OCS Graduate Moms

TxNavyWife:   When my son graduated OCS, they did have a Pass-in-Review the day before graduation in which the candidates marched in formation in their camo uniforms and demonstrated their rifle drills.  It was very impressive, so I'm sorry to hear that they don't do that anymore, along with First Salutes, as GalleyMom reported on the recent graduation.

If your husband will graduate after Oct 1, his class will probably wear their dress blue uniforms to graduate in.  The whites are only worn in the summer months for formal occasions. (I think they wear whites in the tropics, like Hawaii, year round.)

GalleryMom: your good thoughts must have worked.  I got word yesterday that he passed; although it took two tries.  He was relieved; he said that the DI only passed one person in group she inspected the first day and that he was one of the four in ten passed the second day.  It seems very clear that the intent is to get folks working together and function in stressful situations.

Doreen,

Please be careful and do not post actual dates of your son's report date.  That is considered troop movement and a small violation of OPSEC rules.  Edit your post to just say November or "end of year" but don't be specific.  I know it's a little thing but it's one of those things that could lead to putting troops in danger.

is this group still active, anyone OCS 04-16?

Hi ALNavywife.  My son wasn't enlisted -- he applied while he was in college -- but it took about two years from first contact with the recruiter to actually showing up at OCS (he's a Candio as of Wednesday, yay!)  They lost paperwork several times -- which he had to replace, and asked for different paperwork literally at the last minute (the day before the board was supposed to meet) which caused him to miss at least one board.  From the time he actually got all his paperwork in (not counting the losses and additional requests) it was about a year before he heard "yes" and a year and four months before he actually started.  From what I've read on the other boards (i.e., with the LOs in his current class) 1 to 2 years is not unusual.

Hi myvampress.  Graduation for OCS is usually on the Friday of the 13th week of OCS; however, there are several important inspections and physical fitness tests that, if failed, will cause a candidate to "roll" back to Holding Class for three weeks, and then they will join the new incoming class.  If this happens to a candidate, it will put their graduation off for three weeks, so you really aren't sure until later on if your candidate will graduate with his original class.  Hotel reservations can be cancelled/changed, but don't buy plane tickets too early, because there is usually a hefty fee to change those.

If your loved one is starting OCS on Nov 8th, he should be about half-way through by Christmas, and should be pretty confident by then that he will graduate on time.  I think OCS does not train for two weeks at Christmas time, but the candidates only get one week to go home. Half the class gets to go home one week, and the other half gets to go the other week.  The half that is at OCS each week has to do maintenance chores around the barracks like power waxing the floors, etc.   I doubt that week counts as one of the 13 weeks, but I don't know; my son was not at OCS over Christmas.  I'm sure some other Moms here can chime in on this, if they had candidates there over the holidays.

My son was at OCS last year during Christmas and he did come home for one week.  It's important to note that the leave days are counted against their accrued leave, so it's not a "free" vacation.  I think the environment during holiday stand down was much more relaxed for the candidates.  

My son also rolled during RLP, so his graduation was delayed by 3 weeks in addition to the 2 week stand down at 
Christmas, so it can happen and is more common than you'd think.  If your son rolls, sympathize with him when you get the phone call, but encourage him to get back in the game.  It's a tough thing to roll, but it's also very likely they will succeed next time around.  Good luck to your son!

My son just started OCS on 10/18 - any other moms have children in that group?

Hi, I have a son in 05-16 OCS. I received a call from a RI number (I was told it's a number OCS candidates call from) Friday night but unfortunately I missed the call and there was no message. I heard that if they call the first week it's not good and they likely are being rolled into H-class. Do you know if they would be allowed to leave a message in this case? Or if they fail to reach someone, will they be allowed to call back or must they write letters with that information instead? Needless to say I am glued to the phone now....

Answering my own post - he was able to call today and they did put him in H-class to work on his strength, his push-up form was not good.

Thank you bkell32, he was very hoarse but also upbeat and positive and even said the experience overall was very good. Hopefully H-class ends up being a good thing for him!

Doreen - My son did not get/take special or heavy duty glasses to OCS last May. I believe they gave him a pair to wear until week 8 or 9, when he was allowed to wear his own again. He did take a strap.  I realize that things are changing all the time at OCS so I can only tell you that is how it was a few months ago.

lmc11 - I am pretty confident that H-class will be a good thing for your son. It will push graduation out 3 weeks but all the stories I have heard (my son included) have been very positive.  And for you, you will get to talk to him for the next couple of weekends. That will allow you can ease into the "program" as well!

