To future OCS candidates...

[Slammer2]

I wonder how anyone ever made it through OCS before Airwarriors.............

Everyone always wants to know about the big, bad unknown. But it usually doesnt matter because you end up behind the curve regardless of how much you know. Especially for the non-priors.

Example - I got screwed out of a rack during pickup. During the whole 3 hour process of setting up your rack and getting dressed/undressed by the numbers I was stuck in the space between two racks along with both candidates belonging to those racks. I had no lockers and no rack. I just got fvcked with the whole time and had my stuff kicked all over creation. I didnt get messed with too bad during pickup so I had all my stuff for the most part. After this, I dont think I had anything that belonged to me. In the middle of the chaos, the company gunny came running in yelling out my last name trying to find out why some jacked up candidate had his shit on the company quarter deck. They literally threw my stuff everywhere. There was stuff outside as well. There was stuff at the top of the stairs outside the door of the platoon above me. It took me 5 hours after lights to set up my rack and find the majority of my stuff that night so I got no sleep. Knowing my general orders and weapons safety rules didnt mean a damn thing at that point. I came in knowing more knowledge and crap than most of the candidates in there. After that night, I was way behind all of them because they got to sleep and learn/do all the stuff they were supposed to that night while, I was playing catch up.

Bottom line - you're gonna get screwed with. Its gonna suck. You will fail at things. The more stuff you know beforehand the better, but theres no way you can even learn 10% of the crap they're gonna make you do. You just need to experience it. The point of OCS is to take you out of your comfort zone and see how you perform when your life completely sucks. Dont start stressing out now. Trust me, there will be plenty of time for stress during your 10 weeks.

 

[MasterHaynes86]

Dang... I thought being berated for braking the time clock for official runs was bad... no rack SUCKS... esp when they decide to throw your trash everywhere. Thats when you need your fellow candidates the most... I am actually suprised you didn't mention anyone helping you...

oorah

 

[Slammer2]

...Thats when you need your fellow candidates the most... I am actually suprised you didn't mention anyone helping you...

No one really did at first. Everyone was into their own thing. We were thrown into alphabetical order so after lights i went up to the space that I needed to be in. Luckily, my name is near the end of the alphabet so only about 8 or so guys needed to move down one rack. About 6 of the 8 were game for moving their trash down. 2 put up a huge fuss and refused to move. We all got beaten for it the next day so I ended up being put back into the space anyhow, just with a much more beaten and sore platoon since two had to be on their own program. The three guys at the end though did help me out once they got all their stuff squared away. Saved me probably an hour.


Its amazing how everyone goes into OCS with the "for the good of the platoon" mentality. But then once all the chaos starts everyone quickly forgets that.

 

[jfulginiti]

Concur. If you try to prepare yourself to much, it will actually have a negative effect. You'll think you are ready but you just can't be ready for something like OCS, especially if you're not prior enlisted. For example, even my OSO played games with me and made me think I was prepared. When I went to PLC Junior in 1997, he told me to go buy boots and break them in before I got there. He didn't say what kind or where to get them. So I went to a local Army/Navy store and bought a pair of black boots. I showed up at OCS and after about 2 days, one of the Sgt Instructors says "Hey Fulginiti, what are you wearing? Doc Martins?!" So I had to go buy a new pair of boots on the first weekend libo. One small example but the point is the same. Better to prepare yourself mentally for the unknown than stress out about bringing a bunch of crap that they will probably say is "contraband" anyway.

 

[jess8890]

Hopefully I will go to OCS in June. I will be going PLC 10 week course and cannot possibly imagine what I will be put through. The attitude that I am going in with is that I don't know everything but I want to be there and will give 100% everyday.

As far as the boots go, my OSO is taking me to get some next week. I have heard about the cheap $30 ones and the expensive $180 ones. Which ones do you guys recommend getting?

And we are going to learn how to rappel next Saturday so that will be fun. As long as I don't face plant the wall? Is it hard? I was pretty good at climbing the rope at our last PT session so does that help in being able to rappel?

I don't know anything about this kind of stuff, so any advice will be helpful!

 

[HueyCobra8151]

Don't stress any training you are going to do.

Someone who is weaker than you has done it before, and someone who is dumber than you has done it before, and if those weak, dumb, sons of bitches are making it through, you should be fine.

 

[Slammer2]

And we are going to learn how to rappel next Saturday so that will be fun. As long as I don't face plant the wall? Is it hard? I was pretty good at climbing the rope at our last PT session so does that help in being able to rappel?

I don't know anything about this kind of stuff, so any advice will be helpful!

Jess - rappeling is fun and pretty simple to learn. You wont be doing it at OCS, but its a good skill to learn, also a confidence booster. If you get used to dangling over heights and trusting the equipment and your technique, that will be good preparation.

 

[jess8890]

Thanks guys! And what about the boots?

 

[HueyCobra8151]

Guy next to me at OCS brought two sets of Bates Lights and that is all he wore - pretty smart setup.

