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Officer Candidate School |
Editor's note: We asked Ens Weidner to chronicle his journey through OCS at Pensacola and give potential AMDOs a glimpse of what they could expect during the initial phase of their training at OCS. Here's his journal. You can send him comments at aweidner_2000@yahoo.com.
Ens Weidner is a prior-enlisted Nuke with 12 years of service who earned his degree through the EEAP. He has had tours aboard USS Enterprise and USS John C. Stennis. He will graduate from AMO school on 5 October 2000 and head for his first AMDO tour at NAS Mayport.
1.
These are only guidelines as to what you might expect. During my training at
OCS, I noticed that every class did things a little differently, even classes
trained by the same Drill Instructor (DI). The DI is a highly motivated marine
Staff Sergeant or above who was specifically trained to instill military
discipline and bearing into new candidates. Most of the candidates have had no
military experience and therefore everyone must start from square one at the
bottom of the military discipline learning curve. There is no credit or leniency
given for your prior experience, regardless of the amount, you are just one of
the members of a new class.
2.
OCS has a good web page with a lot of useful information. The suggested
$100.00 is a little bit short, but is a minimal start and should get you through
your first four weeks. Afterwards you will either need more cash or a means of
getting some, like an ATM or credit card. Other nice things to bring are as
follows, but remember that there is really no place to store anything other than
underwear and the likes, and when you move every other week it is a pain to move
the extra stuff. Leave everything but the absolute bare essentials in your car
or at home.
-
Small, warm military issue blanket that does not take up to much space
-
A check book or at least a voided check from your bank account for
informational purposes
-
A large compartmentalized handbag to help with the moves and storing
everything that is not allowed in your limited locker space
-
Small battery operated travel alarm clock
-
Do not bring a coat or a jacket unless you are leaving it in the car
-
Do not bring boxer underwear
-
Bring at least two week worth of underwear, you will have no access to
wash them for about a week, and you will sweat a lot and get real dirty during
that week
-
Small AA maglight
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Toiletry items. (Soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, electric razor or manual
razor.)
3.
Everything at OCS is done ballistically, that is all communication outside the
classroom is done at the top of your voice. Most likely you will loose your
voice within the first week. If your class does not yell loud enough you will
become a very strong and fit class very quickly.
4.
There is PT every morning except Thursday and Sunday for about an hour and a
half followed by a quick shower or breakfast. Runs will start at a little over a
mile then increase in length to over five miles by about your seventh week.
Remember the time you spend on scheduled PT is not a lot. The extra PT is to get
you IN SHAPE.
5.
OCS is a large challenge in time
management, multi-tasking, and teamwork.
You will be given more things than are physically possible to complete by
yourself and they will challenge your ability to complete them at all. Stress
management is also a large part of your training at OCS because you will
experience more stress than most people have ever felt, your drill instructor
will insure of that.
6.
There will be quarters every Monday morning for all classes that are past the
indoctrination phase. Your class chief will be there to help with any serious
problems that you may have (i.e. pay, family, medical, or parking).
7.
You will train seven days a week until at least your fourth week, and then you
will still train most of the days. Rest will be between taps and reveille if you
are lucky enough to get that much. There
is no reason that you can not get seven hours of sleep with proper time
management.
8.
Once you start academic classes in the second week you will have classes every
day, sometimes for most of the day (0700 – 1600).
9.
Chow time is the Drill Instructors favorite time to give each class a little
special attention, so there will be at least 3 times each and every day that
your class may get some remedial physical exercise. The chow hall is anything
but a relaxing place. There is a procedure on how to sit, eat, and drink.
BUT remember all these procedures or postures help muscle memory for the
Drill period.
10.
There will be two extremely stressful and physically testing exams called the
Military training tests. They are given during your 4th and 9th
weeks and in two parts each. The first part is a knowledge section/physical
inspection given by the Class Officers. The second is a locker
inspection/bearing composure test (how well you handle your locker being torn
apart) by the Drill Instructors.
11.
During the early phases of your training very little is told to you as to what
you will be doing even in the next hour or so. It is a way to test your stress
managing ability and time management. Make use of every moment you can find
including the few extra moments you may have during head breaks, which trust me
are very short breaks during the first week. (Head break = bathroom break).
12.
Pilots and NFOs will have remedial swim practice on Tuesdays and Thursday’s
evening after the third class swim test in preparation for API after graduation.
13.
