T's momma: So sorry to hear about the medical DQ, especially harsh after already being accepted to OCS. As I've said before, it would be far less cruel if the Navy would get all the medical clearances out of the way first before even considering the applicants to OCS, rather than letting them go and dashing hopes after acceptance!
With your son's degree, I'm sure he will find a good civilian job. He may still be able to work with the Navy in some civilian capacity. The Navy does hire civilian consultants for certain jobs who work right alongside the Navy personnel. For instance, aeronautical engineers sometimes instruct in the flight programs, and medical engineers work with the Flight Surgeons and pilots.
Good luck to your son and I hope he finds a rewarding career.
T's Mom, I'm so sorry to hear about your sons medical DQ. I'm sure your son will have a wonderful bright future ahead of him. Many blessings to you and your family, and be sure to Thank your son for wanting to make a difference and who wanted to fight along side our Sons and Daughters, with the United States Navy! God Bless
Charlene - It has been over a year since my daughter graduated from OCS. My advice to you is answer the phone from any number from Rhode Island! When you son arrives at OCS he will be allowed to call to tell you he is safely there...he will not be allowed to say much else. You will not hear from him for several more weeks which will seem like an eternity for you. Do send plain white envelope letters often, nothing cute or flashy.
Two more things.... If he should be injured or get held back for any reason, it seems devastating at the time, but is more common than you think. It is not the end of the world. Second, try to find the friends and family group for his OCS class on facebook. I found that to be the source of so much information and support. Also, Newport OCS does post pictures on facebook of each class every few weeks. I loved seeing glimpses of my LO (loved one).
Congratulations! I will add to remember your LO is exhausted so when he does get a chance to call be very encouraging. I sent letters (in those white envelopes) and included some photos of past fun events/memories. You will be able to send a box of goodies in a few weeks but just wait until your LO says you can or you see on FB that you can. I found FB page more helpful than my son as people posted info from their LO that my son didn't share. Answer any phone calls you get as my LO used his roommate's phone once. OCS gave me a new level of patience and I prayed continuously. What an exciting time. I know you are so proud.
I should start by saying that my son was in OCS about 1.5 years ago so some of my information may be out of date.
During the check-in process they will need to turn in their cells phones. They will not get it back until they become Candi-O’s at the end of week 9. Just before they have to hand their cell over, they will get to make one last call to let you know they arrived and to give you their mailing address. This call will come on the Sunday of their check-in so stay close to your phone(s). I don’t know if they are reminded to save important phone and email addresses before they turn their phone over, or if my son knew to do that one his own. But it is good advice to give your son before he goes.
Letters are very important, especially at the beginning. I didn't get many back (maybe 2) but he did say "write and send pictures/news". So I wrote every day or two using the service write2them.org to send letters and photos. The service took an email I sent to the service, printed it out and sent it in the appropriate white envelope. I think they mail it from closer to the base so it takes a couple of days off the mail time from where I am. At the time, it cost about $1.20 per letter (for a bit more than 2x a stamp) but for me, it is so convenient that I am writing more often. They will print out 4 sheets, double sided (so 8 pages of info). I generally wrote a bit and then cut and paste a few pictures along a bunch of news stories I think my son and his friends may find interesting or enjoy. The OCs have some down time on weekends (at least Sunday) to visit with other classes, sharing info and stories. I often thought that writing to him was at least as therapeutic for me, if not more so, than it was for him.
After they pass RLP (week 3) they will be able to sign up for a timeslot (10-15 minutes) to use the phone on weekends. I believe the possible times were Fri evening, Sat evening and all day Sun. They will not be calling from their cell phone, so be sure to answer any unknown caller from Rhode Island. They may 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. I have heard that you can get a calling card at Walmart and Walgreens. I got one online (https://www.virtualprepaidminutes.com/) and added it to one of my early letters.
If you think your son may not know your phone and email addresses from memory or have lost them, send a letter (when you get his address) with all the phone numbers and email addresses you think he may want. When they are allowed to email (end of week 6, I believe), it will be from a closed government server, and will not have access to their usual email program with stored email addresses. So they will need to type the full address in from memory.
