View Full Version : Looking for Info on OCS
In 2001 I was accepted to he US Naval Academy, but having already spend a year in college partying, having a GF and so on, I made a decision which I now believe to be the biggest mistake of my life and did not go.
Since then I have graduated with a Ba of Architecture and have been working for over 3 years. That was until the 29th of Nov when I was laid off. :(
NJ unemployment pays well, but I hate getting everything about state assistance, tho I know I have been paying taxes towards it since I was 16, but still.
Jobs are few and far between so if I can't find anything quickly I was thinking of going to OCS.
I still have a leaning toward Navy OCS, but looking around I can also go to the Army and join their Corp of Engineers.
I would ask these questions at the recruiters office but they are sales people after all, and I don't know how much I trust them.
So, does anyone have any first hand knowledge of Navy or Army OCS? How long is training, where is it, whats it like? How much does it pay? lol What is the likely hood of me getting the career I ask for once I sign the papers, would they switch shit on me?
Thanks everyone in advance!
I have experience with the USMC side of the house if that interests you any.
Second and this is MY OPINION, if you are looking at becoming an OFFICER for a steady job and a pay check that is bull shit. You should not be doing it for yourself.
PJ
I have experience with the USMC side of the house if that interests you any.
Second and this is MY OPINION, if you are looking at becoming an OFFICER for a steady job and a pay check that is bull shit. You should not be doing it for yourself.
PJ
PJ, I'm sorry if I came across that way. I am not looking for OCS as "just steady work" I see being laid off as an oppertunity to do something I should have done in 2001. I just want to know what I would be getting into.
I have a condo and live with my GF, I want to know how long I would be away, where I would more than likely have to relocate to, things like that.
I have wanted to be a Naval officer since I was about 8 y o. I regret not doing it when I got the chance and just trying to see if I can do it now.
Edit for type... Damn iPhone lol
Also, not sure what the age cutoff is but I'm 28.
Second and this is MY OPINION, if you are looking at becoming an OFFICER for a steady job and a pay check that is bull shit. You should not be doing it for yourself.
PJ
I agree 100% with that statement!!
Here is a link that will probably answer many of your questions about Army OCS
http://www.goarmy.com/ocs.htm
I agree 100% with that statement!!
Here is a link that will probably answer many of your questions about Army OCS
http://www.goarmy.com/ocs.htm
Been on that site for hours, but I would ove first hand experience if possible. The website is a commercial, I'm just looking for the real story.
I never went to OCS. I was enlisted and had the chance but I decided to get out and finish up college. I had the GI Bill and the College Fund which paid me $750.00 a month while in school full time. Back in 1990 that covered all of my expenses and tuition. Ended up finishing my BA and then my MBA.
If you have never been the military at all you will go through 9 weeks of Basic Training and then 12 weeks of OCS. If I remember right you are paid as an E5/Sgt while going through OCS. You will do both Basic and OCS at Ft. Benning, GA. Choosing a branch will depend upon your class rank while in OCS. The better you do the better chance you have of getting the branch of your choice and vice versa. When you graduate you will be commissioned as a 2nd LT. You will go to Officer Basic Course from there. Also in Benning. If you elect to go into the Infantry Branch you could also go to Jump School and maybe even Ranger School. They are both in Benning also. Depending upon what you decide to do you could be in Benning for a good bit. After all of that you would receive orders to your first permanent duty station.
My brother just completed OCS in the guard. He was prior service (guard) but had not been in for over 10-13 years or so. I don't know how this compares to a new entrant. Being in The guard he had some phase 0 monthly drills before going to MD / PA for about 2 months of OCS. After the OCS was completed he had a final "interview" (may have a different military name) and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. He will be embarking on around 4 months of branch specific training this Spring and depending on the specific slot he ends up in he would have another round of training. His original slot in EOD was taken by someone else as for various reasons he was a month late going to OCS (he was originally scheduled for a school in SD). He is still hoping to score an EOD slot.
2 Lt does not pay well I don't think. My BIL is a Major in the reserves
and when he gets activated he does well pay wise. He has been activated a few times sine 9/11 for the GWOT (his unit is an intelligence unit) and he is currently in A-stan. With the various allowances and combat zone extras etc he is currently doing better than his normal "day" job as an almost tenured history professor. So the pay gets better but making rank is a long process. My BIL has been in approximately 20 years in the reserve.
I don't know how these experiences relate to RA full time service.
I'm currently in Pre-OCS w/ Army Guard.
Although I sometimes feel overwhelmed, it is a (IMO) challenging and rewarding experience, that teaches you leadership and tests you to think on your feet. I appreciate how pre-OCS puts me out of my comfort zone and forces me to make the call. I also appreciate how experienced officers offer critique on everything you do (why didn't you think of this, or, why didn't you prep that? Things that will make me a better leader overall).
That said, it's not easy. Although I don't know how guard transfers to active/Benning OCS, the upper class gets smoked the crap out of them. A lot of sleep deprivation, and then requiring you think straight while exhausted out of your mind (but I'm sure you knew that already).