You start your training as an indoctrination class then you move to an unsecured
class, to a secured class, then finally as Candidate Officers. The
indoctrination phase lasts one week and is the time for you to do all the
administrative necessities, to start to learn how your life at OCS will be for
the next 13 weeks, and to get your first issues. The unsecured candidate phase
is when you are not allowed to go anywhere by yourselves. Your time for the
phones and laundry will be limited to a few hours on the weekends, and there is
no liberty at all. In the secured officer candidate phase you can use the phones
during an hour and a half each night if you have time and you will also get
limited liberty only on the weekends. The first opportunity to get secured is
during your 4th week MTT, but most don’t make it. The time that
most classes secure is after the 6th week personal inspection. After
you get your secured status and your weekend liberty, they can be, and sometimes
are taken away at anytime. The final phase of your training at OCS is the
Candidate Officer phase. It is the last two weeks of OCS after all your graded
evolutions are done and all your academics are done. You are basically finished
with your training. It is the time you get to apply what you have learned and
are accepted as part of the OCS Staff to supervise the junior classes and
perform many of the duties required to run OCS.
14.
During your indoctrination phase and academic class time you will get Military
leadership courses scattered throughout your schedule. The material is non-testable
but is extremely important to understand your job in the fleet.
15.
There are no slow times regardless of what the schedule may say. If the day
seems a little short on activity, expect that time to be utilized by your Class
Drill Instructor preparing your class for military life with some constructive
criticism, and remember that everything he does has a purpose, even if it is
only to thicken your skin.
16.
Whenever you are not in your room everything must be locked up in it’s
designated space, otherwise the Drill Instructors will ensure that you will be
cleaning your room for at least a few extra hours just to get it organized
again.
17.
The amount of outdoor training that your class will receive will depend on the
season that you are going through OCS in. In the summer when it is over 90
degrees outside most of the time you will spend more time indoors. Morning PT
may also be held in doors during the winter if it is real cold outside. But
don’t think that just because you are indoors that your physical training will
be easier, because trust me it is not.
The
following is a rough timeline of events that occurred during my training at OCS
divided into weeks and days.
WEEK
1
Day
1
Check
in, issued indoctrination uniforms, complete some administrative paperwork,
and start learning the OCS rank structure, chow hall procedures, responses,
and rules. You will be expected to learn them immediately. You may meet your
Class Officer, which will probably be a one-way discussion.
Day
2
Begin
your medical screening, get a haircut, complete your PRT folder, and
possibly get a brief introduction to your Class Drill Instructor.
Day
3
Perform
your PRT (now you are open game for all the DI’s, time to turn up the heat
and see how well you can handle the stress), finish your medical screening,
meet your Class Drill Instructor and Class Chief
Day
4
Commenced
morning PT, receive the Commanding Officer’s brief, get your initial
uniform issue, and start preparing for outpost. This is when your
indoctrination phase ends and you become part of the Battalion, don’t
worry - the pressure and stress will only increase.
Day
5
Most
of the day is spent at PSD; you will then be issued your gun and book bag.
Day
6
Outpost
preps continued with lots of extra attention form the DI in the form of
exercise.
Day
7
Outpost
all day long (one of your most physically challenging days at OCS); moved to
battalion at the end of the day (known as Black Saturday).
WEEK
2
Day
1
First
day for laundry and phones (afterwards you were able to use the laundry and
phones shortly every Sunday before you became a secured class), first time
to run to the Navy Exchange, start cleaning assignments in Battalion
(responsibilities diminish as your class becomes more senior)
Day
2
First
mail call, you are not allowed to receive any packages, and anything other
than a plain envelope containing a simple letter will draw extra physical
attention usually for the whole class. But there is nothing you can do to
avoid it, so don’t even think about stopping the important support from
the ones you care about from home
Started
classes in naval history, get new sheets (turned in every Sunday and
received every Monday)
Started
to rotate the section leader daily so everyone can get the experience
Day
3
Swim
screening
Day
4
Commenced
drill lessons (most classes start much earlier). Drill is the rifle handling
and marching skills taught by the Class Drill Instructor.
Started
4th week military training test (MTT) preps
Day
5
Uniform
brief, 3rd class swim test
Day
6
Take
the Naval history exam
Day
7
Started
the security watches that last for the next four weeks
Went
to the naval museum, one of the few times designated for stress relief
Ran
to the NEX for MTT supplies
More
instruction and MTT practice with the DI.