Hi Doreen - My son graduated OCS in 14-15, after rolling from 13-15.. He then spent 3 1/2 months in student pool while he waited for re-designation and was finally commissioned on 10/1. They do provide glasses but they have to bring a strap. Imc11 - yes rolling is painful but my son said it was the best thing to happen to him during OCS. They grow and become the class leaders.

All the best! 

Thanks Doreen and CL! Blessings to all our LOs :-).

There is now a Facebook group for "Friends and Family of Navy OCS Class 06-16".  These groups are a great resource for providing information and support. It is a closed group so you must request access to join. https://www.facebook.com/groups/865259606922283/

Happy Veterans Day to all of our sailors!   Let's all thank them for their service to our country.

Congratulations Shopgirl, and welcome aboard.

My son's graduation took place on a Friday in 2014. In fact, we are leaving next week to fly out to Pensacola for his Winging Ceremony!

For OCS, we arrived 2 days before, and stayed a couple of days after.  There will be activities to attend the day before graduation, and the day of graduation. I know they have changed a couple of things since my son's ceremony, so I don't want to steer you wrong on what to expect.

 Since we traveled from the West Coast, we made it into a mini vacation. Be aware though, that some of the grads do not get their orders until the day of graduation (my son didn't get his until after the ceremony), so be prepared for some confusion/stress.

I would highly recommend you do not make any reservations until you know your son makes it through all the main tests. You don't want your son to have any added stress about passing then he will already have.

I found my biggest source of information/support came from my son's class Facebook page.  It will be labeled US Navy OCS Class (your son's class number here) Family, or something like it.  Your son's may be up and running now, but if not, you can do a search, and contact the site manager.  They are extremely helpful, and you will also get a chance to connect with other parents going through exactly what you are, then you will get to meet them at the graduation...pretty cool.  If you scroll down this comment wall, you will see other parents talking about their soon to be officers facebook groups.  You will need to know your son's class number.

It is quite the journey, with each phase seeming to take forever, until before you know it you are in another whole new place.  :)

Welcome Shopgirl! My son graduated OCS July 2015. OCS is scheduled for 12 weeks but there are many reasons a candidate can roll (placed out of class for 3 weeks) which delays the graduation. The graduation usually takes place the fri of week 12. The Hi Moms evening celebration is usually the night before (thurs). 

The best way to stay informed is to join the class FB page. They are usually listed as Friends and Family of (your candidate's class number). For example, mom son's was friends and family of 1415

All the best

Shopgirl - If you scroll through old messages here, you will find lots of good information. Things are always changing but I will pass on information from last summer.  OCS training is 12 weeks. Graduation events are usually the Thursday afternoon/evening (Hi Mom's Reception) and Friday (Graduation) of that 12th week. 

That said, your loved one could "roll" for any number of reasons such as failing a "rollable test" or getting injured. If they roll into H class or Med Hold, they roll back into a later OCS class on 3 week increments.  For example, if they fail the RLP test at week 6, they would move into H class. While in H class they study and make prepratations for attempting 3 weeks later to pass the test that they originally missed.  If they get injured, they could be out for longer.

The general advice is to not make any reservations you can not cancel without cost until after the RLP test at week 6. There are other rollable events/tests after that but, in general, it is more unusual to roll after week 6.

Your LO may not have orders until right before graduation, or even after, so it is hard to know if you should plan on heading home on Friday night or staying for the weekend. When they get orders, as others have said, they may go home and pack up or they may have to report directly to their first assignment.

It is difficult to know what is best for how long to stay. At a minimum, you will want to be in Newport Thursday noon through Friday about 6pm.

Hang on for the exciting, and occasionally bumpy ride! My son is now learning a lot and generally having a great time with his first ship assignment.

Best of luck and feel free to ask questions here. This is a helpful group.  You will also want to get connected into your LO's OCS class on Facebook. The Facebook group is usually something like "Friends and Family of Navy OCS Class xx-xx" but is occasionally named something slightly different.

Looks like you have received all good info. I too wanted to make my reservations early just because that is what I do. I did hold off like the others said until it was closer to graduation time. Never know if your loved one will go into holding class. My son was blessed to avoid that. Don't be discouraged if he does as it just helps him prepare more. Also remember you won't hear from him for a few weeks and during that time no news is good news. They are allowed to call if they roll to h class. My son graduated in Dec 2015 and luckily the weather was good. We were not able to get on base until Thursday of Hi Moms party without going thru the Pass Gate and then the only place we could really meet was the coffee shop. There is a hotel on base but we stayed off base. Things to do in Newport include visiting the mansions and there is the Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge close by. Good luck to your son.

