3 weeks down

[DarkLink]

So I've just gotten to my first 24 hour liberty at Marine OCS. Three straight weeks, and other than firewatch I'm free for another ~18 hours. From now on, each weekend we get 24 hours of liberty. I've already stuffed myself with pizza and milkshakes, and I feel pretty sick. It's glorious.

So far, ive been well prepared. None of the pt has been unmanageable, and actually easier than I thought, but a lot of the physical difficulty is from the constant push. We march/jog everywhere with 20-30 lb daypacks, three or so miles a day, and that's just moving from class to class and back. We probably do another mile or two chasing "volume" (oh, you don't want to sound off? Go find volume over there) and stuff like that. And we're carrying our weapon everywhere, which is a killer on your upper back when combined with wearing a camelback and then a heavy daypack on top of that, which totally throws your back out.

Our tactics courses are a blast. We hike around in fireteams (soon to be squads), communicate via hand signals, and assault objectives while trading off leadership roles. Some of the courses require you to crawl/swim through ice cold water, in 40-50 degree weather. That's the most physically and mentally challenging thing so far. But even then, the first water obstacle was the coldest ive ever been in my life. My second wlmade me feel BA, and after the third I'll practically be making fun of those wimps who got hypothermia (ok, so maybe I'm more sympathetic than that, but still). We've had 9 hypothermia cases so far.

Classes are a mix of boring and fascinating. Reading about Dan Daily's two metals of honor, plus his conduct during WW1, and some of the the other incredible things Marines have done, is humbling.


We probably get about 4-5 hours of sleep a night. It makes classes tough. You don't want to ever fall asleep when a Captain or Gunnery Sergeant is teaching a class. It won't turn out well for you.

Leadership training is the big unknown factor, though. We do assault courses, which aren't too hard if you keep a cool head and remember the tactics classes, but there's also billets. You rotate through squad/platoon/company leadership positions, and old you're responsible for everything all of your 'subordinates' fail to do. Our liberty today was delayed a few hours because our candidate platoon sergeant and commander couldn't be decisive and organize our squad bay cleanup. The sergeant instructors just kept playing games until our billet holders got their act together. The higher billets are your chance to sink or swim.

Anyways, that's about all I can put up in limited time. If you want, you can find pictures by clicking USMC OCS photos, but I don't have a direct link.

Kill

[Drunkencorgimaster]

Nice work! A well-earned liberty.

[Deadlift]

Rather you than me matey, :)
Good luck with the rest of your initial training, sounds like your enjoying it despite the physical and mental hardship. Well done you.

[DarkLink]

So another week down. We ran the o-course, had a bunch of classes on STD's (important for Marines to know about), some uniform fittings, and lots of Uncomplicated Stuff Made Complicated (usmc).

[DarkLink]

Halfway through now. This week was actually pretty chill, at least by OCS standards. Candidate billet holders are now responsible for a lot of the stuff sergeant instructors used to do, so as long as they do a good job we don't have to play games.

We finally have warm showers, but I still haven't gotten more than 6 hours of sleep since coming to ocs. I've gotten about five hours in the last two days combined. Lack of sleep gets you after a while, you just end up doing really stupid stuff for no reason because you can't think straight. PT has gotten tougher, but it's still pretty manageable as long as you're not mentally weak.

We got to run the Tarzan course, with a zipline and cargo nets and rope bridges and such. It turned out to be a blast. The weather was pretty warm (comparatively), which is really nice. We did our land nav day course, which was fun for me. Proud to say I finished 2nd out of the whole company, only maybe a minute behind a candidate who's a full fledged hardcore Force Recon Marine who teaches land nav to special operations units. I was sitting tall in my camp stool record scores from other candidates (first three done grade the other candidates as they tricks back in).

We just had our week 5 boards, where they start dropping candidates who don't perform as opposed to only dropping cheaters/injured candidates. 5 candidates from my platoon were boarded, one was dropped, and the other four have two weeks to prove themselves before the week 7 boards.

I've yet to hold a real billet. Eventually, we'll all hold at least one company or platoon level billet, but I've only gotten squad leader once so far. The billets are not fun, because the instructors yell at billet holders instead of at the whole platoon.

[Denzark]

Keep Fighting DL, its worth it in the end.

