OCS vs Boot Camp

[doubledown]

I have heard from many enlisted people that boot camp is more difficult than OCS. This doesn't seem like it would be an accurate statement. Why would they make it harder on enlisted rather than on officers? If anyone can help me out on this i'd appreciate it.

 

[PU Grad]

Please refer to this post:
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5313

Although it says Navy it quickly began refering to USMC as well.

Kobyra

 

[Banjo33]

I think they both were difficult in their own way. Physically, OCS was MUCH tougher. Not much of a comparison here. Mentally, they were both pretty close. OCS they constantly remind you that you can DOR if you want (not before week 4 or 5 though--at least for the PLCers--which isn't much of a mind game considering you finish in 6 weeks). Although going back for Seniors was probably the most difficult thing I've ever done. And the "games" the staff plays is SOOOO old news, it just really seems goofy. Bootcamp, you pretty much have zero choice of being there once you get there...but, I was in SanDiego and every 5 minutes you're reminded of the outside world by all of the airplanes taking off and landing just outside the gate. Plus, this is most people's first time away from their home/parents/friends. Academically, both are a joke. So, they've both got their bad points, but it would be difficult to say either was "harder" than the other.

 

[EA-6B1]

JBoomer, is it really that bad to have to go back for Srs? That's what I'm planning on doing, so I would like to hear your insight. Thanks.

 

[E5B]

Yeah, especially when you pull up in that bus and see "the bridge", thats when it hit me. You pretty much know what to expect though.

I agree with JBoomer, it's hard to compare them because they are so different.

I thought bootcamp was tougher mentally, but a lot of that is because I was 18 and wasn't sure I made the right choice.

Yeah, OCS was physically harder, bigtime. If I remember right, in boot camp we only ran 2 maybe 3 times a week. Plus at OCS, you couldn't just sit back and let things happen like some do in boot, you play an active roll in leadership.

 

[airwinger]

My opinion-> it depends on your type of personality. I concur that OCS is alot harder physically, but I'm the kind of guy that likes to be in control of my own destiny so THAT aspect of boot camp sucked,i.e if I want to put on my left sock before my right sock let me make that decision(yes that is a boot camp thing) There were plenty of priors who DOR'ed(or quit without actually quitting) at OCS some because they couldn't cope with the demands for initiative.
No one will tell you when to do things, you have to allocate time on your own. So where in boot camp you would have weapons cleaning time, study time, inspection prep time, here you have to sort it out on your own.

But the demands on someone straight from civilian life to OCS are MUCH higher than to boot camp. A dispassionate comparison is near impossible since those who experience boot camp bring a wealth of experience to OCS that makes the 'chicken ****'(spit shining, marching, inspections) easy.

 

[EA-6B1]

Although going back for Seniors was probably the most difficult thing I've ever done. And the "games" the staff plays is SOOOO old news, it just really seems goofy.

Do the games get worse at Srs? Or do they let up at all? What was the game you hated most?

 

[E5B]

I'll tell ya what I hated the most is them tearing down our towel displays, then we had to use our free time or worse sleep time to sew them back together.

2 sheets and a blanket is always fun too.

Aiwinger, you're bringing back bad memories man. I remember dressing "by the numbers" every morning, I was trying to forget on purpose.

 

[cmdell]

I really took a gut check before going back to seniors, but am glad I did. That is where many of the programs cuts take place. Of the guys I graduated Jrs with, there were probably 10 from my platoon alone who chose not to continue in the program. The games were the same, only a little more pathetic the third time around. There are days I kick myself for leaving Old Dominion and passing up NROTC... Bulldoging it would have been sooo much easier.

 

[EA-6B1]

What do you mean that you really took a gut check? Why don't a lot of the guys return?