I could have, but did not apply to the USMA back in high school, and really regret that now, too. Best of luck, and I hope this helped.
In 2001 I was accepted to he US Naval Academy, but having already spend a year in college partying, having a GF and so on, I made a decision which I now believe to be the biggest mistake of my life and did not go.
Since then I have graduated with a Ba of Architecture and have been working for over 3 years. That was until the 29th of Nov when I was laid off. :(
NJ unemployment pays well, but I hate getting everything about state assistance, tho I know I have been paying taxes towards it since I was 16, but still.
Jobs are few and far between so if I can't find anything quickly I was thinking of going to OCS.
I still have a leaning toward Navy OCS, but looking around I can also go to the Army and join their Corp of Engineers.
I would ask these questions at the recruiters office but they are sales people after all, and I don't know how much I trust them.
So, does anyone have any first hand knowledge of Navy or Army OCS? How long is training, where is it, whats it like? How much does it pay? lol What is the likely hood of me getting the career I ask for once I sign the papers, would they switch shit on me?
Thanks everyone in advance!
I have first hand experience of Navy OCS. I was in one of the last classes to start at NAS Pensacola in 2007 and was part of the transition up to NS Newport which is where the program currently lives. I was there for over six months with a medical issue for which I was ultimately disqualified from commission.
To answer your questions specifically for Navy OCS:
-What is the likely hood of me getting the career I ask for once I sign the papers, would they switch shit on me?
When you apply for Navy OCS, you apply to specific communities (surface warfare, naval aviator, naval flight officer, SEAL, supply etc). I believe you can apply to a max of 3, IIRC; I only applied for one. Without going into the entire selection process, everyone who reports to OCS has their designator already and this does not change; unless perhaps you become medically disqualified for your particular designator. This generally only happened with aviators when I was there, and they had the choice to transfer to a different designator (probably SWO) or end their pursuit of a commission as a naval officer.
How long is training, where is it, whats it like?
12 weeks at Naval Station Newport (RI). It is physically and mentally demanding. Your primary staff interface will be Marine Corps Drill Instructors, FWIW. Additionally Navy red ropes (all chiefs or above) are on your class team and you will also have a Navy LT assigned to your class which you won't see all that much. There will be approximately 30-50 in your class, and you will be in rooms of two for the duration of training. You will learn and perform chow hall procedures for every meal, and you will eat by the numbers and from a limited selection of food/drink for the first nine weeks. You will probably feel like you don't have enough to eat. Typical day is PT at 0500, chow at 0630, academics and/or drill from 0800-lunch and lunch-1630, chow at 1700, sweepers (cleaning) after chow, personal time (uniform prep, study, inspection prep, drill practice, etc) after that until taps. Drill was conducted with Garands when I was there but I heard they switched to M16s in the not-too-distant past. If you are lucky on Sundays your DI will not be around. You can (and should) go to church.
I do not know actual current attrition rates but I'd estimate that greater than 80% graduate at some point in time, that number would be somewhat lower for those who graduate with their initial class. The number of people dismissed from the program against their will was very small, most of those who did not complete the program were due to either medical disqualification (like myself) or DORs.
Classes start every week or two (or three) depending on the time of the year and the needs of the service. Failing evolutions can result in rolling into a junior class or into H class (think purgatory). Major evolutions would be the initial PFT (conducted on Tuesday of the first week, you report on Sunday), RLP inspection at the end of the third week (this is a major event that many do not pass and is the greatest source of stress from weeks 2-3), drill competition with the DIs, a graded personnel inspection with your class chief, and a second RLP which seems to come and go occur later. There is a mid-PFT and out-PFT as well. There are other events like swim qual, firefighting training, etc.
My greatest piece of advice for anyone who is going to be attending Navy OCS: If you can not perform at the Good Medium level or better on the Navy PFT with perfect form, you better get there before you go. Your pushup, situp, and run time will be worse on the IN-PFT due to the stress of the first few days among other things; and less-than-textbook form *will* result in a DI or Chief either reducing your count, zeroing you out, or ending your opportunity to continue on pushups or situps and if you fail, you roll. Not being able to meet physical standards makes an already difficult program much more so, and puts a target on your back. RLP isn't necessarily objective, if you get on the shit list you will be in for a fun ride. When I was there one DI (the black ninja, for anyone familiar) would boast that he could find 21 hits on God himself if he wanted to.
The final three weeks of the program are called the Candidate Officer phase, and reaching this stage allows you to regain some of your personhood. The third person nonsense goes away, you will wear service khakis/ribbons and your class basically runs OCS. (Limited) liberty is a daily occurance, you have access to your cell phone and you assist the DIs/RDCs in their training of the junior classes. You are also allowed to eat like a normal person, unlike the previous 9 weeks. Newport is a cool place to check out and you should be able to go to Boston on the weekend as a candio if you wanted to.
How much does it pay?