[DarkLink]

Another week down. Had a bunch of physical tests and poor weather. I ran a 19 min 3 mile, which is like a full minute improvement, got a few seconds shy of perfect on the combat fitness test, and got a 7 second improvement on the o-course (which is huge when your overall time is 1:07) for another almost perfect. Our company overall is extremely physically fit, even by Marine OCS standards, simply because getting selected is so competitive. We have 100 candidates out of our original ~130 left. I'm doing a little above average in terms of gpa, solid but not exceptional. I haven't failed anything, but my leadership evals are a little low because 1) ocs promotes a loud, aggressive form of leadership whereas I'm more calm and organized, but I expected that, and 2) because I haven't held any real billets so I haven't gotten to be truly evaluated yet. I'm candidate platoon commander later this week, so I'll finally get my shot to prove myself.

Mon/tues we bivouaced after the PFT, then did night land nav in the freezing rain, then did basic squad offensive tactics practical application class. In the rain. Though it was a drizzle by then, and warmer.

After that, we did a move to contact (hike along a trail that didn't have a single flat section, it was all up and down small but very steep and muddy hills for maybe 3 miles). It was supposed to be a hike, bit some blue falcons up front kept falling back and for those who have done conditioning marches you know that creates ripples that makes the whole platoon run. Despite the fact that the first guy is walking, most of the platoon is running to keep up 90% of the movement, all with kevlars, 3-4 liters of water, rifles, and 30 lb day packs 40-50 lbs total, as a rough estimate. Those blue falcons turned it into the hardest physical event at ocs so far, running with 40-50 lbs on extremely steep, muddy trails for three miles. Then we did the Leadership.Reaction Course part 2 which wasn't too big of a deal.

The rest of the week we just did some random stuff, like running the endurance course for the first time, fitting uniforms, classes on hazing and stuff like that. Nothing too exciting.

Next week is going to be pretty chill. We've got two pt sessions that'll be reasonably tough, but other than that it's just classes and other relatively easy stuff. We do have the platoon commanders inspection, and ill be cand platoon commander so I'm already planning on how to ace it as a platoon. Overall the week should be pretty easy, though again Monday is supposed to be near freezing in the day with lots of rain, and that's our night out in the field when it drops below freezing.

[ElectricPaladin]

We are all rooting for you. Keep up the good work!

[DarkLink]

Another week down. This was our "easy" week to give us some rest before week 8 and 9. We ran our scored CFT (got a 300), ran the endurance course (it sucks), and most everything else was just classes and random nonsense. I was candidate platoon commander, and I couldn't ask for an easier period. All in all not a bad week.

Next week is the killer. Mon we run the e course again, then bivouac (probably in the rain), then do field exercises, another bivouac (I bet it snows or something), then SULE 2 (worth like 10% of our overall grade or something ridiculous), the 9-mile ruck, and then the final scored e course. Week 9, we get to do all the Moto pt, like the field meet, montford point challenge, metal of honor run, etc, so that's a killer. After that, though, you just have to avoid doing something stupid or getting complacent, so basically two weeks. This is the darkest before dawn part.

Edit: apparently, this is the coldest winter in Virginia in a long time. We get bragging rights ;).

[Nabterayl]

Keep it up, man!

[scadugenga]

Wtg Dark! Keep it up, amigo. You've earned this.

[scadugenga]

Heh, I think you might have managed more sleep than me in the last three or so weeks.

Of course, I don't have OCS, I have CNS...

[White Tiger88]

Don't bend over in the shower!!!!!!

[Denzark]

Don't bend over in the shower!!!!!!



That's prison, not the USMC... Still I suppose they are part of the Navy hur hur

[DarkLink]

Finally found a computer at my hotel on libo. Here's a link to the photos of our company: https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/Pages/OCC-212.aspx

I'm in a few, but there aren't any good ones of me. These are the closest, and it's of my back and of my squad launching the 800 meter run on the CFT, respectively.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_IPFT/08.jpg

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_CFT/04.jpg




Unfortunately, I have firewatch in an hour and a half or so, so I need to take off. There are some pretty cool pictures, though a lot of them are kinda crappy. The photographer tends to take a lot of pictures of the same people.

[DarkLink]

That's prison, not the USMC... Still I suppose they are part of the Navy hur hur

We don't so much shower as jump in and out of the cold water as fast as we can. We're lucky to have not-cold water. Actual warm water is a special day.

[White Tiger88]

We don't so much shower as jump in and out of the cold water as fast as we can. We're lucky to have not-cold water. Actual warm water is a special day.

