OCS Graduate Moms

Hi, I have a question - I have been preparing to send a Candio Box to my son when the time comes.  Does anyone have guidelines of what can go into this box?  I have been researching online and some say food can be in the box, some say I can not send food.  Any help is much appreciated.

Hi, we received a welcome letter from the training Commander.  Currently, all food items after considered contraband.  Our LO asked us NOT to send a box which we will respect.  Others probably feel differently.  Today is the first RLP inspection.  Praying for success for all.

Hi, I was wondering if they get leave after OCS, or do they have to report right away with their new orders?  Also, does anyone know when they get their orders for after OCS? Is it before graduation or at graduation?

Thanks!

Hello, my son graduated 01-18 and it all depends on what they are doing after graduation.  My son is an NFO and had his orders the day before graduation so he was able to leave right after graduation.  He came home for six weeks for home town recruiting and then he had to report to Pensacola.  I know it is different for everyone.  I know some didn't have their orders after graduation and had to stay.  There are a lot of factors that go into it but I know a lot leave right after.

I am just learning about Hi Moms reception.  Does anyone know the dress code for that, as well as the graduation?

Thanks for the info on dress code and that we will be leaving right after they are commissioned.  Another question, what time is the Hi Moms reception normally and how long does it last?  Wondering what time to make the reservation for.

Martha,

My son's graduation was this past October and Hi Moms was at 5:00 p.m. and graduation was the next morning at 10:00 a.m. People wore both casual or quite dressy.  It is what you prefer.  A lot were in dresses and the men in sport coats and ties during both events.  Hope this helps!

My son's was about a year ago. Started at 5:30 and the whole thing was over by 6:30 but people slowly left, some wanting to get pictures with each other and with the commanding officers. A 7:00 reservation might be rushing it but a 7:30 reservation would be about right if yours is like ours. I don't know if they vary in length, but it looks like they do since some of the people have posted that they take a lot longer.

BuckyGM,

I think getting leave depends on their orders. Mine has had a temporary duty assignment back at home because the next school he needed did not have a class available until the end of February.  He had his orders in hand the week before graduation but said others were still waiting for theirs either that afternoon or the following week.  Sometimes they are on "hold" until all the paperwork is in order and what they are rated as (mine is a submariner).

Martha,

When my son was at OCS five years ago, they could get goodies in their Candio boxes, but I understand food has been prohibited now.  Just as well.  The candidates have not  been allowed to have dessert or any sweets in the chow hall for 10 weeks, so when they all got their Candio boxes at ten weeks containing homemade cookies and their favorite treats, they all gorged themselves and made themselves sick.  (My son said it was worth it. haha)   Lots of it got thrown away anyway, because they only have two weeks to graduation at that point and if all the relatives sent goodie boxes, most of it got tossed uneaten, so just as well that OCS has ruled no more food.

As far as what TO send, I suppose they might like a few magazines about a subject that interests them, but the Candios are now running the training regiment, so they have little time for relaxation, although it is not as intense as the first few weeks.  You might ask your candidate if there is something they would especially like for you to send them!

buckyGM, As others have written, the new Ensigns can leave right after graduation is over IF they have their orders.  Then as soon as they gather their gear and check out of their room, they are free to go.   The orders begin trickling in a few weeks before graduation, but some still do not have orders at graduation, and must stay in Newport until the orders come, which could be weeks. 

They don't automatically get "leave" after OCS.  I have heard of some OCS graduates having to report to their next school on the Monday right after graduation!!!   It depends on when the next class in the school of their designator starts.   My son got his orders on Wednesday before graduation Friday, and he was given ten days "travel time" to report to his next school. He had flown to OCS, as did my husband and I, so my son was able to get a ticket on the same flight home as us; then he had ten days to pack his worldly belongings into his vehicle and report to duty at his next school.  That also gave him some time to find housing at the new base.

Some OCS grads find that their next school will not start for several months, so they are sent home to work in the local recruiting office in the meantime.  Your Ensign will simply not be able to make any plans to come home after OCS until they see their orders, which may or may not arrive by graduation. 

I know it is frustrating for all, but this is how the military is. The service members and families just have to learn to roll with whatever and whenever the Navy commands.  "Semper Gumby" --Always Flexible, they say.   haha 

Good things to include in candio box (only if they want one): boot shine (black), lint roller, pictures, handwritten notes from friends and family, a special comfy t-shirt they might have left at home, favorite comic strips cut out from the paper, a Navy water bottle. Be careful with things you might think are okay, like I thought a deck of cards would be okay (as they get into candio phase they have slightly more down time) but I was advised against it by officer on the facebook page. Use the officer (who acts as a liaison for information) on your class's facebook page for any questions. They are very helpful.