I brought 1 set of regular Jungles, 1 set of Bates Warriors, and 1 set of Bates Lights. Wore the Lights to PT and humps and the other two for everything else.

Get some Bates Lights for the runs, at least 1 pair.

 

[Slammer2]

I agree. I brought a pair of Bates lites. Got them roughly around April of last year and went to OCs in june. So I had a little time to break them in. I think thats all that I wore for about the first 3-4 weeks there, unless they were soaked or they made us wear a certain kind. Right when you first get them, they make everyone wear jungles for example so that they get broken in, then they'll make you wear the next kind the next day. After a few days of that, its all up to you what pair you want. I wore the lites until I snapped my foot. The other pairs that they issued me seemed to have more support. I reccommend the lites for the O course and the E course because obviously its easier to run in them - but a note of caution - they are slippery as hell once they get wet. So be careful when running through the water then you have to jump up on the balance beam like thigns on the E-course. Real easy to slip. Mine were about $130 ish when I got them.

 

[MasterHaynes86]

Some of the best advice I can think of is this

Go to a pre OCS weekend if you can. You get a minute taste of most of OCS in a short time so you can better prepare mentally
The SI's are not going to bite you... they will correct and make fun of you, but its all in good taste and its what they do. They are EXPERTS at what they do. I hear the SI's at OCS are the top performers on the drill field.
Take an extra toothbrush and razor... when your trash gets jacked, you will be lucky to keep one of each... these two are essential for obvious reasons
Take several rub-a-dub markers and erasable pens. Don't ask questions, you will figure out what to do with them and will thank me later.
Train, train, train until about 30 days before shipping, then maintain...
get shoes with a wide tread pattern, you will run on trails and they can be quite slippery.

I'll re read this tomorrow, but im goin to bed now. RACK TIME... I might have missed something crucial

peace

OORAH

 

[jess8890]

Thanks MasterHaynes!

We have a pre-OCS type weekend scheduled in April (provided I get selected to go....I find out in March) so I will definitley be attending that. My PFT score needs to improve a bit and I have been going to all the PT sessions plus working with other candidates doing sprint work outs and things. It's the crunches that I am having the hardest time with. I thought that would be my strength, but it's not. I have improved the most on the flexed-arm hang. So, all in good time. I appreciate all the gouge. It is kinda scary reading all the posts, anticipating what to expect, but I know that I just need to get there and experience it for myself. I am actually looking forward to it.

Jessica

 

[Lawman]

Thanks MasterHaynes!

We have a pre-OCS type weekend scheduled in April (provided I get selected to go....I find out in March) so I will definitley be attending that. My PFT score needs to improve a bit and I have been going to all the PT sessions plus working with other candidates doing sprint work outs and things. It's the crunches that I am having the hardest time with. I thought that would be my strength, but it's not. I have improved the most on the flexed-arm hang. So, all in good time. I appreciate all the gouge. It is kinda scary reading all the posts, anticipating what to expect, but I know that I just need to get there and experience it for myself. I am actually looking forward to it.

Jessica

There is no excuse not to hit 100 on crunches unless you have some sort of prior back problems that just make it impossible to train constantly. There is also no "fun" way to work on your crunches other then to just do them. Best routine Ive found if you go to a gym is to find an adjustable situp bench. Crank out 50 good crunches, then get up and go get a quick drink so your muscles have time to tense up. Move the bench up 15 degrees and try for 20 or so. Keep going up and up until your at 45 degrees of incline and do at least 100 total crunches. If you can get to the point that you can do 15-20 at 45 degrees incline (and Im talking full touch of your elbows to your thighs) you will do fine on level ground. Also getting 100 crunches on your PFT's at OCS is a lifesaver because it means you get to get a head/water call and get in line before all the guys that got 93 while they wait around to tell the PTI or SI what their score was. This can buy you a good 20 seconds on the run.

 

[Slammer2]

Also getting 100 crunches on your PFT's at OCS is a lifesaver because it means you get to get a head/water call and get in line before all the guys that got 93 while they wait around to tell the PTI or SI what their score was. This can buy you a good 20 seconds on the run.

Forgot about that. Good point!!

THe only "trick" that I know of on the crunches is to keep your head tilted back even when you come up. If you keep your head down it flexes your abs more and does more work. Rock your head back when you come up.

 

[HueyCobra8151]

Breathe Out every time you come up. See alot of people holding their breath.

Crunches should stress your thighs and hip flexors more than your abs. (When you curl past about 30 degrees up from the ground, your hip flexors are the muscles that complete the movement). I don't even really curl my upper body at all, I just sort of bounce my shoulder blades off the deck and come up straight.
--
/Rant

The whole 100 crunches thing is retarded anyway. You wouldn't train your biceps by getting a 2lbs dumbbell and doing 100 repetitions of arm curls - why would you attempt to train your abs this way? They are fast-twitch muscle fibers...