OCS Graduate Moms

For those who have graduated from Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI or who are currently attending there.
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  • M's mom

    Nancy,   Search at "All Groups" above for the group "Naval Aviation."  They are Moms of pilots and NFO's.  They are the voices of experience about flight school, and can answer your questions about the process.  I'm sure Quilter is a member of that group also.

  • M's mom

    Quilter,  What aircraft did your son choose to fly?   First in his class!!!   You & your hubby should be justifiably proud!     (And you were worried that he wouldn't make it through OCS, and just look at him now!) 

  • Anna

    Quilter,

    I too am so very sorry to hear about your son!!!  I know there are no words that can I can offer other than I will be keeping you and your precious family in my prayers.  I know how strong the mother/child bond is and can not imagine your grief.  I am so glad to hear your officer son is doing well.  I cherish the memories of my daughter's winging and she is now deploying regularly with her squadron.  Where is your pilot assigned???  God Bless You and bring you peace and comfort.

  • Quilter

    Thank you Anna, for your Kind words they mean a lot.  I'm glad to hear all is well with your daughter, and shes doing well.   M's Mom, our son choose the E6  aka 707. He is thrilled!! Thank you ladies for all of your support, It feels good to be back!!

  • Anna

    Quilter,

    That is the same aircraft my daughter is on!!!!  Is he going to OK??  And will he be in 3 or 4?

  • Quilter

    Oh my goodness that's awesome!!!! Yes OK!!
  • Anna

    Quilter,

    Sent you a friend request - maybe our aviators will be in the same squadron!!

  • LoniJ

    Nancy, I can give you some info about the condo my son and his OCS roommate rented while in flight school at P'cola. He is in Corpus Christi now for primary. We live about 40 miles from the area. Message me if you would like.

  • ITgal

    I received a message from someone asking for a packing list for OCS.  I guess I'm just not up to speed with this site, because I can't figure out how to message back.  So thought I'd just post it here:

    http://www.ocs.navy.mil/ocs_requiredpaperwork.html

  • CindyN

    ITgal: I also got the message but it isn't showing up on the Comment Wall. In the upper right hand corner of this page I see a "send message to the group" which, it seems, doesn't add the message to the comment wall so you can not reply.

    I just wanted to highlight an item on the list you sent:

    "Running Shoes - Please invest in a quality pair of running shoes less than six months old.  You will be running several miles per week, depending on where you are in training."

    Good running shoes are very important. I believe they run more than the "several miles per week" and GOOD running shoes are crucial to minimizing injuries.
    My son ran so much at OCS that he bought a new pair during the week he was home between graduation and reporting to his ship. His shoes weren't worn out but running shoes do have a "mile" life and his OSC shoes were nearing that.You will be looking at pictures on the Newport OCS Facebook page searching for your LO when they all look the same in the exact same uniform. Getting shoes that fit well and are extremely comfortable is the first consideration but if those good shoes also happen to be really brightly colored, it will help you in the hunt for your LO in a few of those Facebook pictures!

  • karenmof2

    Thank you, do you know if they are allowed to use barefoot type running shoes?

  • karenmof2

    Never mind I just noticed that the barefoot shoes are not allowed.

  • NicoleM

    I'm a new OCS Mom, my sons class starts Mar 12th. I'm excited for him, very proud and so happy to find this site where there are others Mom's to talk to. Can anyone tell me if they really do post pictures on the Facebook page weekly when they're in class?
  • CindyN

    NicoleM: They do post photos. When my son was there, I think there might have been a week where they didn't post photos but they were good about posting regularily on a Monday or Tuesday. They put the photos in albums by class. Take a look and you will see pictures from the current classes.  If you haven't found the page yet, search for "Officer Training Command Newport".

    Best of luck to you and your son!