Navyformoms will be a good resource for you. The Friends and Family Facebook group for your son’s class will also be an excellent source of information and support. The "Officer Training Command Newport" Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/OTCNewport/?fref=ts) posts photos every week or two which were fun to see.
Charlene,
My son was at OCS about a year ago, this time of year and it gets very cold and windy there. You might want to go on amazon and order him a few pairs of Fox River Military Boot socks in black to help his feet. They are a little pricey but we'll worth it. You can have them sent to him through Amazon and he will be able to have them, he will just have to open the package in front of one of the Chiefs. Their is also a certain measuring tool that is very helpful for your LOL for his uniform inspections but I can't remember what it is called. I will look it up and tell you. As far as the candi-o box, start it now. I went to the post office and got one of their large (one price postage) boxes and decorated the inside of the box however you want whether military related, family pictures, sports or however and then fill it up with snacks, candy or whatever he likes. Contact me if you need help or suggestions or have any questions.
Thank you so much everyone for all your helpful and great information. Today i had a great day with my son As a family we went out to eat dinner at a favorite local restaurant I will miss him so much but it's so great to see what an amazing young man my son has become
Thanks again for all the valuable information
Myvampress on the socks that yiu suggested..do they need to be black? They were mentioned on Air warriors but not the color. I got the green ones. I can send them back and get black if I need to. Thanks so much for all the info. My DS is waiting news on when his OCS date is.
Myvampress on the socks that yiu suggested..do they need to be black? They were mentioned on Air warriors but not the color. I got the green ones. I can send them back and get black if I need to. Thanks so much for all the info. My DS is waiting news on when his OCS date is.
My son left for OCS yesterday and I I received the call a little while ago. I knew this would be difficult but wow! I did receive his address and I will mail out the first letter tomorrow.
Keep those upbeat, encouraging letters going out to your son! They will be his only contact with the outside world for several weeks. Don't be disappointed if you don't get many letters back from him. The only time they have to write is when they could be sleeping! After he passes the big RLP (room, locker, personnel ) inspection at week 3-4, then they usually receive email privileges, and you will hear more from him.
Make sure all of his friends and family know to send LETTERS ONLY at this point in plain white envelopes. NO gifts or treats at all until he reaches the Candi-O phase at week nine, or he will be punished with many, many extra pushups, etc., so tell all those who have his address.
When he gets email, he will not have access to his private email program or phone, and will have to type in the complete email address, so send him a letter with all the email addresses you think he may not remember.
These first few weeks, remember: NO news, is GOOD news! If for some reason he gets injured or fails something and is "rolled" back to the next class and must start over, he will be allowed to call home to tell you. It is hard to not hear from them for a few weeks, but that means he is still there and making progress! The first three weeks or so are the hardest on the candidates and the families. After that, getting email really helps morale on both sides!
Good luck to your son, and keep writing to him! They live for those letters from home the first few weeks.
Charlene - Your note brings back a lot of memories! I remember how hard that was. Those first few weeks I remember asking my husband multiple times "why did we let him do this?1?" But I have to say, after about week 3, when they are able to call, it became easier for me. Hang in there. Both you and your son will make it through this. The man (or woman, for others of you) that develop during OCS and you meet at graduation is pretty awesome. These young men and women who volunteer and get selected for Naval Officers are so impressive. It gives me so much hope for our future.
Please let us know how things are going for both you and your son. All of the candidates really support each other at every stage of their training. And we are here to support you.
Charlene,
Definitely keep the letters, news clippings, etc going his way. I would sometimes sit and write my son 5 times a day but would date them different days and number the envelopes so I can mail 1 or 2 a day. People would ask what the heck I was writing about with all the letters. I would write about football scores and news mostly since they don't have TV time (although he would get the scores from the Drill Instructors). I would also write encouraging stuff like no matter what I am very proud of him and would tell him what I have learned from others about what challenges were coming up and I knew how great he will do and to just hang in there since it is only temporary and he will be done. If for some reason he gets rolled back still keep boosting him up, my son really enjoyed being rolled back because it kind of gave him a break and helped him prepare for what was ahead so it made him more knowledgeable. I found the ruler things I told you in an earlier post that my son wanted me to order for him to help with his uniform inspections, I just have to figure out how to post them to you.