Ok don't stand up to fast then.....? (give me some time to figure out how to rephrase don't drop the amo er....Soap)

[DarkLink]

Good news and bad news. The good news is that aside from our final academic test and final pft, I've passed everything. I even got a good score on SULE II, the culminating event of ocs (hike 9 miles with a heavy pack at a good pace, then spend literally the rest of the day doing tactical exercises with your squad, and everyone takes a turn leading, for maybe 20 miles of hiking/buddy rushing).

The bad news is that's couple of my squad members accused me of integrity violations I didn't commit in our anonymous peer evals. The staff has latched onto that and has twisted everything else I've done to try and drop me for "a lack of character". So now I need to figure out what to do. If I can find more time, I'll try and fill in more details, but this pretty much came out of the blue and after such a negative experience it puts a lot of questions in the back of my mind.

On a brighter note, we ran our final e course and colonel stillings himself told me "keep pushing, you're almost there candidate". I definitely ran faster. At least until I hit the mud and waist deep water, then it's all you can do just to not trip.

[Fizzybubela]

Personally I think the people who accused you of "integrity violations" are just jealous of you otherwise why would they say that?

[scadugenga]

Personally I think the people who accused you of "integrity violations" are just jealous of you otherwise why would they say that?

My guess would be to knock Dark off the ranking to make their own chances better.

That being said--what kind of lame assed idea is it to have anonymous peer evals.

It's OCS for the frikkin Marine Corps. Honor. Integrity. Officer and a goddammned Gentleman. Man up and speak your grievances face to face. If you can't manage that, how the hell do you expect not only to earn the trust of the men serving under you, but also exhibit the guts to speak your mind, and have the emotional wherewithal to accept, process, and handle criticism.

[DarkLink]

Yeah, the way they handle peer reviews is pretty terrible. That said, ultimately only the co of ocs, colonel stillings, atm, has the authority to drop someone, so if I go to boards I'll eventually go through him and have a chance to explain myself in a way I can't to the other staff.

Ultimately, though, it all comes down to a simple decision for me. After all I've learned, do oli want to continue to put myself in a leadership position of as such extreme stress and responsibility as leading Marines into combat? I know I can do it, even if I have some things to learn still (but that's what TBS is for ocs is just a screener for potential). I'm not sure if it's the job I want, though, and that's something I could only know after trying it out for a while. I've basically completed training, we have like two academic tests left and a final pft, and everything else is just out processing and moto-pt sessions over the next two weeks. It's not a matter of whether or not I can tough out the next two weeks, just if I want to accept my commission or not (ignoring the boards and the possibility of getting dropped) if that makes sense. I'm generally a good team player, and I can definitely be a good leader, but I'm undecided if I want to be a leader as my specific job. I've always been a bit too independent minded to mesh in well with the ideal of the Marine officer. That's the choice I have to make, and it was only indirectly triggered by the peer eval incident.

Incidentally, I was only in the middle of the squad rankings because 1) I'm actually pretty quiet and "sneaky" (I tend to get stuff done without anyone noticing, for better or worse) so unless you get to know me I don't really seem very decisive or leader-ish, and 2) we have a very strong squad. We have two candidates in the top 5 overall, 5 are enlisted Marines including a gunnery sergeant, and a couple of guys who are the football captain/quarterback natural athlete/leader types. The competition for the good rankings is extremely tight.

[DarkLink]

So ultimately, I decided to drop for personal reasons. Its tough to really explain, but suffice to say that I spent the last week thinking it through. I decided that being a Marine officer wasn't right for me, even if there were parts I would greatly enjoy and I am fully capable of doing it. I spent the day trying to explain why I was dropping to a ton of people of various ranks, most of whom said things like "what the heck, you've passed every graduation requirement easily".

OCS has been one of the most valuable experiences of my life, even if I've decided on a different path. Honestly, I think it's something everyone should try, just like how everyone should learn to read or write, because of the character, discipline, and toughness you experience. I've learned I can go on very little sleep with constant physical motion for ~9 weeks without too much difficulty, and that I was actually working out harder before ocs than during it. I know that while there are people who can run faster than me and do just as many pullups, after a workout I'm usually ready to go again after a few minutes recovery when they aren't, and that I can hike around with weight on my back all day long and feel more fresh and ready to go than most of my competition. I've learned which areas of leadership I'm strong in, which I'm weak in, and that my personality and skills aren't suited for managing every aspect of other people's lives. Managing a business or something like that is one thing, leading Marines into combat is another that, while I'm confident I can do it, I realize I don't have the desire to be that leader (and you can't commit only to the parts of a job you like while brushing off other parts).