  • Nancy

    NicoleM, My son is there right now in week 9. CL is correct. Also, each class has a facebook support group. Search OCS Class ??-17 Family in your facebook search bar. Use whatever class number they assign him. We started back in January and they were great at the beginning about posting pictures every Tuesday morning. Then about week 4 they were late (on Thursday) with only a few pictures. And since then there have been only one or two pictures added. We were spoiled at first, so it's been a little disappointing. Maybe they will get better by the time your son gets there. The same pictures are also posted here in an easy format. You can copy and paste the link. http://www.navydads.com/page/ocs-class-photos 

  • NicoleM

    Hi Nancy, Thank you, that's great to know. Maybe they're trying to ease us into not seeing them. That's the part that I think will be the hardest, not being able to call and see how he's doing. Like most kids and especially boys he's not a big communicator and when he was in college I used to have to tell him I was going to report him missing if he didn't call me and check in but this isn't college. I'm happy to know about the family support page, that'll be very helpful. I hear some classes are allowed to call at week 10, do you know if that's true? Congrats that your son only has a few weeks left to go!
  • NicoleM

    Hi CL, thank you!
  • CindyN

    NicoleM, Week 3 is the big RLP test. If they pass that, they are given phone priviledges (not their cell but a bank of landlines which they use a phone card to pay for the long distance charges) on weekends to call home for 10 or 15 minutes.

    My son was also not a great communicator via phone while in college. But at OCS he fully used all the phone privileges. I think he craved some outside world contact! You should answer any call from the Newport, RI area code. Even after he started calling home on weekends, I wrote every couple of days just so he would have mail and world news than you can't communicate in a 10 minute call.

    At the end of week 9/start of week 10. They usually get their cells back and then can call whenever they have free time (if they get reasonable cell reception) however they are really busy working with the new class that just showed up. So I actually heard from my son less the last three weeks. But that is OK as we knew we would see him soon.

  • Nancy

    Yes, to all that but there is a new change. My son is in the 08-17 class and did not get phone calls until after RLP as CL said. But starting with the 09-17 class, they are allowed phone calls after Fast Cruise which is Friday of second week. The calls are once a week, 15 minutes, from a Newport number. You will never know when to expect it but they are usually on the weekend at first. It could be as early as 6:45 on Sunday morning if no other time slots are available. That happened to us and we almost missed it because my phone was on silent for sleeping, but I happened to be awake and see it light up by my bed. When they get email privileges back (after RLP of third week) then they can give you advanced warning of when to expect the call. CL is right, they do get busy, sometimes too busy to send a quick email, so don't worry!! I have just realized that your son's class will be the indoc class that my son's class works with. My son graduates March 31. Good luck to your boy!

  • NicoleM

    thank you both so much this is great information! I feel a bit more prepared now and so does my son. I will be sure to write him often and will keep my phone close by while he's away. Nancy, will your son's class be working with my son's class when he starts?
  • PortMom

    Thank you Quilter for the info! Just like Nancy I am looking for information about my LO's next steps after he graduates the OCS
  • Nancy

    NicoleM, Yes, in a manner of speaking. Accept my friend request and I will message your inbox.

  • NicoleM

    Ok done
  • cdav

    My sailor just started OCS today. She has been enlisted for 20 months, so I've got a basic understanding. (I understand about 3/4 of what she is talking about now when she uses Navy Speak...I'm improving. But I still have questions. Hope you can help me out.

  • Anna

    Welcome cdav!!  First, have you joined Facebook and looked for the Officer Training Command Newport page?  It is a good source of information straight from OCS where you can get a little idea of what your daughter is doing and maybe even see a picture or two of her.  Also, you should look for a group called,  "US Navy OCS Class xx-xx (your daughter's class # here) Friends and Family."  Not sure if they've changed the name a little or not as my daughter was in OCS in 2012.  There may not be a group set up yet if your daughter just started, but look for groups that are 1 and 2 classes ahead of her and ask to join those groups.  This will give you some good information about what your daughter will be doing next!!  So what did your daughter do as an enlisted sailor and what does she hope to do as an officer??  I am curious to know what she thinks of bootcamp compared to OCS?!?!?!

    If you have any specific questions you need answers to, post them here and I know there are several very supportive moms on here that will be willing to help you out!!!  Including me!!  :)  (I also sent you a welcome message as admin of the Moms of Daughters 2 group!!)