Similar to myvampress I would put together a "package" in each of my letters. All printed out since my handwriting is awful. I would include an update on what was going on around our house, football scores (he was there in the late fall to Feb), an article on his football team (usually a negative since he knows how I dislike his team). Upbeat stores from the internet. I found a couple of sites with navy trivia that I would send. I also included a couple of Sudoku and crosword puzzles. Just things to take his mind off of OCS stuff and let him know what was going on in the real world. I kept it up until his Candido time - he really did fly by fast. And I kept watch on the FB page to see pictures of him which I also mention in my letters.
Charlene, my son is at OCS right now and is one class ahead of yours. Mine is in the 07-17 so yours will probably be 08-17. My LO is on track, but many have moved back and will be with your son. Just pray a lot and write letters. One bid rollable event happens Fri of week 2 called Fast Cruise. It is intense physically and several "roll". The next is one week later and it is the big inspection the moms have mentioned call RLP. Your class FB page is up--search 08Jan17 Navy OCS. Be prudent with what you post here. I have mostly just been a stalker at the request of my son--lots of posts from the young wives. What is your son in the Navy for after OCS?
Myvampress
Thanks for sharing about the roll backs. It will be good to be prepared in case my son is rolled back I can be prepared to offer encouragement. Thanks again! I off to write a letter
Hello I have a question I think I remember someone saying that there is a date set for OCS graduation. If this is true where would I find this information?
Charlene,
Do not depend on the graduation date set, if for some reason your son rolls the date will change. Each time they roll the date for their graduation changes so I will wait until he gets further along
Charlene,
I just talked to my son to find out about when graduation would be. He said it is 12 weeks from when you start unless you roll and then it adds 2 weeks for each time you roll. Hopefully that will give you a general idea
"Rolling" used to add three weeks, not two weeks, because OCS started new classes every three weeks, and the candidate joined the class behind them if they rolled. --Unless they are now starting OCS classes every two weeks.
In any case, it is best not to buy non-changeable plane tickets to graduation until he is further along. There were some in my son's class who got into big trouble the weekend before graduation for drinking or whatever, and they rolled them back!!!!!! (I'm sure their families with plane and hotel reservations were not real happy!)
Charlene,
The FB link I sent a couple days ago is for the recruits-not the families. From the chatter on our FB page, I think a family member of one of the recruits who rolled will be starting your class FB page. I will let you know and you can keep watching for it.
Charlene,
M's mom is right, rolling sets them back 3 weeks not 2. I talked to my son tonight and asked him about rollable events and this is what he told me.
*PRT/BCA which is their physical readiness test is Rollable (sits ups, running, weigh in and body measurement, etc).
They will have Fast Friday but it is not Rollable.
*Fast Cruise is another rollable event which is where they get up really early, pack their sea bags with about 50lbs of their clothes and gear and then run up and down the stairs and what not carrying it in front of you but he said it has changed from what he heard and now they take you outside and you run up and down a hill and they set a timer and if you either pass out (normally from dehydration) or the timer is up and they lock the door and you don't make it in the door on time you get rolled.
*RLP is Rollable which is the Room, locker and personal inspection.
*He said General Quarters is tough but not rollable
*Tests from classes/academics have to be 70% or higher but are not hard to achieve.
*NAV and NOS (Navagational) test is at about week 8, it is rollable but not common to roll.
*Week 6 inspection with Khakis uniform and week 8 inspection with either dress whites or dress blues are both rollable but again they are not common to roll on
*Capstone which is their fun type activities such as fire training, water training, etc is rollable but no one ever rolls on these and Capstone is right before Candio and they will get their cell phones after Capstone.
*Any PRT (physical readiness test) is Rollable and they have 4.
My son said that he also heard that OCS brought back Poopie Suit... I am not sure what it is but he said if you look up old OCS videos that they will have it up there.
I hope this helps you and doesn't confuse you.
