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IOC before API
- Thread starter jrUSNA05
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Jarhead, your comments about me being a young green Lt. are true, and you have the basis to make them. I went from college to a brief period in the corporate world to the USMC. My comments are directed towards those with no experience on the ground who cowers away from the experience. I have respect for all ground pounders, past and present, it is a rough life. The amount that people learn at IOC is amazing, and I wish I had the opportunity to go. Any future Marine aviator that has the chance to attend the school should take advantage of it. Not only will it further your abilities as a leader, it will give a good perspective from the groundside that you are supporting. It is about 10 weeks of hell, but will give you a good experience to look back at. If I were in the same shoes as you, with a lot of experience as an infantryman, I would make the same choice and go straight to Pensacola. Only I am not in the same shoes, and perhaps I haven’t been kicked in the nuts hard enough yet, which is why I still have a yearning for such things. Some of the other arguments about not going because it will not affect the promotion board also seem to hold true from word of gossip. However, to maintain a healthy career as a Marine officer, I think that it is best to balance the best of both worlds – air and ground. Make fun of me if you wish, but I look forward to things such as being a fac.
bud, what people want out of the Corps is their own business, none of mine, so i have no reason at all to "make fun of" you or anybody else, and anyways, what would give me the right to make fun of you? that would be very unprofessional of me ...
congrates on finishing TBS, i was also in A. Co., 3 years ago ... i froze my ass off while i was there, as did you i'm sure ... good luck at P'Cola
semper fidelis
Farkle – just some quick advice on cold weather gear. If you learn to layer appropriately, the issue gear will keep you alive. My opinion was contrary to some, but the issue gloves suck – go to rei and get some good tactical mittens. No flamboyant colors, just black or green. Another piece of gear that I saw some with, and wish I had was this thick-ass polypro undershirt – I think they purchased it somewhere in Quantico. Warm socks are a good idea; once again keep the black and green color scheme in mind. Some dumped extra money on the warm boots, but that was a lot of $, others just let the feet go numb – you can’t feel them after a while anyway. Some of that high-speed thermal underwear also kept my sack from turning blue while lying in the prone on a sheet of ice.
Look at things on the bright side – land nav is much easier without the leaves. My roommate decided that instead of getting nothing out of it and passing the first time that he would fail every week. Now he is trying to find an ammo can in a double canopy jungle – to each their own.
Look at things on the bright side – land nav is much easier without the leaves. My roommate decided that instead of getting nothing out of it and passing the first time that he would fail every week. Now he is trying to find an ammo can in a double canopy jungle – to each their own.
Bigworm...I don't see where anyone stepped over the line anymore than you have. It was your presumptious comment; "There are a few future Marine aviators that don’t have a box between their legs and enjoy the ground side – that is why we are Marines is it not" that's pissed some of us off. Who are you to lay judgement on anyone? Just because you have a desire to further your experience by attending IOC doesn't mean everyone should. I agree, that it would be a great experience, especially to those without prior service, but only to an extent. Even attending IOC, you don't get the priveledge of working with our enlisted men/women, which is really what would make you a more competent officer and aid you in gaining their trust and respect as a new Lt. in the fleet. But really though. We are NOW here to be Marine Aviators. Exercise a little tact and respect all your fellow officers and the decisions they make and if they are ****bags once they reach the fleet -- then bust their balls until the problem's corrected!
I was in Alpha last year and we had a VERY mild winter. We were extremely fortunate in that respect -- a couple of cold days, but overall not too bad. Freezing your butt off is all just part of it. They (your company staff) aren't out to kill you because of the cold. You'll be well briefed and have some of the necessary cold weather gear issued to you -- to help you succeed. A lot of it you'll just have to learn on your own and that's part of the fun of it! Take some of the advice given above and you'll be a few steps ahead of your peers. But, overall, don't sweat it too much. Oh yeah, some advice not listed above: if you're going to be doing any thing physical (humping, running, land nav, or that's going to require you to move around much) don't dress in all of your cold weather gear. What ends up happening is that you begin sweat, your clothing becomes wet, and now you are wearing wet clothing when you actually have to stop for any amount of time. At that point you'll either have to change clothes or freeze your butt off. This is especially important when you start going to the rifle/pistol range. You'll run nearly the whole way there and then lay around all day at the range. Dress light for the movement and when you get to the range, THEN put on your warm gear. That's probably the most important lesson we learned at TBS in reference to cold weather training.