My son graduated OCS two months ago and I learned a lot about the process.  Hi Mom, normally 5pm, most people dress nice, but a handful dressed casual.  If they choose the Officer's club, there will be a lot of tasty finger foods. I would not recommend a big restaurant afterwards. We saved that for about 1pm on Friday. The wait in restaurants were minimal and we were very hungry so we enjoyed it (the white seafood pizza at the Red Parrot makes a great appetizer!). Grad ceremony: most people dressed very nice. Plan to stay and do first salute photos afterwards, but don't plan the coin tradition. It is no longer supported by OCS.  Since I am retired military, I wore my uniform and gave my son his salute, but many others got it from the DI or one of the other staff members. Try to find out what side your LO will be sitting on for best views. I wish I could say there were no inconsiderate people obsessively holding up cell phones, but it happened.  My son said everyone had to be out of the barracks by the start of the ceremony.  We had him load all of his uniforms and belongings in our SUV and dealt with it later.  As far as orders, he got them the day before graduation, so it was tough to plan where he was going until the last minute. My son said it really never mattered if people used colorful envelops for mail since it was one of their classmates who was assigned to distribute mail. Still, we stuck with white since we bought a whole box! Candio box: Pinterest has SO many ideas for decorating the inside!  Micheal's had a lot of stickers and lettering. True that no food is allowed. We made a small scapebook using the class photos that are posted on the Officer Command School Newport facebook page.  Son loved it!  Also added water bottle with Navy logo, all weather pocket notebook, black Fox River socks, cushiony shoe inserts, a decorated wooden anchor, and a Starbucks card.  Hope this helps for the family members out there navigating this whole new world! 

I am not sure I understand what a Candio box is and when you are sending it to your candidate....graduation is normally on what day of the week?

Thank you

Candio box is mailed out during the 8th week and the candidate opens it during the 9th week when they go from officer candidates to candidate officers, (when they have finished all rollable events).  It is basically a care package, but it is decorated on the inside, usually in a Navy theme. You can get a large flat rate prepaid box at the post office. Go to Google images or Pinterest and you'll see examples of decorations and suggestions for contents. Do not send food though!.  Address the box with the normal mailing address and largely - and very clearly - write "CANDIO BOX" on all sides of the box. This will help prevent your package being delivered too early, or too late, to your candidate. Some classes will not receive boxes until Thursday or Friday, depending on their class team. (Graduation is on a Friday morning. The Hi Mom reception is the night before).

Thank you! appreciate it!

Does OCS still allow Candio boxes in 2018?

PKM- my son was 01-18 and we sent a candio box. Have seen others share they have since that class in early October. 

Does anyone know how many friends/family members can attend OCS graduation? 

PKM,    I think OCS still allows Candio boxes to be sent, but they are NOT to contain any food items, as they could in years past. (See Liz's post below.)

When my son graduated OCS five years ago, there wasn't any limit to how many guests could attend graduation, but each candidate must submit in advance a list of guests coming and, I believe, each one's Social Security number, so they may be checked for security risks.  The list will be at the base gate when you come in for graduation, and each adult in the car must have some form of photo ID, which the guards will check against the list, so be prepared for that. No surprise last-minute guests, as they may be refused entry!

Graduation seating is unreserved, so get there very early if you have a crowd coming.  As for the Hi Moms reception the night before, the candidates themselves will be paying for each of their guests attending, so some families leave the "kids" back at the hotel, and just the adults attend that.  

Thank you for the information. Anyone know if there is a campground by the base in Newport. Also, Is there a time when the chances of being rolled back at done? Just wanting to now when it is safe to buy airline tickets for OCS Graduation? 

PKM,    I don't know about campgrounds.  Anyone searching for hotels for OCS graduation should search in "Middletown, RI" and not just Newport.  The base gates are actually closer to Middletown, where there are many reasonably priced chain hotels.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Middletown.  Hotels in Newport are more resort-type and therefore more expensive, especially Memorial Day to Labor Day.

As for rolling, candidates can be rolled back right up until graduation if they really screw up.  They have in the past been given off-base liberty the weekend before graduation, and some of them get stupid and have gotten hootched up on alcohol and got caught.  (Can you imagine how hard that phone call would be, to call your parents who have non-refundable plane tickets, and tell them not to come in three days because you won't be graduating after all?)    I'm sure your son would never do any such thing, but the point is, things can happen right up to the end.

We bought plane tickets on Southwest Airlines, which flies into Providence.  Southwest was the only airline that didn't charge a hefty ticket-change fee, at least they didn't used to.  

Thank you for the graduation information.  I will check out the hotels and IF there are campgrounds. I am sure I will find what we need. 

Hello - I am wondering if any OCS moms who have a love one currently going through OSC could give me an upcoming graduation date? I can then map out the weekends of summer graduations. My son graduated from OSC a couple of years ago and will be back in Newport this summer for additional training on base. We plan to visit him while he is there and thought that we would try to avoid a graduation weekend. It is Newport in the summer so even avoiding a graduation weekend probably won't make a noticeable difference in the crowds but worth a try.  Thanks!

CL, my LO's grad date is May 18.  Good luck to your son in his training.

Andy'sMom - Thank you very much. That will help. Hope all is going well for your LO and you are on track to be in Newport in May.

I am new to this site.  Can I post a picture of the class dates and grad dates for OCS?