 

[Banjo33]

Yeah, I told my OSO I wasn't going back. I had been offered a job on the local Police Department and professional recommendation for US Marshall's. But, my OSO said I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't go back and "see" if I had what it took. Best decision I EVER made! He was right, I would have regretted it. I think the STUPIDEST game we ever played and the one I hated the most was the "Get Over Here, nope too slow get back, Get Over Here, nope too slow get back, Get Over here, sit down, nope too slow, stand up, sit down, nope too slow....". Just stupid games to pass the time. What's even worse is the guys who had no idea why were playing the games and would start moving slow or anticipating and it would just cause us to play them even longer ("Oh, I see, so we want to move slow..." or "Is that right? You want to be different!? Fine, everyone sit down, nope, stand up, down, up.."). I get upset just thinking about it!

The biggest misconception I had going back to Sr's was that I thought we would operate a little more independently (with the staff more in the background watching), but this wasn't the case at all. We were kindergarteners right off the bat.

 

[BigWorm]

Originally posted by EA-6B1

Although going back for Seniors was probably the most difficult thing I've ever done. And the "games" the staff plays is SOOOO old news, it just really seems goofy.

Do the games get worse at Srs? Or do they let up at all? What was the game you hated most?

My advice may be outdated, as I was going through seniors, they were switching the program around a little. On average, about half of the people came back for seniors, so they made juniors a little more fun (field trip, extra helicopter rides, etc..) The SGT Instructors seemed a little pissed and made comments about waiting till they come back for seniors. Sort of like switching from a front loaded mutual fund to a back loaded one.
Don’t stress too much, the hardest part was handing the ticket stub over to the airline lady and boarding the 727. As twisted as this may sound, once the company commander unleashed the hounds, all my stress was over – meaning the anticipation was worse than what came.
Just keep the Rock The House attitude. If you ever watched the movie Patton, keep his quote in the back of your mind about when your grand kids asked you what you did during the great war and not wanting to tell them that you shoveled sh;t in Louisiana.

 

[FrogFly]

I'll go with a little redundancy for effect. Here it is...

Going back to Sr's really did suck. It makes you think, "Jr's can't be that easy if you feel so bad about having to go back to Sr's." I hated the fact that you were continually reminded that this is your 7th week at OCS and you act like you're on your 1st day. Meanwhile, you had no 7th week benefits and the atmosphere would continue to be like the 1st day for weeks to come. The games definitely got old, and were played far more often in my opinion.

There are a couple of pivotal moments I'll readdress, that were mentioned above. Just getting on the plane and making the commitment to go back is the hardest thing. Next, was the deja vu experience while driving under the bridge and being received at the admin. building, while being overwhelmed by old memories of having crossed for your final trip last summer. It was an obvious reminder of how you'll be repeating a lot of activities you no longer desired to. However, after you get picked up again it seems to blow by. Plus, you have the motivation that is ever-present: This will be your LAST time here. I may be an ass for saying this (hey, it's my style), but it was nice to see others get dropped during the training cycle. This wasn't because I liked seeing it, but because there were those that had no business leading other Marines. It felt good to see the system work and know that those who were unfit for the job were going home. (I'm referring to leadership/attitude/lazy problems.) Nevertheless, this system is imperfect.

If I would have never spent any time enlisted, I doubt I would have known how important it was to have competent leaders taking a commission. I tried to keep that in mind, along with the idea of how much it would suck having to go home with my tail stuck between my legs, while explaining my reasoning for not making it through something from start to finish. Those thoughts were of no concern to me when I went in enlisted after high school.

BTW, I know I'm going to catch hell for this.... I went through Navy boot camp prior to graduating Marine OCS. There was very little comparison between the two, other than the language and general military knowledge. Despite that little smudge on my record, I didn't fare so bad while in Quantico. But, I believe it would be difficult to replicate the feeling of being a teenager fresh out of high school, first time away from home, and having taken on 4 years of a totally different life (at which time you were convinced that your entire enlistment would be like boot) away from everything you know while at OCS. The experiences, to me, were uniquely different.

 

[EA-6B1]

what do you mean by language?

 

[FrogFly]

Use of shipboard/Navy terminology: deck, bulkhead, head, swab, forward, aft, port, starboard, etc...