New Officer Candidate

[dlouise]

My son started OCS in RI last Sunday.  I am new to this.  Any discussion on what to expect would be appreciated.

[LZ27]

Hi Diane...My son is in 19-10 and I am new too. there is a Facebook page for both OCS 19-10 and 20-10. Check it out there is lots of info and support. put in the search OSC 19-10 Friends and Family or 20-10 Friends and Family.

[dlouise]

Thank you I will check it out.

[Wyette]

Hi Diane! My fiance went to OCS last year and thankfully survived. The Marine Drill Instructors (DI) REALLY break you down to build you up. I just posted this link on another Mom's post who asked about a similar topic: http://www.projo.com/extra/2008/ocs/

This was the BEST site to follow. Each day, I would watch the videos over and over on the Province Journal site following which phase I thought my fiance was in based on his start date. This site is as accurate at it's going to get. The program has its variations depending on the DI and if they do better or worse than another class.

Hope this helps! : )

[dlouise]

Wow! I just watched some of the videos. Thank you for sending me the link. Now I know what my son is going through.

[Nancy]

Hi Diane-
Nice to hear from you again! Andrew was recruited from NUPOC to a Nuclear Engineering program. His recruiter recommended him for this and he had to go back to DC for a interview. He graduated from UF in May with a mechanical engineering degree and went then to ODS. He graduates tomorrow! He will be stationed in DC for six months to one year and then go to Pittsburg for nuclear engineer school and then back to DC. Unless he changes jobs in the Navy that's where he will stay for 5 years. A little different than the NUPOC route.

So, I am off to RI this morning.

[dlouise]

Thank you so much and congratulations on your son's graduation.

[2 in the service]

Hi Diane! Welcome to the Navy Mom world, it's full of experiences that non-military families won't quite "get" so you have made a good move coming to N4M! If I sound like a commercial, I guess I am. This site and all of the Mom's here helped me and cheered me and my Ensign all the way through the OCS program.

The website that Wyette posted is a great guide for the family to the many facets of OCS. The actual time line for these evolutions can change but the challenges are pretty much the same. The one thing that you will want to remember while you have a LO (loved one) at OCS is NNIGN (No News Is Good News). If your LO is doing well you will probably not hear from them for 3 - 4 weeks (this can be different with each class and each class Drill Instructor (DI). The absence of news from outside OCS makes the candidates hungry for news from home so, if you can, write every day starting today. Receiving mail is the highlight of each day and may be an oasis on a hard day. Send pictures, family news, whatever sports and local news your LO might be interested in, jokes, comics, 10 day weather forecasts, whatever might bring smile to your son. On the subject of sending things...send only cards and letters until you are asked or told to send something else and NEVER send anything with glitter or confetti. Letters should be sent in plain white envelopes. The biggest thing candidates need from their families is knowing that they are with them all the way!

The N4M site is great because of the wealth of experience at your fingertips. If you have a question, just ask and moms and wives who have been through the process will be here with you. The front page is a great place for questions. Class pages are also good and you can meet other families who will be with you through the next 3 months. The Face Book pages are also good but there is no depth of experience to draw on. Both sources, together, make a pretty complete companion network for your time with OCS.

Good luck to you and your LO. Ask if you need anything, we will be here for you!
(PS - my LO graduated with 13-10 and is SWO on the West Coast)

[Wyette]

Diane - 2 in the service brought up really good points. NNIGN!! The first time I heard from my LO was about 4 - 6 weeks in and he was even losing his voice form having to yell all the time. Yes, DO NOT send anything to your son that would make him stand out in any way. I made a mistake by sending my fiance a greeting card for Valentine's Day in a pink envelope that came standard with the card and the DI humiliated him in front of the class in a way that I could not believe. Also, the best thing about watching the Providence Journal documentary is that I actually met all the DI's that were in the snippets during graduation. One of the DI's featured is probably giving your son hell right now. The DI's are extreme when they train, but after the "first salute," they completely change and become human again. LOL In fact, my fiance keeps in touch with the DI's on FB. Look forward to the "Hi Moms" dinner a day before he graduates- you will get to meet everyone in his class, their families and his DIs. The slideshows during the dinner is wonderful too because they show pictures of each evolution/phase. At around 4 - 5am on the day of the graduation, families are invited to take the final "run" with the graduates (which I did and almost died from running up the hills lol) and then they invite you to watch your LO go through PRT, chow (eat at the mess hall) etc. It's actually really fun and you will be amazed at just how much oddity there is in their everyday life at OCS. (A good example of an oddity is "eating by numbers." When a DI yells out a number, it corresponds with an action including chewing AND they can only eat with a spoon with their left hand!) The majority of the candidates lose a lot of weight and are very sleep deprived. My LO lost 20 lbs! (They shave your head while you're there, so I joked around with him saying that part of the 5 lbs lost was his hair. lol) Your son is going to meet lifelong friends at OCS. Also, you're not alone- we're here if you need us!!!

[dlouise]

Thanks for all of this great information. My son can't afford to lose any weight. He is already a bean pole. I did send Bryan a letter but it was in a plan white envelope. The card inside was a little "Goofy" so I hope his DI doesn't look inside.

[TrekkieDad]

Check out the OCS Foundation's website for officer families. In the "Navy Families" forum I found family members of others in my son's class (he graduated in 19-08). Those that lived nearby attended chapel and other open events and posted pictures. At times, that was the only evidence I had that my son was there and doing well.

I'd say about half (or more) of the candidates graduate with a later class than they start with. My son got ill after about four weeks in and spent two weeks recuperating in "H" class.

[dmarie]

Welcome Diane!
You've gotten great information in the prior postings. The only other thing I would say is that if your LO shares your last name, you may want to change your user name. You can do that on "My Page". One of the biggest things I had to get used to, as a non-military family (until now), is the concept of OPSEC (operational security). You'll notice that many references to our LO (Loved One) are purposly vague, and we try to avoid posting last names. This is a public site, and ANYONE can read through it. You can use PM (private messages) to relay more personal information. Don't fret over this too much. Good luck to you and your son. OCS is a unique journey, and there is plenty of support here from those that have completed it.

[dlouise]

I changed it thanks.