Now it's time for me to pursue one of my other options. I'll get certified as a crossfit trainer when I can, look for an engineering job, etc. Now that I'm free I'll get online with something better than a smartphone and post some pictures.

[Deadlift]

Sorry to hear that mate, but at least you know you tried and now know its not for you. It will be good to see you around the forum a bit more often again.

Cheers

Joe.

[DarkLink]

Thanks. I feel pretty good about it overall. Its obviously not what I expected, and it probably would have been a smarter long term career move to wait out the next couple of weeks and declined my commission then, but I made the decision and made it on my terms. I completed all of the parts of ocs that actually matter. It is funny, though, you really do start calling people sir and ma'am and stuff like that, and I almost feel like I miss all the stupid crap we had to do. Once you live a rough lifestyle for a while, being comfortable makes you feel soft, and its only been a day. It's a strange sense of nostalgia. I'm looking forward to being able to actually having some free time and control over my life. Even if I had decided to stay, I'd still have TBS which, while much more like a military college than an officer boot camp, is called the big suck and/or too busy to sleep for a reason.

[DrLove42]

Even if you ultimatly decided not to go for it, it must feel good to be able to look back at it and know that you were good enough for something so challenging and that it was your choice. I know I wouldn't manage the military life.

Good luck with everything you do next though

[scadugenga]

Good luck, Dark.

Sounds like you made the right choice. Being an officer requires (if you want to do it right) 100% commitment. If you weren't feeling it, to decision to drop was exactly the right thing to do. Best of luck.

[ElectricPaladin]

Being through some kind of personal hell is really important to understanding who you are. My grueling experience was entirely mental, and only physical in the sleep-deprivation sense - it was a six-week intensive teacher training program - but it taught me things about myself that I didn't know, like the fact that I could show up on time, meet deadlines, and, also, survive with very little sleep.

Personally, I'm really glad that you've decided to drop now, with integrity. It sounds like you're making the right choice, and the self-knowledge you've gained will really help you in the future.

Also, welcome back!

[DarkLink]

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_MCMAP/_w/15_jpg.jpg

This was a MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program) workout. Good smoke check for a lot of people, sprinting back and forth doing burpees, star jumps, bear crawls, buddy carries, and some punches. All the previous MCMAP sessions had been simple technique, so none had been very physically demanding since we don't do much more than basic punches and a few bayonet techniques. Everyone expected this to be an easy day, and then -bam- an hour of nice, intense PT.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_E_CRS/_w/03_jpg.jpg

Halfway through the Endurance Course. Running with rifles and LBVs in boots sucks, this was the only scored physical event that I sucked at. Though part of that was because I kept taking wrong turns and loosing minutes on my time. I was still pretty well within the passing time, though, our company was just so physically fit that I was slow.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_LRC/_w/06_jpg.jpg

This is the LRC (Leadership Reaction Course) area. Not sure if this is LRC I or LRC II. They're basically the same, they just expect you to do better the second time and it is weighted higher than the first one. Basically, each little bay has an obstacle your fireteam has to overcome, each of which is very different and most of which are things like "cross this 10 ft gap with two 5 ft boards and three feet of rope, and there is red paint representing booby traps all over the place". The point isn't to actually finish, just to see how well you can observe the problem, make a plan, brief the team (which is what you see in the picture), then execute and supervise, as well as how you display command presence and adjust your plan as it inevitably fails.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_TZN_CRS/_w/17_jpg.jpg

Here's a candidate jumping through the air on the Tarzan course. He's maybe 10 ft off the ground, aiming for a cargo net. Cool picture, but unfortunately they don't have any pictures that really show the actual tarzan course itself. It's basically a long string of raised rope course type stuff, to test your fear of heights. You swing on ropes, commando crawl, jump through the air, and there's even a nice long zip line, all 20-40 ft up in the air (there's a cargo net to catch you if you fall, so no worries there). It was pretty fun, actually.