Shopgirl - if you scroll down, you will see a link to join the Facebook page for class 08-16.  Request to join that class, you can then see what an older class is going thru and will know what is ahead for your son.  Based on the report date, I think your son's class will be 11-16.  There are FB pages already set up for class 10-16.  Everyone on FB is very helpful and going thru the same thing you are!  Hang in there.  I also would wait on reservations until after week 6.

Good luck!!

Here is the link for class 10-16 on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/936712806412830/

Shopgirl - Here is a facebook group for people reporting for the 11-16 class: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1561332564157206/ 

If you son hasn't joined that group, he may want to. He can ask on there if any has started a Friends and Family group for 11-16. 

I second the advice to join a group for the class or two in front of your son's and well as your son's group. It is very helpful to know what is coming up for your son's class.

Shopgirl welcome to the rollercoaster ride of OCS. My LO graduated Sept 2015. I also look up Officer training command newport on Facebook. will be able to see pictures there that they post of the classes. We too make it a family vacation as we flew in for washington state. spent a couple days in boston and newport. It is an exciting time. We were able to my son on wednesday before friday's graduation. Hi mom's is something you did not what to miss on thursday and 6:30 am we  watch PT. after friday graduation he picked up his packet of paperwork and was free to go. It can be different for each person. 

Welcome, Shopgirl.  Make sure your son knows your phone # and email address from memory.  Their cell phones are taken from them as soon as they arrive at OCS and stored until they are allowed to have them in their possession again after week 10 or so.  They are allowed to call home from a pay phone within the first 48 hours by using a pre-paid phone card, which you can buy at Walgreens or Walmart,  but he must know your #.   (So many people these days just scroll down their phone directory to MOM, without even knowing the #)  Then you won't hear from him again probably until about week four, unless he writes you a snail mail letter (But don't hold your breath for that from a young person today!)

After they pass the big Room, Locker, and Personnel inspection at week 4-5, then they usually will be given email privileges. Again, they won't have access to their usual email program and directory, so will have to type in any email addresses from memory.

Send ONLY letters in plain white envelopes until he becomes a Candidate Officer (Candi-O) at week ten.  Then, they can receive care packages of goodies (Candi-O boxes.)  Anything except letters sent before week ten will be considered contraband, and confiscated, and he will have to do hundreds of pushups even if he didn't request it!!!  Make sure everyone to whom you give your son's OCS mailing address knows this!!!  But do have friends and family send lots of encouraging letters to him those first four weeks until they get email, even if he doesn't write any in return. They love getting mail with news from home, because they are so isolated the first few weeks--no TV, phones, internet, etc.  A tip:  I photocopied cartoons and pictures onto letter paper for my son. (We were told not to send any loose enclosures such as cartoons or pictures.)  Also- NO decorated envelopes or musical cards!  You don't want his mail to draw any attention from the Drill Instructor.

Good luck to your son!  You will be bursting with pride at his graduation!  As others have said, best to hold off on plane tix until you are certain he will graduate with his original class.

GalleyMom:  Good to hear from you again also!  How's your sailor doing?

Welcome shopgirl!!  Enjoy this journey.  In hindsight it does go quickly but it just doesn't feel that way in the beginning.  

I have a question for all you moms who responded and had loved ones graduate in the past couple years - did they do away with the Drill routine the Wednesday before graduation??  I read about HI Moms and PT but not drill.

My LO just graduated Nov 2015 and we did not get either drill or PT.  We had 'Hi Moms' reception and then graduation ceremony the next day.  I think normally they do PT, but they cut it due to time schedule and the large size of the class.

I heard also that they did away with the First Salutes ceremony after graduation, when the new Ensigns were saluted by their Drill Instructor and Petty Officer, and then  each were given a silver dollar or other coin.  That has been a tradition in the Navy since forever, so I don't get why they're doing away with all the traditions, like the impressive Pass-in-Review drill we enjoyed on Wednesday before graduation.  Some said it was because the drill instructors were making too much money from it, because some were given expensive coins that they cashed in, but I thought that was an expected perk for the DI's!   No rule said they had to use expensive coins!

I'm glad my son got to do the First Salutes back in Sept 2012, and we have pictures of it.  He used two silver dollars that belonged to his grandfather, and we didn't care what they were worth in cash.  The sentiment was priceless!

my LO graduated sept 2015. we got to watch PT thursday morning there was no drill  or first salute. The class did have challenge coins made to be handed out by those who purchased them. Mine handled one of his to the Chaplin as that is who he worked with as the religious body for the class  

Wow, some extreme changes.  M's mom, I agree, I'm glad my daughter got to have first salutes also.  That was a wonderful opportunity for her Sailor brother and Sailor sister to attend graduation and participate in her first salute.  She gave regular silver coins to her DI and CPO, but she bought special coins to give to her brother and sister.  Graduation is the only time I could get a picture of all 3 of my sailors in uniform - that's my profile picture.  I also enjoyed the Pass in Review and having breakfast with them Friday morning.