Thanks for all the great info! I will take a "wait and see" attitude and not worry about airline tickets yet. My son is a little older than most, I think, so while he was running and staying in shape the physical stuff might give him trouble. I will look forward to a letter or a phone call in a few weeks to hear about his experience
When my son was at OCS in 2012, the Poopie Suits were these really ugly, baggy, green coveralls that the Indocs (Indoctrination Candidates = the new OCS class in their first three weeks) had to wear, along with these purposely stupid-looking silver helmets. That way, anyone could see who the Indocs were by the poopie suits. After week three, it was a rite of passage to get to wear a REAL uniform, and then the new Indoc class coming in had to wear those coveralls.
Things change constantly at OCS, depending on current command, so that's why I can't say exactly how things are done there now.
They still wear the poopie suits. Ugh. You can see them on the OCS website. Pictures will post every Tuesday (usually) so may get to see your LO. I look at all the classes by week to see what is coming up next. They move I to their NWU uniforms during week 3 (blue camo). Did you find the FB page?
Graduation used to be on Friday morning, 9 or 10 AM as I recall. Everything is pretty much over by noon. If the new Ensigns have their orders by then, they are free to go after they check out of the barracks. Depending on their orders they may get to go home with their family, or they must head out to their next duty station immediately to report on Monday! Fortunately, my son's orders gave him 10-days' travel time to report to his next duty station, so he was able to buy a plane ticket home on the same flight as us. (He had flown to Newport to OCS and didn't drive there.) So he was able to come home with us, relax a little, then gather his belongings and drive to Virginia Beach to his next school. Some of the ensigns are sent home to work in the recruiting office if it will be a few months before the next class in their specialty starts. The orders usually don't come in until the last week, so you can't make firm plans. My son's orders didn't arrive until Wednesday before graduation Friday, so we didn't know if he would be coming home or not. There are usually a few in each class who do not have their orders yet on Graduation Day, and they must stay at the Naval Station until the orders come, maybe days or weeks!
My son's graduation from OCS was at 2pm at the War Museum but graduation times and locations change. I was able to pick my son up the day before graduation and he stayed the night with us but I had to have him back at 5am graduation morning to do his check out stuff and then I was able to pick him back up about 11am and he stayed with us until graduation. He was able to come home with us for 10 days before heading to Charleston. He has completed 2 of his classes already while 3 of his ex roommates and a good friend of his all who graduated from OCS still have not started school yet due to clearances and background checks haven't been completed yet and it has been over a year so they have them working in the mail room.
Excited for you, Nancy! I think I read my first letter 10 times.
Keep sending letters with all of the trivial info happening in your family, local, and the world. They really do not get much information from outside and have so little time to write to you.
Got my second letter from LO in 08-17B! It was written before the fast cruise. But I haven't gotten a phone call so I believe she's ok for now. She says the poopie suits make them all look like garbage men! She said they are all prepping for RLP inspection which come up this coming Friday
Does anyone know if RLP is Thursday of the 3rd week or Thursday of the 4th week? The NavyDads website says the 4th week. Something I saw on this site made me think the 3rd. Does anyone know for sure based on mail from LO or very recent experience from other classes?
RLP is the third week. First inspection is Thursday. If they don't pass, a second inspection is Friday. My son graduated last year so it is probably the same. Good luck! You will,receive an email if they pass.
Nancy - I can't answer your question as my experience is 1.5 years old. RLP was week 3 then. If you are in the Facebook group for your LO's class, ask on FB. There are likely some people in the group that are also in the FB group of a class or two prior (due to their LOs rolling). If there isn't anyone in your group who is also in the group from a class earlier, you may want to you join the previous group yourself. They shouldn't mind. There were family members from both old and newer classes in the FB group I was in while my son was at OCS. It was a great way to learn what was coming and to pass on helpful hints to those not yet there.
Is this week 2 or 3 for your LO? It is after RLP that (at least it use to be) that they can start to call home on weekends. Then your new stress will be staying close to your phone all weekend so you don't miss the call! Good luck!