  • Nancy

    Welcome cdav! My son is there now in 08-17! Anna is right. Join the pages for 08-17, 09-17 and 10-17. We don't talk much on 08-17 but 09-17 and 10-17 talk a LOT. There is not a page yet for 11-17, but I am sure there will be soon. Search for "OCS Class xx-17" and you will find them. Also, things change CONSTANTLY at OCS. Some of the information here is outdated, but most is accurate. What is your daughter's designation? 

  • cdav

    She was an E-4 and Aviation Machinists Mate working on Helicopter engines in San DIego. Yes I noticed a lot of the info on the website is outdated. I'll be watching for the 11-17 page. Sounds like they're going to be hit with quite a blizzard there tomorrow!

  • NicoleM

    Welcome cdav! My son is in 11-17 class, he's in golf. Which group is your daughter in?
  • Adverbe

    My son is in 08-17 too. He graduates on Friday! :) This is all very new to us. 

  • CindyN

    Adverbe, Congratulations to both you and your son! Graduation is very exciting. The best part is seeing your LO again and seeing how they have changed. Where does your son go next?

  • Nancy

    Hi again! I just wanted to thank everybody for this group. The conversations have been uplifting and supportive. my LO graduates this Friday. I hope to meet Adverbe and Shelby there!! A big thank you to the moms of OCS alumni: LoniJ, CL, Quilter, M's mom, Anna, and myvampress, who all contributed to my peace of mind, as well as providing lots of tips for the coming week in Newport! Some of you I have befriended through private messages and some on this public board, but in every way, you ALL have helped out more than you know. The support of this group is incredible. Please remind me which page I should join next for naval aviation. Love to you all!

  • M's mom

    Nancy, and all you other Moms of class 08-17, congratulations to you and your (almost) Ensigns!   Make sure you take tissues to the graduation ceremony, unless you are less emotional than most!  Just wait until you see your LO's in full dress uniforms--you won't believe it is the same kid that you sent off 12 weeks ago!  You will be bursting with pride!

    Nancy, scroll to the top of this page under the banner where it says "all groups," click, and then search for "Naval Aviation."  Those Moms will guide you through the flight school adventure!   But we hope you will still participate with us OCS Moms, and help us reassure the newbie Moms.  You're now a voice of experience!

  • Anna

    Nancy,

    You are very welcome, I'm glad I could be helpful in any way.  M's mom is right, you have to stay with us here so you can a voice of experience to new moms!!!  Will your new officer head to P'cola for training?

  • Shelby

    Hello! Many thanks to all of you for helping me navigate through this page and for helping me find the website for OCS. My daughter is in class 08-17 and graduates this Friday. She is IW (information warfare). Any suggestions on where to find group discussion fir that designator? Thanks especially to Nancy and all other family members of class 08-17. Looking forward to meeting you!
  • Quilter

    Hello everyone! I'm just checking in. Our DS had his Winging Ceremony this past weekend! He now wears those beautiful Golden Wings...next up SERE!! Most of you know we lost our DS 2Lt Army just 6 months ago, but I will say our Pilot has a special guardian angel right by his side Always and Forever now!!  

  • PortMom

    ❤❤❤
  • Nancy

    Quilter, Congratulations on your DS and his Golden Wings!! What an accomplishment! I am sure that SERE is going to be extremely intense. That's something as a mom I don't even want to think about yet. Best wishes to you!

    Shelby, can't wait to meet you later this week!

  • Anna

    Quilter,

    Congratulations on your son's Winging!!!  Does he know which squadron he will be going to yet?  Good luck to him in SERE.

    That article is outdated.  My daughter did her training in the winter also.  She did tell me that they are instructed not to talk about their training because you don't want the new trainees having an idea about what's going on.  It is better for their training if they go in with no incorrect preconceptions.  

    Shelby,

    You won't find groups for Information Warfare as that is a qualification sailors have to earn.  My son has his IW pin and he is in the Intelligence field.  Is your daughter going to be an Intel Officer?  Wishing her all the best in her next phase of training, whatever that might be!!