E-5 while your there, unless you are a nuke (E-6). If you are single you won't get BAH unless you go in under a BDCP program (similar to delayed enlistment). O-1 after commissioning obviously. Check the pay tables (available on the internet) for specific numbers.
With an architecture degree you could apply for the civil engineer corps if you wanted to. As part of that career track you would spend time in construction battalions (Seabees). That was my designator and a few of the other guys who were there with me were architecture majors in college. It's a very interesting community and I recommend it if you are so inclined.
Any questions about Navy OCS, the application/selection process or the CEC, let me know...more than happy to answer. Most officer recruiters probably never went through OCS; OCS is third in numbers behind ROTC and Annapolis, so I probably wouldn't ask them what OCS is like unless they were there. Of the three officer recruiters I dealt with, one was a direct commission, one was academy and one was a senior chief.
PJ, I'm sorry if I came across that way. I am not looking for OCS as "just steady work" I see being laid off as an oppertunity to do something I should have done in 2001. I just want to know what I would be getting into.
I have a condo and live with my GF, I want to know how long I would be away, where I would more than likely have to relocate to, things like that.
I have wanted to be a Naval officer since I was about 8 y o. I regret not doing it when I got the chance and just trying to see if I can do it now.
Edit for type... Damn iPhone lol
Also, not sure what the age cutoff is but I'm 28.
My mistake on how I interpreted it.
PJ
You aren't cut off for commission at 28. You may run into trouble with the aviation communities with the Navy as I'm pretty sure the cutoff is around 27 or 28 at time of commission for SNA. SNFO might be higher by a few years. SWO, CEC, sub/surface nuke, suppo, intel; you're fine.
variablebinary
01-04-11, 14:43
Army is 12 weeks at Benning. The you have your BOLC-B which varies in length depending on your branch.
There is an order of merit list which will determine where you end up.
If you are a shitty candidate, expect to be a cook officer, or in transportation. Just know that infantry and other combat arms MOS's are incredibly competitive
If you go Guard, you can stretch your OCS experience over 18 months of one weekend a month, if you don't want to drink from a fire hose. Guard allows you to stay home, make money, and hang out with the spouse/girlfiend while you are doing your thing.
Keep in mind, your obligations will be many and demanding, so be sure this is what you want to do, and the reasons are good enough 2 years from now when you are in Afghanistan getting shot at
PJ,
No worries, I can see how my post could be taken as you did.
Palmguy,
Awesome, thank you!
The Civil Engineering Corp was what I was looking at, in 2001 I was looking at Aviation as a career in the Navy, and even tho I have a pilots license I doubt it will help me if I am over the age cut-off to be a pilot.
Thank you so much for your post, that was exactly what I was looking for!
CarlosDJackal
01-05-11, 13:32
I have experience with the USMC side of the house if that interests you any.
Second and this is MY OPINION, if you are looking at becoming an OFFICER for a steady job and a pay check that is bull shit. You should not be doing it for yourself.
PJ
Why not? :confused:
Why not? :confused:
You are in it for your men. Not for a paycheck, not to set yourself up for some future career. They deserve it and you owe it to them.
The mission and your men are your only concerns.
Once again this is my opinion.
PJ
Some good info, some bullshit.
My information applies to Federal OCS.
National Guard OCS is completely different.
You will go to Basic Combat Training.
It will be in one of the five locations that BCT is currently held.
It is ten weeks long.
You will go to OCS.
It is twelve weeks long.
You will not be smoked. You will get plenty of sleep. You will get many weekends off.
You will be ****ed with incessantly and learn very little.
You will run 25+ miles a week. 10% of your classmates will suffer broken bones and joint issues and recycle or be medically separated from the Army.
There is a waiting list. It is long.
Shitty candidates do not go to Transpo. Transpo is considered a good post.
The slots available depends on the class. My class allowed Artillery and Infantry slots to go unfilled.
But Chemical is a bad branch. Stay away.
Since you have a degree in Arch. all you have to do is tell the cadre and they will call HRC, who will create a slot for you. If it is anything like when I went through, they will hand you your branch. No one else can take it, because your name is on it.
Your experience will vary depending on which Company you get, who is in command at the time, etc.
Any questions?
You will not be smoked. You will get plenty of sleep. You will get many weekends off.
Im skeptical, this is the military after all, everyone gets ****ed with and smoked. No?
You will run 25+ miles a week. 10% of your classmates will suffer broken bones and joint issues and recycle or be medically separated from the Army.
Im okay with running, actually a pretty good runner. It's all the other PT Im worried about. When I took the physical aptitude test for the USNA I did well, but that was 10 years ago. I still play hockey and am by no means out of shape, but I am a small guy, 5'-9" and 130lbs. I don't expect to be Private Pile from Full Metal Jacket, I don't climb obstacles like old people ****, but who knows lol.
Since you have a degree in Arch. all you have to do is tell the cadre and they will call HRC, who will create a slot for you. If it is anything like when I went through, they will hand you your branch. No one else can take it, because your name is on it.
HRC?
Hand me my branch?
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