Sooooo, 09-17 reports tomorrow! Our 08-17 kiddos are so relieved to be Junior Officer Candidates and no longer ICs. Fast cruise, RLP, done!! On to week 4. Feeling much better now! Thank you to this group for letting me ask so many questions.
Congrats to your Officer Candidate on making it to week four! Big relief for them as well as the families! When they are allowed email, you will have more communication, and that helps morale on both sides.
M's mom
T's momma: So sorry to hear about the medical DQ, especially harsh after already being accepted to OCS. As I've said before, it would be far less cruel if the Navy would get all the medical clearances out of the way first before even considering the applicants to OCS, rather than letting them go and dashing hopes after acceptance!
With your son's degree, I'm sure he will find a good civilian job. He may still be able to work with the Navy in some civilian capacity. The Navy does hire civilian consultants for certain jobs who work right alongside the Navy personnel. For instance, aeronautical engineers sometimes instruct in the flight programs, and medical engineers work with the Flight Surgeons and pilots.
Good luck to your son and I hope he finds a rewarding career.
Jun 16, 2016
Quilter
Jun 17, 2016
Charlene
Jan 6, 2017
bkat3
Charlene - It has been over a year since my daughter graduated from OCS. My advice to you is answer the phone from any number from Rhode Island! When you son arrives at OCS he will be allowed to call to tell you he is safely there...he will not be allowed to say much else. You will not hear from him for several more weeks which will seem like an eternity for you. Do send plain white envelope letters often, nothing cute or flashy.
Jan 6, 2017
bkat3
Two more things.... If he should be injured or get held back for any reason, it seems devastating at the time, but is more common than you think. It is not the end of the world. Second, try to find the friends and family group for his OCS class on facebook. I found that to be the source of so much information and support. Also, Newport OCS does post pictures on facebook of each class every few weeks. I loved seeing glimpses of my LO (loved one).
Jan 6, 2017
LoniJ
Congratulations! I will add to remember your LO is exhausted so when he does get a chance to call be very encouraging. I sent letters (in those white envelopes) and included some photos of past fun events/memories. You will be able to send a box of goodies in a few weeks but just wait until your LO says you can or you see on FB that you can. I found FB page more helpful than my son as people posted info from their LO that my son didn't share. Answer any phone calls you get as my LO used his roommate's phone once. OCS gave me a new level of patience and I prayed continuously. What an exciting time. I know you are so proud.
Jan 6, 2017
CindyN
Charlene -
I should start by saying that my son was in OCS about 1.5 years ago so some of my information may be out of date.
During the check-in process they will need to turn in their cells phones. They will not get it back until they become Candi-O’s at the end of week 9. Just before they have to hand their cell over, they will get to make one last call to let you know they arrived and to give you their mailing address. This call will come on the Sunday of their check-in so stay close to your phone(s). I don’t know if they are reminded to save important phone and email addresses before they turn their phone over, or if my son knew to do that one his own. But it is good advice to give your son before he goes.
Letters are very important, especially at the beginning. I didn't get many back (maybe 2) but he did say "write and send pictures/news". So I wrote every day or two using the service write2them.org to send letters and photos. The service took an email I sent to the service, printed it out and sent it in the appropriate white envelope. I think they mail it from closer to the base so it takes a couple of days off the mail time from where I am. At the time, it cost about $1.20 per letter (for a bit more than 2x a stamp) but for me, it is so convenient that I am writing more often. They will print out 4 sheets, double sided (so 8 pages of info). I generally wrote a bit and then cut and paste a few pictures along a bunch of news stories I think my son and his friends may find interesting or enjoy. The OCs have some down time on weekends (at least Sunday) to visit with other classes, sharing info and stories. I often thought that writing to him was at least as therapeutic for me, if not more so, than it was for him.
After they pass RLP (week 3) they will be able to sign up for a timeslot (10-15 minutes) to use the phone on weekends. I believe the possible times were Fri evening, Sat evening and all day Sun. They will not be calling from their cell phone, so be sure to answer any unknown caller from Rhode Island. They may 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. I have heard that you can get a calling card at Walmart and Walgreens. I got one online (https://www.virtualprepaidminutes.com/) and added it to one of my early letters.
