OCS Graduate Moms

Jenna07: As others have posted, there are lots of chain hotels in MIddletown.  Just search Trivago or some other travel search site for "hotels in Middletown, RI" for the dates you are looking for.   The Howard Johnson's hotel that travel101 mentioned is right outside one of the base gates.  My son stayed there the night before he was to report to OCS.

You can always stay in Newport, but those hotels are more resort-like and therefore, more expensive, especially in summer.  They are also further away from the base than Middletown. (The two towns kind of blend together.)  We made several trips on/off the base that weekend, so was convenient to be close.

Thanks, I did look further and found some rooms.  One more question I thought I read somewhere that the graduations are at certain times during the day.  We are trying to figure out return tickets and when to leave as we are from the West Coast. Does anyone have information on the times or will I need to wait until I get a letter with that information?

It seems like all graduations are on Friday at 10:00 a.m.  I haven't seen any other times.  Allow time for pictures etc.  We were safely done by noon and didn't seem rushed at all.

Graduation is usually Friday morning, and the new Ensigns are able to leave by noon after they sign out, IF they have their orders.  My son's orders didn't come in until the Wednesday before graduation on Friday, so we didn't know if he was going to be able to leave or not. 

We had planned to spend the night on Friday, and fly back home on Saturday.  Our son was able to get a ticket on the same flight and fly home with us, which was nice.  Then he had 10 days travel time to get to his next school.  Some have to go directly to their next school on Monday, so they just can't plan anything until they get their orders.

Yes, some of the orders don't trickle in until after graduation, so they have to stay on the base until they get their orders.  And yes, sailors and their families must learn to go with the Navy flow.  I've heard that the unofficial motto of the Navy is "Semper Gumby." (Always Flexible)   haha    Some of you might remember Gumby and Pokey from your childhood TV, ---that little boy and his horse made out of rubber.  They would have made good sailors because they were very flexible!!!   :-)

My son didn't get his orders until the Tuesday after graduation. Hurry up and wait is something you get use to. 

Congratulationsto all the new OCS graduates!

My son will be in the OCS class beginning July 1, 2018. How do I find out the address to mail him letters, and also how do I find out his class name/number? 

It has been a year and a half since my son went, but right before they gave up their phones, they were allowed one last call. He called us and also sent a picture of the address which contains the class number.

My son started in April.  Within a week or two, I received a introduction letter from OCS staff and in that letter it stated correspondence guidelines and information which included the mailing address to correspond. 

redheadlass, As Nancy said, he will get one call and gave the address. They are reading off a board, and they only have a set amount of time!  Also, As sherru stated, you will receive a letter. Unfortunately, that letter was sent to his address and not ours!  You can also get the info on the  Officer Training Command Newport facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/OTCNewport/

Click on the "notes" tab and it will give you the address.  Please make sure that everyone knows to just send letters and no packages.  They can not receive anything but letters until their Candio phase which starts in week 9.  Send letters often, but don't expect too many in return.  They only have time in the evening to write and many times they are exhausted.  Good luck to you and your son.  

Does anyone know when they will post information about graduating class 16-18 on facebook for friends and family?

I mean create the facebook page.  Sorry for the confusion.

Jenna07, as of now, there hasn't been one made.  You could always create it!  They do have rollers from 15-18, so perhaps someone from that group will make it.  

Is graduation appropriate for small children ages 2 and 5 to attend?

biscuit22, we had small children at my son's commissioning.  It lasts about an hour.  If they start to get unruly, you could take them into the back room that acts as the staging area for the Candidates to walk in from.  Hope that helps!

Jenna07

They have made a facebook page for your class: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/256843911719583/

It's US Navy OCS Class 16-18 Friends and Family

Thank you.

My son just checked into OCS this morning. I got a text from him before they took his phone. I was asleep here ( I am three time zones away from Newport) so I could not get any clarification of this. His text said his OCS class name was 17-18 Charlie Company. So does anyone know if I put OCS Class 17-18 C on the mailing address or not? 

redheadlass - Yes. Use "17-18 C" where they have XX-XX in the mailing address shown on the OTC FAQ page:

OC (Your Name)
Officer Candidate School
Class XX-XX
OFFICER TRAINING COMMAND NEWPORT
1356 Meyerkord Avenue
Newport, RI 02841-1641

redheadlass,
My son went in on Feb 25 and this is how we did it:
In the beginning while he was in Indoctunation Phase:

I/C last name, first name
Class 17-18 Charlie Company
Officer Training Command, Newport, RI
1356 Meyerkord Ave
Newport, RI  02841

Once he is out of Indoc phase, then it changes to O/C

Both are correct redheadlass but it isn't necessary to spell out Charlie Company.  17-18C will get to him just fine.  The Navy is exceptional in letters standing for a whole name!!!  Navy Vet here!!!!

