... will I have time to travel back home to get stuff to bring to Pensacola or do I have to report straight there and try to get my stuff some other time? My worry about driving there is that I would have to drive to RI, back home after OCS to get stuff, and then to Pensacola which would be a ton of driving. Would it be better to fly?
One thing to consider would be to pack up some of your stuff in a few boxes and leave them with some money at a friends place and have them ship the boxes to you once you get to Pensacola if you don't have time to come home first. I've done this a few times coming home from school at the end of the year and it works pretty well.