
Add a razor and shaving lotion to the list.

 

[KBayDog]

I think the one thing that a lot of people forget and was 1st on my list was Common Sense.

Devil Pups, check your Common Sense at the hatch. If you value your sanity, you'll put your Common Sense in temp storage for six (or ten) weeks. You might even want to put it in a short-term CD; may as well earn some interest on it while you are at Brown Field.

See, nobody will have Common Sense at OCS except you. If you start to show that you have Common Sense, others will want to keep bumming some off of you. Pretty soon you won't have any left. It is one thing to be the "go-to" guy; it's quite another to allow others to take take advantage of you.

Besides, in the interest of uniformity, you don't want to be the only one there with Common Sense. It will make you stand out, which tends to be a bad thing during Marine entry-level training. Just be like everyone else (sans Common Sense), and you'll be fine.

 

[DocT]

Devil Pups, check your Common Sense at the hatch.

OCS Math: 2+2 = 8

Why? Because they fvcking said so.

 

[joeyF-18]

Is it really that big of a joke?

 

[jamnww]

Is it really that big of a joke?

Yes

Kbay, love the post, would give you reps but it still says I have to spread it around first even though you weren't the last one I gave reps to...oh well...

 

[KBayDog]

Is it really that big of a joke?

If I had a choice between bringing Common Sense and Sense of Humor, I would bring the Humor. Nothing at OCS makes sense, and just when things are about to finally "click," the staff will change them to make things more confusing. But you know what? It's designed that way. They need to see you operate in chaotic environments where Up is Down, Down is Left, 2+2=8, etc. etc. etc. If you rely too much on Common Sense, you will just frustrate yourself.

Bring the humor. If you don't find SOMETHING to laugh about each and every day, you will wind up in the psych ward. Believe me - there will be a time when you will start to find humor in EVERYTHING. The way Sergeant Instructor XXXX tripped over his speech when he was yelling at you. When Candidate Schmuckatelli led the charge up the wrong hill. (You get the idea.) Don't take OCS lightly - give it your all - but once you can find humor in all the "chaos" they throw at you and still accomplish the mission, you know you are doing well.

 

[Killer2]

I just thought since everybody reads these posts and takes them as the gospel anyways, then maybe they would all click together.

I did love the post though. Not as much as I love your pic Kbay.

I do agree that the staff does not operate on the principle of common sense, but if they did then it just wouldn't be Officer Candidate "Scool".

Yes I said Scool, you know thats how it sounds.

 

[aviatorMatt]

My advice, bring like 5 extra rolls of the 1" athletic tape. You live by that stuff, and you burn through. You'll be marking EVERYTHING with that stuff. another recommendation is to bring your own name stamp. Go to an office store (ex: office max) and get your last name on it, ESPECIALLY if you have a long last name. You'll save LOTS of time. time saved=more sleep. I would also recommend buying your own shoe/boot insoles and breaking them in over a week or 2 and use those in your boots at OCS. Your feet will love you. Bring mole skin and if use some for your boot break in period. I rarely got blisters, but I couldn't save myself from them at OCS.

Thats all I've got for now. Anybody else who has their $.02 add to it. I'll add anything else I can think of.

s/f
Matt

 

[Crowbar]

Chap stick.

 

[KBayDog]

Chap stick.

Just borrow some from the corpsman. I know he has like five sticks in his drawer.

 

[Crowbar]

LIPSTICK, ANTI-CHAP
HOT OR COLD CLIMATE

Or something to that effect? I can see asking the corpsman to give you some, but borrow?