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What happens at the end of OCS?

rjmayer

New Member
after ten weeks at quantico, IF you pass, what are you? I will have to go back to school for a year, so i won't be a 2nd Lt. Have I earned the title of Marine? Am I issued a military ID and dog tags? Do you keep your uniform and boots? Finally, do you have any rank? I've heard you're considered Midshipman Marine Option, which is similar to the Navy ROTC kids.
 

HueyCobra8151

Well-Known Member
pilot
after ten weeks at quantico, IF you pass, what are you? I will have to go back to school for a year, so i won't be a 2nd Lt. Have I earned the title of Marine? Am I issued a military ID and dog tags? Do you keep your uniform and boots? Finally, do you have any rank? I've heard you're considered Midshipman Marine Option, which is similar to the Navy ROTC kids.

If you go to the 10 week course, but you are not a college graduate, you will come back home and finish school.

Until you get your diploma and receive your commission you would not be eligible for military ID. Dog tags, you can get your own if that is a big deal with you, but they will not be issued to you either.

You will keep all your uniforms and boots acquired at OCS - which will only be camouflage utilities.

You would not have any sort of rank.

As for "have you earned the title?" You have completed OCS, but you are not technically a Marine until you accept your commission. I know we had some washouts in my NROTC who walked around campus talking about how they did "3 years in the Marines." But I would wager that if they said that to anyone who actually was a Marine, and they couldn't answer a simple question like: "What was your MOS?" or "What unit were you with?" they would probably get punched in the face.
 

Slammer2

SNFO Advanced, VT-86 T-39G/N
Contributor
you will still be an officer candidate. If all of your military training is done and just waiting on the school, it sucks that some stupid elective classes will keep you from being a "Marine" but just deal with it. I've heard people refer to that as a 3rd Lt. Just as a joke though. Dont go around calling yourself that. I've also heard Lieutenadate
 

Zbone8762

New Member
You will be a 2ndLt. when you commission, but until you finish TBS you will be known as an "officer student." So, yes, your an officer - but it may not feel like it. It's definitely a weird phase.
 

Slammer2

SNFO Advanced, VT-86 T-39G/N
Contributor
He was asking post ocs, but pre commissioning. Him going back to school implies that he is not OCC
 

Birdog8585

Milk and Honey
pilot
Contributor
Col Chase told us right after the 5 mile Moto run, "Congratulations, you are mow Marines, you've earned it." So according to the O-6 you are a Marine by title.

Now, what do you call yourself before you commission? I was NROTC so we were still referred to as 1/C. The MECEP guys still went by their rank. As for the PLC guys that I knew on campus that went to OCS with us that summer, just called each other 'Marine'.

You're not going to be filling out any paperwork - that I know of, you are not going to get a CAC ID (hard card), you might wear your MARPATs which will have your name and "U.S. Marines" so dont worry about any specific rank. You're a Marine. You will be a 2nd Lt soon enough. It's a weird limbo period but who gives a shit, at that point you will be so happy that OCS is over that it wont matter.
 

Slammer2

SNFO Advanced, VT-86 T-39G/N
Contributor
Whats the difference between an OCC grad and a PLC-C grad who has just one 3-credit hour elective class to take? Nothing really other than the title of a college degree. "Technically" you're not a Marine because you cant receive your rank until you meet all the requirements but for the most part you are. Col Chase told us that too. I think I felt happier that day while he was up on the PT table telling us that than I did 2 days later at graduation.
 

rjmayer

New Member
If you're PLC do you get to attend the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor ceremony? Is this like the enlisted EGA ceremony where you actually receive the pin?
 

Slammer2

SNFO Advanced, VT-86 T-39G/N
Contributor
Theres a graduation from ocs ceremony. You dont receive shit. Parade in front of the family. Shortly after, those who have their degree and their families will attend the commissioning ceremony. Everyone else will go home. You get your EGA when you buy the uniform from the shop.
 

Zbone8762

New Member
I did not feel like a Marine after the run w/ Col Chase, I didn't feel like a Marine after commissioning, and I didn't really feel like a true Marine starting TBS (especially after going back to college for a year) - I felt like a true Marine graduating from TBS (I knew I was a basically trained officer that could at least walk and chew gum at the same time) Personal opinion - even though I'm sure I will take crap from people on this site.
 

GO_AV8_DevilDog

Round 2...
Contributor
i guess who can honestly say they know what being a Marine feels like unless they've been there, done that.

All I can say is that I want to know!
 

BarrettRC8

VMFA
pilot
You will be a 2ndLt. when you commission, but until you finish TBS you will be known as an "officer student." So, yes, your an officer - but it may not feel like it. It's definitely a weird phase.

I've not ever heard of this; nor was I ever called an "officer student."

You get your EGA when you buy the uniform from the shop.

We received an EGA from our Plt Cmdr at OCS.
 

sanders

Member
My platoon was told by our Plt Commander that we were not officially Marines yet. However, my platoon did go through the EGA ceremony and each of were presented with an EGA by the Plt Sgt.
 

Lonestar155

is good to go
As soon as you take that oath your officially titled a Marine. Completing OCS just means you have you have passed a screening process, proving that you display the moral and physical courage to lead Marines, if you will.
 
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