• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

PRO-REC Y SWO

EM1 Ed Champagne said:
@csabol what are your thoughts, study now or pay later? Also what are your experiences with boat life?
Click to expand...

Definitely study now...I'm glad I did prior to going to boot camp.

As far as my experience with boat life? Well last night I went out on my Dad's 18ft bow rider and when I was 13 I went on a tiger cruise on the USS Emory S. Land and gained about 10 pounds.
 
LOL! I was on the USS Kitty Hawk for three years in Japan and later returned to VA at ACU2 where I deployed with the Wasp, Ft. McHenry, Iwo Jima, Mesa Verde, and Kearsarge. I went to Buds for SEAL training in 2011 but after receiving news I was about to be a dad, decided to pursue SWO. I have been in the reserves since 2011 with Msron, and rivron where I became a coxswain on the sea arks, and rhibs and also on the mpfub at acu!
Ship life is amazing in that you make friends for life in the early years, I still visit friends from my first shop and I have been in for ten years. You establish some of the most remarkable memories from the dumbest luck and if the crew is solid you will literally have people who at a moments notice will give whatever they can to assist you. Ship life is remarkable and shouldn't be feared because it is one of the best things I have ever experienced behind getting married, having a kid, and getting selected(lol).
 
EM1 Ed Champagne said:
@csabol what are your thoughts, study now or pay later? Also what are your experiences with boat life?
Click to expand...

Preparation is a key component to success. Consider the following

Yes, we are all going to be stuck on a boat for six or more years, but this is the rest of your life you are preparing for. It would be like focusing on partying rather than studying while you were at College, sure you should have fun and enjoy yourself before entering the business world, but College isn't meant to be enjoyed, it's meant to prepare you for something. So yes, you should enjoy your time before getting to OCS, but don't forget about your ambitions and why you chose this.

Thanks for all the info Champagne, really helpful stuff and I'm glad we are being candid about this topic.
 
No worries, I celebrate as much as the next guy or gal but at the end of the day, less pain is a great thing. Long as we respect each other and try to help one another out than we avoid the traditional rules of the swo pin: one sword for yourself and another for someone's back. It is sad but true that backstabbing is huge in the military and if we can help each other to make a name for themselves than we too can become better in the long run!
 
As was posted before, but might as well post again; here is the inspection knowledge required to be memorized verbatim from the OTCN OCS page:
http://www.ocs.navy.mil/pdfs/App B OCR.pdf

As for memorizing, you know your ability and capacity to memorize information, so use that to judge whether you want to get a jump start on studying the gouge. Me personally, I'll take all the extra time I can get to memorize all this gouge, and it will save some time during OCS for sure. As for OCS whether we are in the same class or not, it is important to remember that OCS is rarely ever about individual effort, but rather group effort to make the class successful, just as it is in the fleet. At OCS, we all need to help each other at all points and at all times, there is no "I" in OCS. I'm all for working to avoid the historic SWO rules of "SWOs eat their young".
 
Agreed that individuals don't shine but rather the team does... But the reason teams are effective is that each member tries their best to perform to the highest degree. We can put the info out but the responsibility falls to each of us in regards to what we do with it.
 
EM1 Ed Champagne said:
Agreed that individuals don't shine but rather the team does... But the reason teams are effective is that each member tries their best to perform to the highest degree. We can put the info out but the responsibility falls to each of us in regards to what we do with it.
Click to expand...
Couldn't agree more!
 
I feel like I've been posting a lot on Air Warriors recently, maybe it's just because I am excited to serve with you all! @EM1 Ed Champagne Your knowledge from being a prior will be well received, thanks for all the info! From what I've been told, the academics are challenging, but not particularly rigorous, so the hardest phases could well be inspections.
 
I'm definitely going to try my best to show up having memorized as much as I can. I try and sneak in some memorization at work and go over some things in my head while driving. I figure why not do what I can to make things easier at OCS if I have the opportunity. That leaves you with probably a little less stress and time to do other things helpful for your friends there.

I remember when I first listed SWO as my first choice, there was a LT in my OR's office I didn't know and he turned and asked me if I "was good at stabbing people in the back." I was confused and said "no." And he said "it's OK you'll learn." I'm determined to never do that.
 
I hope enough people share that mentality because I've heard of the same thing, stab stab look stab isn't going to help anyone. On the contrary, looking out for each other's best interest will in turn help us. The success of others or the success of our division will determine our success as a Naval Officer.
 
We all should strive for the success of each other and when we transition to the fleet we need to be concerned for our people. If we actually know everything put on the web, the class will be smooth but this is rare in that there's always someone who feels they know more. For us prior service guys and gals, share the info. For the non priors, please heed what we are saying because we truly want to get everyone on the same page. Nobody goes it alone and the more humble we can be, the better. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
 
Going to have finger prints done on Thursday.. Recruiter said security clearance should begin to be conducted after that. Have you guys received similar information? He also mentioned that once my clearance is complete I will be coming in to "sign my life away" and swear in. His prediction for OCS ranged from November, December, January.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top