If you think your son may not know your phone and email addresses from memory or have lost them, send a letter (when you get his address) with all the phone numbers and email addresses you think he may want. When they are allowed to email (end of week 6, I believe), it will be from a closed government server, and will not have access to their usual email program with stored email addresses. So they will need to type the full address in from memory.
Navyformoms will be a good resource for you. The Friends and Family Facebook group for your son’s class will also be an excellent source of information and support. The "Officer Training Command Newport" Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/OTCNewport/?fref=ts) posts photos every week or two which were fun to see.
Best of luck to both you and your son!
Jan 6, 2017
myvampress
My son was at OCS about a year ago, this time of year and it gets very cold and windy there. You might want to go on amazon and order him a few pairs of Fox River Military Boot socks in black to help his feet. They are a little pricey but we'll worth it. You can have them sent to him through Amazon and he will be able to have them, he will just have to open the package in front of one of the Chiefs. Their is also a certain measuring tool that is very helpful for your LOL for his uniform inspections but I can't remember what it is called. I will look it up and tell you. As far as the candi-o box, start it now. I went to the post office and got one of their large (one price postage) boxes and decorated the inside of the box however you want whether military related, family pictures, sports or however and then fill it up with snacks, candy or whatever he likes. Contact me if you need help or suggestions or have any questions.
Jan 6, 2017
Charlene
Thanks again for all the valuable information
Jan 6, 2017
USNmom2017
Jan 7, 2017
USNmom2017
Jan 7, 2017
myvampress
Yes the socks need to be black
Jan 7, 2017
Spettiou
Jan 7, 2017
Charlene
Jan 9, 2017
M's mom
Charlene,
Keep those upbeat, encouraging letters going out to your son! They will be his only contact with the outside world for several weeks. Don't be disappointed if you don't get many letters back from him. The only time they have to write is when they could be sleeping! After he passes the big RLP (room, locker, personnel ) inspection at week 3-4, then they usually receive email privileges, and you will hear more from him.
Make sure all of his friends and family know to send LETTERS ONLY at this point in plain white envelopes. NO gifts or treats at all until he reaches the Candi-O phase at week nine, or he will be punished with many, many extra pushups, etc., so tell all those who have his address.
When he gets email, he will not have access to his private email program or phone, and will have to type in the complete email address, so send him a letter with all the email addresses you think he may not remember.
These first few weeks, remember: NO news, is GOOD news! If for some reason he gets injured or fails something and is "rolled" back to the next class and must start over, he will be allowed to call home to tell you. It is hard to not hear from them for a few weeks, but that means he is still there and making progress! The first three weeks or so are the hardest on the candidates and the families. After that, getting email really helps morale on both sides!
Good luck to your son, and keep writing to him! They live for those letters from home the first few weeks.
Jan 9, 2017
CindyN
Charlene - Your note brings back a lot of memories! I remember how hard that was. Those first few weeks I remember asking my husband multiple times "why did we let him do this?1?" But I have to say, after about week 3, when they are able to call, it became easier for me. Hang in there. Both you and your son will make it through this. The man (or woman, for others of you) that develop during OCS and you meet at graduation is pretty awesome. These young men and women who volunteer and get selected for Naval Officers are so impressive. It gives me so much hope for our future.
Please let us know how things are going for both you and your son. All of the candidates really support each other at every stage of their training. And we are here to support you.
Jan 9, 2017
myvampress
Definitely keep the letters, news clippings, etc going his way. I would sometimes sit and write my son 5 times a day but would date them different days and number the envelopes so I can mail 1 or 2 a day. People would ask what the heck I was writing about with all the letters. I would write about football scores and news mostly since they don't have TV time (although he would get the scores from the Drill Instructors). I would also write encouraging stuff like no matter what I am very proud of him and would tell him what I have learned from others about what challenges were coming up and I knew how great he will do and to just hang in there since it is only temporary and he will be done. If for some reason he gets rolled back still keep boosting him up, my son really enjoyed being rolled back because it kind of gave him a break and helped him prepare for what was ahead so it made him more knowledgeable. I found the ruler things I told you in an earlier post that my son wanted me to order for him to help with his uniform inspections, I just have to figure out how to post them to you.