GalleyMom: Glad to hear your DS is doing well. What do you mean by him being "the point of the spear?"  I suppose that means he is the leader of something?   My son enjoyed Norfolk/Virginia Beach also.  He was there at the Dam Neck annex of NAS Oceana for intelligence school.

Yes, my DS and DIL moved to Japan in January, and are really enjoying it so far.  They are at Yokota, which is about an hour from Tokyo. Yokota is actually an Air Force Base, but it is the Headquarters of the Joint U.S. Forces in Japan, so all of the services are there.  DS is doing something intel-related at HQ.   (We don't ask & he doesn't tell!)    He did say that after spending 10 months at sea on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, with flights going out 24/7, that it's nice to have an office job with regular M-F hours. 

So, he and wife get to spend the weekends exploring.  They have been to Tokyo, and rode the "bullet train."  He bought a cheap used Nissan car to drive around the base, but they drive on the LEFT side of the road in Japan, like in England, so that is taking a lot of concentration to stay in the correct lane!     DIL is applying for civilian jobs on the base to keep herself busy. 

After 6 weeks of living in the Base Lodge, they just were assigned permanent housing and scored a three-bedroom apt. even though they are childless, because there was nothing else available.  They gave us a "walk-through" on Skype, and it is huge!  It's like a townhouse. They can see Mount Fuji from their window!  Their furniture and stuff arrived from storage, so they are busy unpacking.  DS has set up his home office in the second bedroom, and DIL has claimed the other as her "art & crafts" room.  I said they needed to put another bed in there somewhere, so hubby & I can come visit in a year or so!  

 LOL'd at your son's comment about "life as an adult!"  Yes, paying bills and dealing with housing and filing taxes and even food preparation are so much more enjoyable when Mom & Dad handle all that!!!    Clueless teenagers are so cute when they huff, "I can't wait to be an adult; then I can do whatever I want and just have fun!"   Welcome to real adulthood, kids!   hahaha

GalleyMom:  My son was on the USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian/Persian Gulf last year when those pics were taken, but he never said anything about swim call, even though he likes to swim.  I'll send him the link and ask him. They can just walk right off the stern from those amphibs, but I wouldn't want to jump in from so high from the aircraft carriers!!!! 

The aircraft carriers also have what they call "steel beach picnics" when they set up volleyball nets and basketball hoops, and haul out big gas grills, and have a cookout right there on the flight deck.  My son said he didn't get to attend all of the "beach parties" because he was on duty.  (Some of them always have to be minding the store, so to speak.)   So they had several cookouts, so most of the crew could attend at least one.

Here's the link to the swim call pictures.  As GalleyMom wrote, hope some of you will spot a loved one.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3463761/GERONIMO-Sailors-le...

If this doesn't work as a link when you click on it, just go to dailymail.co.uk and search for "US Navy swim call."

M's mom,

When my son was deployed on a carrier, they had a steel beach party and had several small inflatable pools set up on deck.  I have a couple pics of Son and his buddies sitting in these little pools with their quota of two beers!!!!!

GalleyMom:  The swim call pics were all marked "copyright US Navy" which means the Navy has released them and they were used with permission, so I figured it was OK to post the link.  Most news media outlets will only use images released by the Navy, so it should be OK to repost them.

Anna: Yes, I'm surprised that they were allowed to have even TWO beers at the beach parties.  My son said he always gave his beer vouchers away to friends because he doesn't like beer, so I'm sure some had more than two!   Hope they didn't have to go back to some crucial duty right after the party!  haha

My LO is in 11/16.  waiting for the first call at 4 weeks.  how many calls are they allowed?   just one?  how long will it be?  thanks!

I just did!  Thank you.  Didn't see anything yet.  Thanks for watching.

My daughter was 03-16.  After they pass RLP they will be able to use get on the phone list to use the phone on weekends.  I think it was 15 min limit.  From my experience it was after 8pm Fri or Sat or anytime Sun.  This is not their cell phone, so be sure to answer any unknown caller from Rhode Island.  They might need ATT prepaid phone cards to use for this.  Don't worry, there are usually some available with minutes left from prior classes that they can use to make their first call.  They will not get their cell phones back until much later after they become Candios (end of week 9 or even early week 10).

I should also add....no news really is good news.  I know how hard it is not hearing from them or knowing what is going on.  But calls in the first few weeks usually are due to being rolled back to H-class.