     

  • M's mom

    Quilter, Congrats to your son on his winging!!!   I remember when he was at OCS and you were so anxious, but just look at all he has accomplished now!   My condolences again about your other son, but you're right, your pilot will always have an angel co-pilot, even if he flies "solo."

  • M's mom

    Shelby,  My son is an intelligence officer.  Is that what your daughter's designator will be?   Will she be going next to Oceana/Dam Neck in Virginia Beach for her next school?  That is where the intel school is.  There is no group that I know of here for intel officers. There is a group for Moms of enlisted intelligence specialists, but their experience is different, so I don't have much to add to their discussions.

    Congratulations to your daughter!  You will be bursting with pride at the graduation ceremony.

  • ljdnavigator

    My son is graduating 8-17 too.  I can't wait to see him!

  • Maxx

    Any advice on housing in Pensacola for single officer?
  • PortMom

    I would appreciate an advice on that too! A place to start? Is there a way to set it up in advance? Finding roommates? Any piece of advice helps!
  • pbmcdaniel

    Maxx4 and PortMom, 

    My DS left P'cola in November after winging.  He was tired of roommates and chose to live alone. Several of the guys rented at Angel Cove Apts. (right outside the back gate) or at the complex across the street owned by the same management group. Rent was reasonable....nothing fancy...VERY close by (one of his MUSTS.)  It was basic apartment living but it served his purpose before heading to his next destination. We just googled and happened upon it.  Good luck with the next phase.  Time will fly by for you as you have probably noticed with this OCS experience.  

  • Anna

    My daughter also lived in Angel Cove apts.  Right by the back gate to the base which was preferable to having to drive through base!!  She had an apartment to herself and her cat!!!

  • PortMom

    Pbmcdaniel and Anna,
    Thank you so much for sharing this! So awesome to learn from people, who've been through the same experiences and who can understand the anxiety of leaping into the next phase. I love this forum, and I appreciate all the suggestions! Yes, the time flies by so fast in OCS. I hope it slows down a bit later... Thank you again!
  • CindyN

    Congratulations to Nancy, Shelby, Adverbe and the class of 8-17! Enjoy your time in Newport. It is both exciting and exhausting.

    You are now the OCS Graduate Mom alumni with the most recent and relevant experience. I hope you are able to stay with us and help those you are coming after you.

    Congratulations again!

  • Gina Mills

    Congrats! My son graduated in the 06 class. It is an exciting experience. Ensure to do the Cliff Walk and tour the mansions. Praying it will be warm for you.
  • Gina Mills

    Hi, I am just now figuring this group out and I really need it because I do not understand a lot of the things my son is telling me. He graduated from OCS in Feb and reported to Pensacola the following week. He is currently attending pre-flight indoctrination? He has two exams to go before he has his instructor led training before his solo flight. Then what happens? He is also getting married in May so a lot of stress for this mom. He also lives at Angel Cove. Close to base, perdido beach and shopping areas.
  • Shelby

    M's Mom, Anna and Nancy. My daughter still doesn't have official orders! Hopefully, all prayers and fingers crossed, she gets them today or at least before graduation. The hang up now is her OHARP duties. Her detailer having problems connecting with the Point of contact. But she does know where her first assignment will be. NOIC Maryland. Which is tenant of Ft Meade MD. She is IWO. Information warfare. Join the navy - see the world. And she starts out 2 year assignment little over hour from home - horrible traffic commute if she lives at home - and no water! LOL. So she most likely will be looking for living arrangements. I'm hoping her housing allowance kicks in a lot considering the price of living in the D.C. Area! Looks like her training school is booked until August. So she has 90 days OHARP. reports to duty assignment. Then leaves for school in Dam Neck VA reporting 17 August - then back to duty assignment. Oh well. Apparently NOIC MD is 'mother ship' for her designator. It will be good for her to make connections early in career! Looking forward to seeing her and all the 08-17 class and all family members tomorrow night!