My son is only in his first week at OCS but I have started to think about the candio box. I am so confused- since you can't put in snacks or food, then what do you put in them? I have no idea what kinds of things he would want or need. Please, any ideas or suggestions? 

redheadlass,

I know that OCS has cut out putting sweet snacks in Candio boxes cause too many Candios were getting sick.  When I did my daughter's box back in 2012 I included magazines, some small puzzle books to have with her after OCS was over, some little drink mixes to pour into her bottled water like lemonade, Starbucks cold coffee singles, etc, and healthy snack bars.  Her last three weeks found her busier that previous weeks and she did not always get time to get to the mess hall for scheduled meals.  At least these little things could help her get through to the next meal.  I don't know if they allowed any items like that anymore but that's what I did!!

redheadlass,

My son was in 11-18. They do have a list of approved protein bars that you can send. When he received his boxes, he ended up putting much of it in his Lucky Bag as he did not have a lot of room. Things he kept: photos, sun screen, chapstick, TP, wipes, cards (we asked all of his friends to send in cards so that we could put them in the box), lint rollers, and a "count down" calander that we made. Things that went into his Lucky Bag: blanket, a little 10 piece Lego Star Wars toy, a Yoda figure, another Star Wars "toy" that was small, a book, a t-shirt, silly putty, small soccer ball. So, as we stress over what to put in this box, they are really just grateful for receiving it. They don't have a lot of room, so think small! They also need Tide pens.  I don't think the drink mixes that Anna mentioned are allowed.  Hope this helps

What kind of boot shine?  And tide pens for cleaning or for marking? These are all great ideas!  Where is the list of the approved protein bars you can send? 

My son was also 11-18 and I would add a good pen. They always have to have one and it is something that is more like a "gift" from us than a necessity (like power bars or cleaners).  Amazon had lots of nice, reasonably priced ones to choose from.
Also, I wish I had included his wireless earbuds.  He did not bring anything to OCS that was not on the list online so he did not have earbuds. He had to buy a pair at the NEX.   So if he did not bring earbuds, I would include it.  

Just get plain old black shoe polish from the drug store. It's in a small tin so should fit easily inside the box.

redheadlass:

Tide pens are spot remover pens.  You can find them in the laundry detergent section of the supermarket or sometimes in a drugstore.  They look like a felt-tip marker but say "TIDE" on them.  If the candidates get a spot on their uniform, especially those whites--yikes!-- they can rub the Tide pen over the spot and it usually takes it out, instead of having to launder the whole thing.

My son graduated OCS in 2012 near Anna's daughter, and then we could send them cookies and candy and all kinds of treats in their Candio boxes, but then they all gorged themselves and made themselves sick because they had not been allowed any snacks or desserts up to that point.  I think that's why OCS quit letting them be sent sweets, since they had all been "sugar-deprived" for 8 weeks they went overboard with the treats.

I just went to Target and picked up some of these items.  They had most of this in the travel size so that was great. I picked up multiples and have told my son to share with others when he gts his box.  Thanks for the ideas.  I was able to get one of the approved protein bars from another store.  

Where can I find the list of the approved protein bars? 

Wow-- that is quite a list!  Thanks so much! The brands do not matter? 

The brands are the numbers, the types are the letters

Many of those "low sugar" protein bars are sweetened with compounds called sugar alcohols such as maltitol, xylitol, etc. While these products don't have any effects like liquor alcohol, they can cause, um, "gastrointestinal distress," to put it nicely.  Read the labels and "sugar alcohols" should be listed in the sugar section of the nutrition label.

These compounds adversely effect me in a bad way, so be wary about sending a whole load of them to your loved one without a warning to go easy on them until they know how they go with their digestive system.  It would be really bad for a candidate to be standing in formation and suddenly be stricken with "gastrointestinal distress!"

Looking for Class 15-18. Anyone else LO in that class?

So if everything goes according to plan, my son will be graduating from OCS Sept. 21. I was wondering what did most of you do after the graduation? Did you go out to a nice lunch, or a nice dinner with your family and new ensign? It is the Newport Food and Wine Festival that weekend so thinking every place will be crowded and maybe I should be making reservations at some restaurant. Suggestions? 

Well I think we will be sticking around the area for the weekend as we are coming a long ways from California. Another Navy Mom on this site said her son stayed with them over the weekend and flew to OHARP location on Sunday. I think my son will probably be able to do the same. We are planning on flying out on Monday.... Can visit the area even if our son cannot.

Hi Redheadlass my son graduated from PCS about 18 months ago in April We also had a long trip. We are from El Paso Tx. I guess we were lucky because my son was able to pack up and then spend 3 days with us. After graduation we went downtown to a nice restaurant. The next day we drove into Boston. There is so much to do in this area I'm sure it will be a great trip for you and your family

I think they pack up earlier now. Seems like they are out of their barracks before graduation, or very little left. We were able to get most of his stuff on Wednesday night, and got to talk with him about 20 minutes outside the barracks. Then we went to dinner with a few couples we met through this site. Then hubby and I did some sightseeing Thursday morning and we were able to pick up LO and rest of gear Thursday afternoon. We went together to Hi moms, and he was able to spend Thursday night with us in the hotel room, as long as he was back next morning by something like 4:30 am. At this point he had practically nothing left in the barracks. He caught a ride back to base with another one staying in the same hotel as we were. Then after graduation he just wanted to come back to hotel room and crash. He napped several hours, then we had a nice dinner and did some sightseeing together Saturday morning before catching a late flight home. It's pretty much up to you to do whatever. He didn't have to report to OHARP until Wednesday, so he still had a few days with us. Depends on their designation and their orders. Most NFOs report right away with no OHARP at all, SNAs might get a little longer and have OHARP to boot. Have no idea about the others.

