Phun?

[XeroCool]

Does anyone else look at OCS and all the tasks that accompanying as something that is fun? Everyone asks me why I would like to be in the military and put myself through all of this and I simply say, "It will be fun." Is this just my ignorance showing through? I know it will be hard, I know it will be challenging but damn it seems like it will be so exciting. I see this as being my adult recess. Am I in for a rude awakening?
~X

 

[penderwt]

as a Marine OCS guy, I can't speak to the fun of Navy OCS, but certain things at OCS were definitely fun for me. Some of the PT was sorta fun, calling cadence, some classes are very interesting, the confidence and tarzan courses were fun. So yeah, some stuff is fun. Some sucks. Just stay motivated and remember why you're there.

 

[Thisguy]

OCS gets kinda fun during Candio Phase. Can't speak for the new OCS, but it really depends on the type of people in your class. The most fun I had (excluding liberty) was just talking and kidding around with guys after dinner in the rooms when you could relax a bit.

 

[VetteMuscle427]

It's fun when you're done... and it's lots of fun while you're there... if you enjoy binge drinking.

 

[PropStop]

Let me put it this way, i'd do SERE twice before doing OCS again. All the nitnoid BS of OCS began to wear on me. It's important, I'm glad I did it, but it still sucked. Candio-phase was more fun than OCS, but getting a root canal was more fun than having a wart removed from the bottom of my toe.

 

[Fly Navy]

Let me put it this way, i'd do SERE twice before doing OCS again.

I'll remember that...

 

[scotty008]

Looking back on OCS is fun... being at OCS (Marine) was a whole different story. I imagine the same thing applies to Navy guys. Just figure, if the guys before you made it through, you can too. Everyone has their ups and downs during the POI, but those that perservere look back and find the good times. I wouldn't do it again, but I wouldn't give it up either.

 

[Harrier Dude]

As a graduate of both AOCS (20-89) and Marine OCS (B Co. 92), they both take you through the entire ranges of emotions. You'll hate it. You'll love it. You've never been so happy. Or more pissed off.

Either way, hindsight has a way of making you remember the best parts, and forgetting (or drastically surpressing) the worst.

Anybody that would go back to SERE school again needs to be piss-tested.

 

[Thisguy]

Either way, hindsight has a way of making you remember the best parts, and forgetting (or drastically surpressing) the worst.

That is so true. Especially with something like cruise, all you remember is the fun port calls, not sweating your nuts off for a few months in the gulf.

 

[hasmith]

It is Fun

The great thing about OCS is you really have no responsibilities, just show up at the right time, listen to what people tell you, and then go to your next evolution. Never again in the Navy will you have such a structured day. There are very few deliverables that you need to produce, just do what everybody else is doing, yell, and then at the end of it all tell people how tough everything was.

 

[pdx]

The only fun thing about Navy OCS is the camaradarie. You will go through (mostly lame) experiences together and be able to laugh about things that nobody else will understand.

I remember trying to tell my family a funny story about OCS. At the time, it was one of the funniest things I had ever experienced. The punch line, however, was that a particular candidate had his cover on crooked. Needles to say, they didn't get it.

As far as actual "fun," there isn't much. If you are picturing hard core oo-rah training, Navy OCS will be a little different. It is mostly ironing your underwear in 6x6" squares, studying academics, and hauling around a wooden rifle with the barrel welded shut. It isn't really difficult, but it isn't fun.

One of the class officers was a P-3 pilot. If the Navy gods ever punished me in such a way, I would probably just walk into a tail rotor. Well, maybe not, somebody would have to clean it up.

Not that I am trying to discourage you from going to OCS. Just see it as a means to an end. Once you get your commission, you can move on and hopefully contribute something to the Navy and the nation while flying really cool $hit.

 

[wink]

Let me put it this way, i'd do SERE twice before doing OCS again. All the nitnoid BS of OCS began to wear on me. It's important, I'm glad I did it, but it still sucked. Candio-phase was more fun than OCS, but getting a root canal was more fun than having a wart removed from the bottom of my toe.

SERE over OCS!! You have to be kidding me. I'll take petty BS over the broken rib I got at SERE school, the lack of food and listening to grown men beg for "it" to stop. That never happened at OCS.

 

[NavyLonghorn]

I would also do SERE again before OCS. 2 weeks vs. 13. RLP sucked.

 

[MasterBates]

I did SERE twice. I would rather do SERE3 than OCS again.

I enjoyed SERE except for the last 2 days.

I'll take 2 REALLY BAD days over 13 weeks of nitnoid BS. Candio Phase alone vs SERE, Gimme my one-bar

 

[Cornellianintel]

The only fun thing about Navy OCS is the camaradarie. You will go through (mostly lame) experiences together and be able to laugh about things that nobody else will understand.

I remember trying to tell my family a funny story about OCS. At the time, it was one of the funniest things I had ever experienced. The punch line, however, was that a particular candidate had his cover on crooked. Needles to say, they didn't get it.

As far as actual "fun," there isn't much. If you are picturing hard core oo-rah training, Navy OCS will be a little different. It is mostly ironing your underwear in 6x6" squares, studying academics, and hauling around a wooden rifle with the barrel welded shut. It isn't really difficult, but it isn't fun.

One of the class officers was a P-3 pilot. If the Navy gods ever punished me in such a way, I would probably just walk into a tail rotor. Well, maybe not, somebody would have to clean it up.

Not that I am trying to discourage you from going to OCS. Just see it as a means to an end. Once you get your commission, you can move on and hopefully contribute something to the Navy and the nation while flying really cool $hit.

I'm sure that most recent graduates would agree that the above is the most accurate discription of the experience. I won't lie, human sentimentality somehow has conveyed to my brain that OCS was nothing but good times. When reason takes over, however, I remember all of the days of sweepers, rifle drill, RLP, fairly retarded academics (except Naval Warfare), and constantly snapping at/being snapped at by classmates. Though you will develop a comaraderie with many of your shipmates that will be priceless, admire your chief and class officer, and grow to love and respect the DIs (especially yours) and all of their antics, few things about OCS (except liberty) can possibly be described as "fun".
In spite of what you may have heard, it's also in no way "easy". It's not hard--tedious, mundane, "challenging", etc. are better descriptions--but trust me, YOU WILL NOT ENJOY YOURSELF. It isn't summer camp. With the exception of the few members of my class who really enjoyed the confidence of our class team, most of us were absolutely miserable right up until the candi-o phase, when we upgraded to generally unhappy/discontent. Don't get me wrong, many, if not most of us, were genuinely motivated and dedicated to most facets of the program. But no one, and I mean no one, really liked it (except the cadences and stuff). Just keep you eye on the prize.