WEEK
3
Day
1
New
indoctrination class has come in and will soon be our heat shield to absorb
some of the DI’s attention (we are no longer the bottom of the totem pool)
This
was the first time I took time to write my wife (others wrote more often but
they sacrificed their valuable time to prepare for MTT to do so)
Day
2
2+
mile morning PT run
After
Breakfast there was drill practice in the morning
The
class was fitted for our dress uniforms
Started
Damage Control classes
Flag
practice in the afternoon
Day
3
More
drill practice, with some additional Class Drill Instructor attention.
Finished
ordering and being fitted for our dress uniforms.
Day
4
3
mile morning PT run
Drill
practice in the morning
Had
some time for MTT preps
Gave
a short public speech about yourself in class for presentation practices.
Day
5
Visited
the Wet Trainer
Afternoon
flag practice
Day
6
4-mile
formation run during morning PT.
Most
of the Day was spent in classes
Day
7
Performed
JMAC (Joint Military Athletic Competition) trials. This was a competition
between the Officer Candidates for the Navy, Army, and Air Force that
happens annually and absorbed a lot of our time that you may not have to
deal with, if you do, don’t loose, we didn’t.
DO
gave instructions for her part of the upcoming MTT
Field
dayed the Battalion for most of the night
Worked
on MTT preps after field day
Week
4
Day
1
(The stress and anxiety that I was feeling was beginning to subside and I was beginning
to feel more relaxed and at home with the schedule)
Worked
on MTT preps
Studied
Damage Control
Class
Drill Instructor further complicated our day by requiring a report to be
turned in Sunday night on the 3 hour long movie “ The Bridge Over The
River Kwai”
Waxed
the Battalion
Day
2
3
mile morning PT run
First
day with junior class attending PT
Little
preparation time between breakfast and quarters
Mashed
prior to the Damage Control exam
Further
MTT preps
Started
Military Law classes
Day
3
Did
not do morning PT because we went to the Obstacle course for the first half
of the day
Had
leadership classes all afternoon
Wrote
XO letters
Day
4
Busy
day but was given time during the evening for final MTT preps
Day
5
MTT
all morning
Afternoon
Flag Practice and Parade Practice
Mashed
after practice for the performance during the MTT
Moved
rooms in preparation for the MTT retakes
Day6
Parade
and Flag Pageants for the Graduating Class
Classes
Day
7
Moved
rooms again
Drill
practice
Super
field day for the Battalion
Week
5
Day
1
(Scheduled pace started to slow down, but it was still quick and heavy)
Did
laundry - I usually tried to do all my laundry on Saturday evening or Sunday
morning
Watched
“Das Boot”, another 3 hour movie, and wrote another report. The Class
Drill Instructor used this method in an attempt to build military pride
while still increasing the multi- tasking load and forcing you to
effectively manage your time.
Finished
the super Field day of the Battalion
Day
2
Morning
PT was held in the gym because it was raining hard before we started. There
were times that it started to rain after we started PT and we stayed
outside. The largest factor on whether you go inside or not is the
temperature and if there is lighting or not.
Drill
practice before classes
Detailer
brief for future assignments.
Classes
for most of the day
Day
3
Long
and hard drill session before classes today
Day
4
Drill
practice
Inoculations
took a large part of the day
Day
5
After
academic classes, during Naval Leadership classes everyone gave a 3 to 5
minute brief in front of the class on one of three chosen topics selected by
the Class Officer. The briefs are used as practice for future naval briefs,
as well as criteria used to assign Officer-Like Quality grades, which are
given to each candidate by each member of the class team.
Day
6
Took
the Military Law exam and had more Military Leadership class
Went
to the pistol range for pistol quals.