Redheadlass: Our experience/schedule was similar to Nancy. My son was exhausted after graduation and slept for a good 4+ hours. As we didn't know when we bought our tickets where/when he would go next after graduation, we planned to stay the weekend and spend time/sightsee with our son in the event he wouldn't be coming back home to pack up. In the end, he did come home to pack up and drive back to VA with his car. But we spent Satuday and part of Sunday playing tourist.

My son graduated 01-18 last October.  The message we got was he was NOT allowed to go back into the barracks because he was now an officer. He gave us his last few belongings right before he headed to graduation (we had picked up the rest earlier before hi-moms dinner) after the graduation run that morning.  If they have orders they can leave right after graduation and if not they move to a different barracks while they await orders.  We had the luxury of time with our son as we had done sightseeing earlier in the week. We did take him out to eat and visited the Tennis Hall of Fame and drove out to see Plymouth Rock that afternoon. He came home with us as he had delayed orders to start Nuclear Power School in February.

Redheadlass, my son commissioned in May this year.  As the other 3 have stated, he had to be out of his room as of Commissioning, so we went there early Thurs afternoon to pick up all of his belongings.  He got leave Thurs night after Hi Moms so he was able to stay with us.  We had to get him back to base by 5:45 Fri! We were a big group - 9 plus him - so we rented a house.  We chose to do all our cooking at the house so it was easier to socialize.  Plus he was wanting some home cooking!  He was exhausted as well - fell asleep on the floor as we were cooking!  He is an SNA, so his orders were to report for OHARP on the following Monday.  We stayed in the area until Sunday and did some sightseeing.  

Redheadlass, we just returned from Class 14-18 graduation. We drove from Illinois. My son did not receive orders and is still in Newport. If I had it to do over again, I would do 2 things differently. We made dinner reservations for Friday evening. I would recommend lunch reservations instead. We were dressed-up already and hungry. Our 3 kids were hungry after graduation so we had to get lunch. Every place was crowded and it was tough to find a parking spot. Then, dinner seemed too close to lunch. We toured The Breakers in between because we didn't know what else to do so dressed up...which brings me to my second point. Make reservations at a closer hotel. Because of cost and our choice in hotels, ours was a 35 minute drive away from base. The drive got old. We couldn't go back and forth because of the distance, but we did anyway - 15 times over the toll bridge! We still had a lovely vacation and, of course, a wonderful time with our son!

Redheadlass,

Jesnavymom is totally correct.  My son was in the 11-18 class so here are my words of wisdom:)

First, I would say to get a place as close to base as possible.There are plenty of places to stay the area close to base. We rented a house on VRBO but there are hotels & AirBB is a good option.  Just to give you an idea how many times you will go on base...you will be getting all his stuff in the afternoon before Hi Mom's, you will go back to base for Hi Mom's around 5, you will go back to base to drop him off before 5:30 if he stays with you (my son wanted to be back by 11 so he got sleep for the last run), the last run is around 6:30 am and you don't want to miss that, then you need to be changed and back for graduation around 9:30 (if graduation is in the morning). We actually came back by 9 to pick up the last of our sons belongings before graduation, and then he had to go back to the uniform shop before he left to get some last minute items. So you will find the base to be a home away from home for 2 days..lol.

Second, you will get dressed up for 2 events: Hi Mom's & Graduation. Some chose to go out and eat/celebrate after Hi Mom's (especially if your LO has an immediate duty assignment) and others went out on Friday.  We were originally going to go out after Hi Mom's (that event was only light finger foods) but then decided to eat at the house to be able to visit more.  We made reservations for after graduation at 1:30 thinking that would give us enough time and it was plenty (we did take lots of pictures after). I would have made the reservations for more like 12:30.  We had the Volvo boat regatta in Newport that weekend so it was very crowded.  Some restaurants downtown have their own parking so that is something to look into.

I have to tell you that the coolest experience of the whole thing for me was when I got to sign him out after Hi Moms.  I was his "buddy" while he was on shore leave.  To see him salute the flag and ask for permission to come aboard (their building is treated like a ship) was inspiring.  It was then that I realized just what OCS is about and how it will change his life forever.

Parking in downtown Newport is a challenge, at least in the summer. I have been to Newport/Middletown twice, once for my son's OSC graduation 3 years ago and then again this summer while he is there for training. We stayed at hotels in Middletown both times and used Uber/Lyft if we were going out to dinner in Newport. Lots of Uber drivers around so never waited long for ride, even from our hotel. The weekend we were there this time (3rd week in June) there were fewer Lyft cars around so the wait was longer if we happened to use that app. Not sure if that is normal for the area. Given you pay for most parking in downtown Newport, using Uber/Lyft wasn't that much more and worth it to avoid driving around looking for parking.