[DarkLink]

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_Signs/_w/17_jpg.jpg

It just happened to snow (and man, was that nice, wet, cold, slushy snow, too, none of that nice dryish powdery snow) the day we were taught our first practical application on squad tactics out on the PT field.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_O_CRS/_w/03_jpg.jpg

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_O_CRS/_w/14_jpg.jpg

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_O_CRS/_w/09_jpg.jpg

This is the O-course. Again, no good zoomed out pictures to show the whole thing, but it's about 100m long. Vault over a low log, rotate your body completely around/over a high bar (first picture), climb up and slide along parallel bars 10ft up in the air then jump down, climb over an 8ft wall, some more vaults (second picture), climb up and over a set of double bars much higher than the first, then finish at the top of the rope climb. It's pretty fun, and a lot more intense of a workout than it initially looks. I got a 1:07 for my best time, a perfect is 1:00.

[DarkLink]

Running around in the woods for our fireteam in the offense practical application and SULE I. FT in the O is basically just SULE I prep. Your fireteam leader briefs the fireteam on a mission then executes, just like LRC, except this time you're all tactical using hand signals and trying to, say, assault and destroy an enemy position rather than cross an obstacle.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_SULE_I/_w/06_jpg.jpg

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_SULE_I/_w/11_jpg.jpg

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_FTO/_w/07_jpg.jpg

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_FTO/_w/02_jpg.jpg

[DarkLink]

This guy's name is Chittick (not sure on the spelling). He is a f***ing motivator (and a prior enlisted, I think a Lance Corporal). The photographer had a man crush on him, I'm pretty sure, he shows up in a lot of pictures.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_CFT/_w/18_jpg.jpg

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_FTO/_w/08_jpg.jpg

[DarkLink]

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_BN_CDR_OR/_w/11_jpg.jpg

The company staff, which happened to include the Sergeant who murdered two other Marines then committed suicide just a couple of weeks ago on the other side of the base (just google USMC OCS shooting).

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_BN_CDR_OR/_w/12_jpg.jpg

1st Platoon's staff. The blue uniform is their Navy Corpsman.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_BN_CDR_OR/_w/13_jpg.jpg

2nd Platoon.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_BN_CDR_OR/_w/14_jpg.jpg

3rd Platoon, my guys. I have a -lot- of funny stories about the stuff these guys did. Except the Corpsmen, because they actually rotated through the platoons and unless you were injured (which I never was, cause bruises and sore muscles don't count, there's a difference between hurt and injured) you never interacted with them.

[DarkLink]

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_BN_CDR_OR/_w/06_jpg.jpg

Colonel Stillings. I met him for 10 mintues, since he's the only person who can actually drop someone from OCS, and he is sharp. He glanced over my record and the brief written statements I'd made and made a dead-on judgement call that the peer evals I got backstabbed on were bull, and all that stuff, without asking any questions or even talking to me up to that point. Then all he did was make sure that I was certain about my decision, and that I had been treated fairly (being yelled at by SIs counts as fair). He's a Colonel for a reason.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_PU/_w/11_jpg.jpg

SSgt Montes yelling at Ibos.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_PU/_w/10_jpg.jpg

SSgt Montes yelling at Male.


https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_PU/_w/08_jpg.jpg

Sgt Brebiesca yelling at everyone. BTW, the white guy yelling front and center at the bottom of the picture is a legit, hardcore, Force Recon Marine who's done all sorts of crazy stuff.

[DarkLink]

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_IMC/_w/08_jpg.jpg

Here's an awesome picture of some nice, ice cold water we got to crawl through while smoke grenades were going off.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_IMC/_w/06_jpg.jpg



Some more nice, ice cold water we got to lay in while waiting for our fireteam to catch up and get under the barbed wire.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_Combat/_w/18_jpg.jpg

Some nice, ice cold water we got to wade through.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_Combat/_w/08_jpg.jpg

And some nice, ice cold water we got to basically swim through.

[DarkLink]

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_4Mile/_w/06_jpg.jpg

This is the only picture I found with my face in it. I'm third from the right, behind Clark and whoever the heck it his hidden behind Clark. We're on our 4 mile hump.

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_Compass/_w/20_jpg.jpg


https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_Compass/_w/03_jpg.jpg

https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/OCC212_Compass/_w/14_jpg.jpg

Cpl Hadjies (no clue on how to spell it) teaching land nav, the compass calibration course, and the first day land nav.

[Psychosplodge]

Thought you'd appreciate seeing some marines :D


http://youtu.be/YZdeMGFKFMk

[Denzark]

Dark old horse - people like force recon may not want their photos put about unsolicited...

[DarkLink]

Hah, that is pretty cool. I found it funny the guy with the half-bleached Bieber hair was talking crap.