Jan 9, 2017
Marmie
Similar to myvampress I would put together a "package" in each of my letters. All printed out since my handwriting is awful. I would include an update on what was going on around our house, football scores (he was there in the late fall to Feb), an article on his football team (usually a negative since he knows how I dislike his team). Upbeat stores from the internet. I found a couple of sites with navy trivia that I would send. I also included a couple of Sudoku and crosword puzzles. Just things to take his mind off of OCS stuff and let him know what was going on in the real world. I kept it up until his Candido time - he really did fly by fast. And I kept watch on the FB page to see pictures of him which I also mention in my letters.
Jan 9, 2017
LucyJo
Jan 9, 2017
Charlene
Thanks for all the info! My son is in for the supply corp.
Jan 9, 2017
Charlene
Thanks for sharing about the roll backs. It will be good to be prepared in case my son is rolled back I can be prepared to offer encouragement. Thanks again! I off to write a letter
Jan 9, 2017
Charlene
Thanks for sharing and all the great information
Jan 9, 2017
Charlene
Jan 10, 2017
myvampress
Do not depend on the graduation date set, if for some reason your son rolls the date will change. Each time they roll the date for their graduation changes so I will wait until he gets further along
Jan 10, 2017
myvampress
I just talked to my son to find out about when graduation would be. He said it is 12 weeks from when you start unless you roll and then it adds 2 weeks for each time you roll. Hopefully that will give you a general idea
Jan 10, 2017
M's mom
"Rolling" used to add three weeks, not two weeks, because OCS started new classes every three weeks, and the candidate joined the class behind them if they rolled. --Unless they are now starting OCS classes every two weeks.
In any case, it is best not to buy non-changeable plane tickets to graduation until he is further along. There were some in my son's class who got into big trouble the weekend before graduation for drinking or whatever, and they rolled them back!!!!!! (I'm sure their families with plane and hotel reservations were not real happy!)
Jan 11, 2017
LucyJo
The FB link I sent a couple days ago is for the recruits-not the families. From the chatter on our FB page, I think a family member of one of the recruits who rolled will be starting your class FB page. I will let you know and you can keep watching for it.
Jan 11, 2017
myvampress
M's mom is right, rolling sets them back 3 weeks not 2. I talked to my son tonight and asked him about rollable events and this is what he told me.
*PRT/BCA which is their physical readiness test is Rollable (sits ups, running, weigh in and body measurement, etc).
They will have Fast Friday but it is not Rollable.
*Fast Cruise is another rollable event which is where they get up really early, pack their sea bags with about 50lbs of their clothes and gear and then run up and down the stairs and what not carrying it in front of you but he said it has changed from what he heard and now they take you outside and you run up and down a hill and they set a timer and if you either pass out (normally from dehydration) or the timer is up and they lock the door and you don't make it in the door on time you get rolled.
*RLP is Rollable which is the Room, locker and personal inspection.
*He said General Quarters is tough but not rollable
*Tests from classes/academics have to be 70% or higher but are not hard to achieve.
*NAV and NOS (Navagational) test is at about week 8, it is rollable but not common to roll.
*Week 6 inspection with Khakis uniform and week 8 inspection with either dress whites or dress blues are both rollable but again they are not common to roll on
*Capstone which is their fun type activities such as fire training, water training, etc is rollable but no one ever rolls on these and Capstone is right before Candio and they will get their cell phones after Capstone.
*Any PRT (physical readiness test) is Rollable and they have 4.
My son said that he also heard that OCS brought back Poopie Suit... I am not sure what it is but he said if you look up old OCS videos that they will have it up there.
I hope this helps you and doesn't confuse you.
Jan 12, 2017
Charlene
Jan 12, 2017
LucyJo
Jan 12, 2017
M's mom
When my son was at OCS in 2012, the Poopie Suits were these really ugly, baggy, green coveralls that the Indocs (Indoctrination Candidates = the new OCS class in their first three weeks) had to wear, along with these purposely stupid-looking silver helmets. That way, anyone could see who the Indocs were by the poopie suits. After week three, it was a rite of passage to get to wear a REAL uniform, and then the new Indoc class coming in had to wear those coveralls.