I was in Alpha last year and we had a VERY mild winter. We were extremely fortunate in that respect -- a couple of cold days, but overall not too bad. Freezing your butt off is all just part of it. They (your company staff) aren't out to kill you because of the cold. You'll be well briefed and have some of the necessary cold weather gear issued to you -- to help you succeed. A lot of it you'll just have to learn on your own and that's part of the fun of it! Take some of the advice given above and you'll be a few steps ahead of your peers. But, overall, don't sweat it too much. Oh yeah, some advice not listed above: if you're going to be doing any thing physical (humping, running, land nav, or that's going to require you to move around much) don't dress in all of your cold weather gear. What ends up happening is that you begin sweat, your clothing becomes wet, and now you are wearing wet clothing when you actually have to stop for any amount of time. At that point you'll either have to change clothes or freeze your butt off. This is especially important when you start going to the rifle/pistol range. You'll run nearly the whole way there and then lay around all day at the range. Dress light for the movement and when you get to the range, THEN put on your warm gear. That's probably the most important lesson we learned at TBS in reference to cold weather training.
Jarhead, how was your winter way back in the old Corps here at TBS?
Farkle, most of the SPC's you'll have are with Charlie company now, so you can get on the TBS web site and read their bio's. They are all new, so the staff won't change much.
Now that I'm done with TBS, I would argue that IOC stands for "It Only Continues"!!!
Beetle
Farkle, most of the SPC's you'll have are with Charlie company now, so you can get on the TBS web site and read their bio's. They are all new, so the staff won't change much.
Now that I'm done with TBS, I would argue that IOC stands for "It Only Continues"!!!
Beetle
"way back in the old Corps" eh, you make me sound old & salty ... i froze my ass off, just like you guys did. believe me, when i flew into Andrews AFB this past Dec and nearly froze my ass off when i opened the canopy, i felt sorry for you guys. anyways, it snowed some while i was at TBS but snow isn't half as bad as when it sleets or rains with the temps just above freezing ... and that's what it mostly did and it sucked ass.
i remember one time we went out to shoot M-203's, it was Feb and there was a couple inches of snow on the ground, with the temps below freezing. we were all freezing our asses off and our hands were all numb; we all just wanted it to be over. we went up to the firing line in pairs. i went up with a female 2nd Lt. the Cpl handed us a live -203 round, i loaded mine up but as she tried to load hers up, she dropped it. me and the Cpl 'bout sh!t ourselves. of course it didn't explode nor was it likely to go off when it hit, but it still was a little scary. well she picks it up and loads it without further difficulty. i go ahead and fire mine off. she goes to fire hers off and all we hear is "click", damn, a misfire we thought. the Cpl helps her through her "immediate action" and she goes to shoot it again, "click" but this time we notice that she's pulling the M-16 trigger, not the M-203 trigger. after a little help, she got the shot off. but that's what being cold does to people, makes you a little "dumb" because all you can think about getting warm and you loose your focus.
(this is the same female who got "captured" during the 'war' at TBS while she was squating, taking a leak ... hilarious story but for another time)
anyways, i told myself that after TBS, i would never get "cold" again, but then i went to SERE ... it never stops, it's part of being a Marine, makes ya strong i suppose ...
semper fidelis
Last year, Bravo company's staff ended up being in Fox. I don't know if it'll work the same this year. When is your report date? Invest in some PolyPro from Cabelas or Bass Pro, you'll need it. All of your FEX's and the war are in the cold part of the year.
Beetle
Beetle
Taxman2A
War were declared.
My report date is 4 Sept, thanks for tips on the polypro. I'm kind of looking forward to being there during the winter. I know it won't be fun, but coming from Northern Ohio and sitting through browns games ever since I was young at least gives me an advantage over the southerners, which I definetely didn't have at OCS in June and July!
Hey, Im in the application process of trying to get accepted to the flight program. After reading this forum I see that there is along wait for API. Forgive me for what Im about to say since, but I thought you go straight to API after OCS. Is this incorrect? Are you still guarenteed a slot at API if your accepted for flight program? Lastly, if one completed OCS and waiting to get into API, what does the military do with you in the mean time?
You do go to API after OCS, just who knows when. There's usually a wait (which means you're in the "pool" waiting to class up). If you get a flight contract, yes, you go will go to API (Aviation Preflight Indoc.). If you're in the pool waiting to class up, you may end up with a "Stash" job, do IFS (Introductory Flight Screening), a number of different Navy programs that I haven't bothered to learn, or just sit around for a while.
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