Day
7
Long
Drill day
Super
Field day
First
time for triangle liberty. Triangle liberty is limited to the NEX, the
barracks, and the McDonalds and Enlisted club across the street from
McDonalds only
Week
6
Day
1
Triangle
liberty until 1600
Stood
watches
Finished
super cleaners
Day2
Drill
and PI practice
Long
day of Seamanship classes
Little
morning preparation time prior to quarters
Evening
time used for PI preps
Day
3
Parade
and PI practice
2
hours of Drill practice
Seamanship
classes
Day
4
Long
Drill practice
Late
night watch
Day
5
Mid
PRT during morning PT used to establish progress and required increase to
pass the out PRT
6th
week PI Inspection lasted for about 3 hours in the morning
Gained
secured status
Day
6
Long
formation run for morning PT
Parade
and Flag practice
Admin
and rest for the rest of the day in preparation for the JMAC competition
Day
7
Left
for the JMAC in Atlanta at 0300 and returned at 2100
Week
7
Day1
Drill
practice
Day
2
·
No
PT because we were on the Yard Patrol Boats all day practicing what we learned
in Seamanship classes
Drill
practice at night
Day
3
Drill
Practice
Seamanship
Exam
Started
Navigation classes
Day
4
No
PT due to Drill competition to get Drill streamer
Navigation
classes all day
Became
one of the senior classes and participated in the victory run at night. The
victory run is a celebratory run the second and third senior classes go on
to congratulate the second senior class for finishing the graded portion of
OCS prior to them assuming the senior classes responsibilities as OCS staff
members responsible for the junior classes. This is done the day before the
senior class graduates.
Day
5
Talked
to AMDO detailer for the first time. This is done on a one-to-one basiis
over the phone unless they can schedule a trip to Pensacola into their
schedule. (Note: if possible
talk to the detailer prior to coming to OCS.)
The
Drill Instructors started to play mind games with the class to test their
teamwork and strength. The next week or so was pretty tough at times while
they tried to break the class up by creating inner turmoil.
Day
6
Parade
and flag for the graduating class
Classes
for the rest of the day
Day
7
No
morning PT because OCS was participating in a 5K run for ST. Johns
Children’s School.
Week
8
Day
1
Slept
in
Studied
Day
2
Challenge
run during morning PT. A challenge run is when the DI’s break the classes
up into time groups then lead each group at a challenging pace for that
group.
Day
3
Was
on the Yard Patrol Boats all day for Navigation
Day
4
Navigation
Test
Started
Naval Warfare classes
MTT
preparations
Day
5
Classes
all day
Day
6
5
mile formation run for morning PT
MTT
preparation
Hair
cuts (you will get a hair cut about every two weeks while at OCS)
Day
7
MTT
preparations
Week
9
Day
1
MTT
preparations
Day
2
MTT
and Naval Warfare preparation
Obstacle
course in the afternoon
Day
3
Naval
Warfare exam
Started
Personal Administration classes
Flag
practice
Day
4
MTT
preparations
Day
5
9th
week MTT
Classes
the rest of the day
Day
6
Parade
and Flag for the graduating class. OCS will run back to back classes
starting every week instead of every other week when there are a lot of
Candidates that need to class up
Day
7
5
mile formation run for PT
Moved
rooms again
Week
10
Day
1
Relaxing,
organizational day (The pace has really slowed down in preparation to become
staff members next week. The class is still stressed by the Drill
Instructors to test teamwork, but most of the days are spent in classrooms
finishing up the academics.)
Day
2
Classes
all day then picked up dress uniforms
Day
3
10th
week PI practice
Day
4
Out
PRT. Must score an excellent
but there is no excuse for not scoring an outstanding
Personal
Administration test
Started
Engineering classes
Day
5
Anti-terrorism
classes
PI
practice
Haircuts
Day
6
Personal
Inspection in the morning
CREO
training
Last
inoculations
Day
7
Health
and Comfort Inspection for all of OCS. This inspection was to look for any
contraband including vitamins, aspirin, caffeine pills, etc. in everyone’s
belongings regardless of seniority.
Lost
liberty for the weekend due to inspection results
Week
11
Day1
Rested
and studied for Engineering
Day
2
Engineering
exam
Received
job billets for the Candidate Officer phase of training so we could start
our turnovers in our spare time.
Day
3
PSD
briefs
First
half of the class gave their senior officer briefs. Senior officer briefs
are 20 minute long briefs given to LCDRs or above on a topic chosen by the
Candidates.
Day
4
Second
half of the Senior Officer Briefs
Day
5
Turned
over with the senior class
Day
6
Started
the Candidate Officer phase of training.
From this point until graduation you are responsible for doing your
assigned job. The jobs all deal with the junior classes so you are still in
close correspondence with the Drill Instructors and Officers, and don’t
worry; they will not hesitate to correct your errors in usually an
unpleasant manner.
You
are still required to PT in the mornings, but you are now safety monitors
for the runs and the PT is usually easier.
You generally are not yelled at if your class plays as a team.
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Last updated 8.23.00