Things change constantly at OCS, depending on current command, so that's why I can't say exactly how things are done there now.
Jan 12, 2017
LucyJo
Jan 13, 2017
LucyJo
Jan 13, 2017
M's mom
LucyJo:
Graduation used to be on Friday morning, 9 or 10 AM as I recall. Everything is pretty much over by noon. If the new Ensigns have their orders by then, they are free to go after they check out of the barracks. Depending on their orders they may get to go home with their family, or they must head out to their next duty station immediately to report on Monday! Fortunately, my son's orders gave him 10-days' travel time to report to his next duty station, so he was able to buy a plane ticket home on the same flight as us. (He had flown to Newport to OCS and didn't drive there.) So he was able to come home with us, relax a little, then gather his belongings and drive to Virginia Beach to his next school. Some of the ensigns are sent home to work in the recruiting office if it will be a few months before the next class in their specialty starts. The orders usually don't come in until the last week, so you can't make firm plans. My son's orders didn't arrive until Wednesday before graduation Friday, so we didn't know if he would be coming home or not. There are usually a few in each class who do not have their orders yet on Graduation Day, and they must stay at the Naval Station until the orders come, maybe days or weeks!
Jan 13, 2017
LucyJo
Jan 13, 2017
myvampress
Jan 14, 2017
Shelby
Jan 14, 2017
Shelby
Jan 14, 2017
Nancy
Just found the FB page 08-17 too! Thanks for sharing that.
Jan 15, 2017
PortMom
Thank you everyone for your comments, I am starving for information about OCS, since this is my first time with my LO there.
Thank you myvampress for the info - very helpful!
I am grateful for this site, found lots of tips from experienced moms/dads! Keep these coming please!
Jan 18, 2017
Nancy
Got first letter from LO in 08-17!!
Jan 20, 2017
bkat3
Excited for you, Nancy! I think I read my first letter 10 times.
Keep sending letters with all of the trivial info happening in your family, local, and the world. They really do not get much information from outside and have so little time to write to you.
It does get better once they get to email!
Jan 20, 2017
Shelby
Jan 21, 2017
Nancy
No phone calls here either, so that is good I guess. Letter was very positive! LO actually having a good time! Makes me feel so much better.
Jan 21, 2017
Nancy
Does anyone know if RLP is Thursday of the 3rd week or Thursday of the 4th week? The NavyDads website says the 4th week. Something I saw on this site made me think the 3rd. Does anyone know for sure based on mail from LO or very recent experience from other classes?
Jan 23, 2017
Doreen
Jan 23, 2017
CindyN
Nancy - I can't answer your question as my experience is 1.5 years old. RLP was week 3 then. If you are in the Facebook group for your LO's class, ask on FB. There are likely some people in the group that are also in the FB group of a class or two prior (due to their LOs rolling). If there isn't anyone in your group who is also in the group from a class earlier, you may want to you join the previous group yourself. They shouldn't mind. There were family members from both old and newer classes in the FB group I was in while my son was at OCS. It was a great way to learn what was coming and to pass on helpful hints to those not yet there.
Is this week 2 or 3 for your LO? It is after RLP that (at least it use to be) that they can start to call home on weekends. Then your new stress will be staying close to your phone all weekend so you don't miss the call! Good luck!
Jan 23, 2017
Nancy
Thank you CL and Doreen. CL, this is week 3. Thanks for the good advice!
Jan 23, 2017
Nancy
Sooooo, 09-17 reports tomorrow! Our 08-17 kiddos are so relieved to be Junior Officer Candidates and no longer ICs. Fast cruise, RLP, done!! On to week 4. Feeling much better now! Thank you to this group for letting me ask so many questions.
Jan 28, 2017
M's mom
Nancy,
Congrats to your Officer Candidate on making it to week four! Big relief for them as well as the families! When they are allowed email, you will have more communication, and that helps morale on both sides.
Jan 28, 2017