PLC JULY 6

[wanaBpilot]

Recently selected SNA and will be going to OCS this summer under PLC beginning JULY 6. This is the 6-week session, I'll be doing another next summer. Just curious if anyone else on here will be going to that same PLC? Lemme know!!

 

[HighFlyer55]

i am also going to OCS starting July 6 and i am recently selected SNA. Are you starting to get nervous yet? I am both excited and nervous because OCS is gonna be so Damm hard, not to mention the heat factor. Good luck man!

 

[wanaBpilot]

Yes, I'm extremely nervous. The thing I'm most nervous about, is the leadership section of OCS. It comprises 50% of our total score. I definately have some leadership skills, hopefully the ones they are looking for. Also worried about the heat. I'm from Oregon, so I'll be cooked in that weather. Starting to train now, excited and nervous at the same time. Talk to you soon!!!

Every Challenge Could Have Paradise Behind It

 

[wanaBpilot]

anybody else out there going to bake with us this summer?

-Every Challenge Could Have Paradise Behind It-

 

[E5B]

Stay busy in order to keep your mind off being nervous. If your sitting around doing nothing, you're wrong! So far this summer has been pretty mild. We had a pretty extreme winter. I went to Jr's and Sr's 2nd increment both times and it was pretty hot. I wouldn't worry too much about this summer.

Beetle

 

[wanaBpilot]

Good to know, I definately haven't been sitting around, I'm still in school, finals coming up, and I run most everyday, usually 3 miles in the hot sun, prepping myself for OCS, anything else I could be doing to prepare for the heat???

-Every Challenge Could Have Paradise Behind It-

 

[E5B]

I used to PT during the hottest part of the day. Get used to running more than 3 miles, the only time we ran 3 miles was the initial and final PFT.


Beetle

 

[BigWorm]

Quit being a bunch of pansies and suck it up! The leadership is not hard; you just have to deal with the stress. The academics are not hard; it is just hard to study without sleep – but overall, the material is easy. The only thing you can prep for is PT. Train for the worst and it will come a lot easier. Focus on the running and then I would recommend endurance lifting. Going in with a lot of bulk is just a waste of time; you are going to come back skinny anyway so you might as well do some endurance prep. Also, get used to your boots and break the bitches in – the people that did not do any running in them prior had some nasty feet after the first week. For second increment, most of the people came back with well-conditioned feet and it wasn’t too much of a problem.
In addition to what beetle says, I would put your boots on and get used to 5-mile runs.

 

[wanaBpilot]

What kind of boots did you guys have? I talked to my recruiter, and he said I should get some bates enforcers, so I looked them up, but there are like 12 different versions. I want to buy some, and break them in, so if you know the brand of boots for Marine OCS, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

-Every Challenge Could Have Paradise Behind It-

 

[E5B]

I used some Hi-Techs made by Magnum. Comfortable boot but after OCS you'll want to throw them away. They don't hold up. Bates lites are good boots for PT.


Beetle

 

[BigWorm]

I second opinion the bates lites, they are also what the BUDS students use. Every OCS staff may have some different rules about what boots you can where and when – for the most part all boots were allowed for PT, and then we had to wear the “Cadillacs” for admin stuff. I can’t stress enough that if your feet aren’t used to wearing boots, wear them all the time. From 0700-2200, you will be wearing boots – I saw a few feet that looked like they caught a case of leprosy. If your OSO hasn’t given you the issue boots yet, I would get on him.

 

[wanaBpilot]

my oso hasn't been too helpful, I asked him about the boots and he said he didn't have any, and that I should get the bates enforcers. Ordered some bates 8" tropical boots today, so they will come soon, is my oso supposed to issue me another pair of boots besides the ones I bought? Thanks.

-Every Challenge Could Have Paradise Behind It-

 

[BigWorm]

When I went through, I was issued a pair of jungles and a pair of leathers (cadillacs). My OSO gave me both these pairs a few months before I went to OCS so I could break them in. My advice might be a little out dated because of the change to the new uniform. After some future date the only boots that will be authorize will be the new kind of jungles or cold weather. At OCS jr, I remember a few people that didn’t get issued boots until they showed up, which really sucked for them. I am about 90% sure that you should be issued two pair of boots at some point in your career. Ask your OSO when this will happen.
Don’t stress too much, your doing the right things. It is not so much about breaking the boots in as it is breaking your feet in. That sounds like some of my typical sarcasm, but I think that everybody got some nasty blisters once they first started running in boots.

 

[wanaBpilot]

I bought some Bates Enforcer tropicals, same as jungles, online, so they should be getting here on Monday. So that will give me a solid 3 weeks to break them in. I've heard using oils and just wearing them around is a good way. How long should I wait before actually running in them? I don't want to tear my feet up before going to OCS as I'm on a limited time frame, but want to atleast condition my feet a little. Any suggestions?

-Every Challenge Could Have Paradise Behind It-

 

[BigWorm]

There was a little more gouge here - Forum: Two questions about the Marines

Your going to have to listen to your own body, everybody is different. Bates have the reputation of having sneaker-like qualities where they don’t need to be broken in. Personally, I would start running them in right away, and work up. Some of the other tricks are with socks, I ordered some Thorlo military boot socks off the internet, which have still lasted me today (they are expensive, but I love em). There are thousands of other things that people do just to list a few: Vaseline on the balls of the feet; putting on panty-hose socks as a base layer – this supposedly helps wick moisture away; doubling up socks; using foot powder; some say that foot powder adds to blistering?; if you want to here the most uncanny approach, ask E5B about his TBS roommate. Play around – you will find what works best for you.
Now that I look back, I remember them allowing us to wear go-fasters a bit in the first weeks because of some of the blisters. What you’re doing now is going to keep you a step above your peers, expect to get some blisters, but at least you won’t be the guy that looses all the skin off the bottom of his feet.
My last piece of advice, which is probably worth what you’re going to pay for it (nothing) – doing well at OCS is all attitude. When you first arrive, your going to see a lot of people saying that they want to graduate in the top ten %, a week later, they are going to say well, s%#t, all I want to do is graduate. Maintain the drive, spend the extra time studying in the head, and Rock the House. If you keep the drive and the positive attitude, everything else will fall in place; before you know it you will be back on the plane going home.