PKM, to answer your rollback dates, the program rollbacks are over in week 9, but like M's mom said, the candidate can cause a rollback weeks 9-12 through a behavior issue.  A medical issue can also cause a rollback in those last few weeks.

 Saw some photos of my son's OCS Class. It was great seeing what he was doing. I am looking forward to more photos. The graduation seems far away and yet, the time is starting to fly by. Writing letters has been a pleasure and receiving one a gift. 

Graduation date in 4/27. 

PKM,

Yes, it is so nice that OCS posts pics of the trainees, but it can be like "Where's Waldo?" to find your candidate in a group shot, since they all wear the same clothing and the guys all have shaved heads!

I was also surprised to receive a letter from my son while at OCS, since these kids today don't do snail mail letters anymore!   If your son has been there 3-4 weeks, has he passed the big RLP (Room-Locker-Personnel) inspection yet?  After that, they usually get email privileges, and you will hear more from him.

I am trying to write every other day, but sometimes it slips! I haven't written a letter for years myself! I know my LO is writing to his girlfriend, but sure would like one for me. He is just finishing week 2. I guess Fast Cruise is tomorrow. Prayers to all our military wherever they are.

Andy'sMom:  You will hear more from your son after they get email privileges after week 3-4.  Be advised that they will be emailing from a closed government server, and will not have access to their usual email program and contacts list, so they will have to type in the complete email address.  If you think your LO does not know your email address from memory due to just scrolling and clicking on "MOM," send a letter now with all the email addresses you think he would want.  You will get email from an address like .....@navy.mil.    Also, don't expect an instant answer like texting.  They are only given limited time daily to check their email.

My son was told that the drill instructors may, and sometimes do, monitor the candidates' outgoing emails, so don't be surprised if his emails have a very formal "just the facts" tone.  My son knew he didn't dare complain about anything because if the DI found out, he would be doing many extra pushups!!!!!   His emails were just like short, "Training is going well."  It was only after he graduated that he dared complain about how brutal it was!!!    haha

M's Mom:  Thanks for that.  We actually received our first letter yesterday!  It was so good to hear from him.  His humor is intact, so that was a relief!  Thanks for the info on the email.  I will send off addresses in my next letter.  You mentioned that the emails are monitored.  Is regualar mail monitored as well?

PKM,

It was so great to see those pictures go up!  We saw one of our son on the first day - still in civilian clothes with all of his hair!  Of course, I swear I see him in a blurrey shot doing exercises in the gym.  My husband questions it, but I told him it's like a mother zebra recognizing her child among all the others! :)

Andy'sMom:  I don't think paper letters are monitored at all, because my son said he sealed and stamped his and put it in the mailbox himself.  Their emails may not even be monitored either, but they are told of the possibility that the DI's might, at their discretion.  I think it's just to keep them from "crying home to Mommy," and also to make sure they're not breaching any security issues. (Loose Lips Sink Ships!)

Incoming mail may be searched by the DI if it looks like it might contain contraband, so don't send any fat, overstuffed envelopes that look like there could be something besides a letter in there.   Tell anyone to whom you have given his mailing address not to send ANYTHING but letters, until he may receive a "Candi-O" (Candidate Officer) box at week ten, but it still can't contain any food items.

Question about Commissioning.  We are looking at at least 5 going so I thought it would be more economical to get a house instead of hotel rooms.  One that would fit our needs is near Portsmouth.  About how long would that take us to get to from this location to the base?  I'm used to the wide open spaces of the west, so it is difficult to judge distances!  Also, what time does it start?

jsefamily:  yes, I realize that.  I was more curious about traffic!

Hello,

i’m glad to have found this site as we prepare for the next stage of the adventure. I hope that the information will be a valuable resource. 

Welcome MBmom!

We may have answered many of your questions already if you read back on these posts as far back as you can.  Is your LO (loved one) reporting to OCS soon, or already there?

Andy'sMom,

We stayed at a hotel in Middletown, RI which is close to the base, and I'm glad we did, because we made several trips on/off the base while in Newport.  We arrived on Wednesday of graduation week and met up with our son at the base and he was able to go out to dinner with us, then he had to return that night.  Thursday evening was the Hi Moms reception at a downtown Newport hotel, and we picked up our son on the base before heading to that.  (He had flown to OCS and did not have his own car there.)  Early Friday morning at about 0500, his class had a Graduation Run around the base which the families were invited to, and then we had breakfast with him in the chow hall.  (This was five years ago; I'm not sure this is still done now.)  After breakfast, we headed back to our hotel to change for graduation, which I believe was held about 10:00 a.m. then.     My point is, we made several trips to & from the base while we were there, so I was glad that we stayed only about a mile away in Middletown!

Andy'sMom,

We were there in October for 01-18 graduation and we stayed off the main drag in Middleton less than 3 miles from base.  It took us nearly 20 minutes every time we went on or off base due to construction on the big bridge and in town.  I am from TX where things move quickly and that is not the case on the east coast at all.  We drove so we could sight see  in the area and things listed as 10 miles took much longer than we were used to since the speed limits are not like here and the roads were not always in stellar condition. Hope that helps somewhat.