Preparation for Officer
Candidates School begins the moment you decide to apply for Marine Officer
Candidate programs. To be ready for the rigors and challenges of OCS you need to
be physically and mentally prepared. This training will be unlike anything you
have experienced in your life. Here is some general guidance to help you prepare
for OCS. Refer to the OCS Web
Site and your Officer Selection Officer (OSO) for more guidance.
"Congratulations, You Were
Selected for OCS!"
Once you have been selected to go to OCS, start studying up on some of the things you will learn there.
Below are some useful downloads that will help you get schooled up on
OCS.
The OCS Prep Guide, the Candidate Regulations, your OSO and other trained
candidates are your most useful resources for preparing for OCS. Your OSO has
some videos that will help you prepare for OCS as well. Also, you can download a
bunch of OCS videos from the Marine
Corps Times OCC Class 186 web site. You
should visit the OCS web site
frequently for preparation information.
Remember physical training is continuous!!! Don't slack off even
after you have been selected because it will come back to haunt you. As a
candidate you are expected to maintain a first class physical fitness test even
though you might be shipping in eight months. There will be various candidate
get togethers throughout the school year to teach you things you need to know
for OCS and we will also be checking to make sure you are staying in shape. Read
on for physical preparation guidance.
OCS Preparatory Weekend
Every April we conduct an OCS Preparatory
Weekend at Ft McCoy, WI. We bring real Sergeant Instructors from OCS to give you
a snapshot of what the training will be like at OCS. This is a mandatory event
for anyone going to OCS during the summer. This is one of the best ways you can
prepare for OCS.
"You Are Shipping In a Few Weeks, Get your affairs in order"
Thirty days before you ship to OCS you will have to conduct a pre-ship screening and a pre-ship PFT with the OSO. The purpose of the pre-ship screening is to make sure that your are physically and mentally prepared for OCS. This gives us time to address any concerns or issues in a timely fashion before OCS. If your PFT isn't a first class PFT then you will not be allowed to ship to OCS and you will be disenrolled.
When you go to OCS you will be gone for six or ten weeks and you will not be
able to communicate with the outside world except through mail. After the third
week you will be given approximately 30 hours of off base liberty every weekend
until you graduate. Make sure you have your personal affairs in order. Here are
some things you should do before you ship to OCS.
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Make sure you arrange to have
your bills paid while you are training
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Let your school and work know
that you will be at training for a good portion of the summer
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There me be a delay in receiving
your pay at OCS initially so don't make plans for your OCS pay until your pay
cycle begins
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Review the OCS Prep Guide and consult with your OSO to make sure you have completed everything you need to ship to OCS
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Continue studying the Candidate Regulations to that you can get a head start on OCS. Check the OCS
Web Site for a more current version.
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If you are returning for your second 6-week session of OCS you must master the Returning Seniors Test. This is one of the first things you will do at OCS and if you fail it you will get dropped immediately. If this is your first time at OCS this is a good test to brush up on.
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If you have dependants, make
sure that you have an adequate family care plan.
"Finally, It's Time to Ship"
If you are flying to OCS your ticket will be paid for by the Marine Corps.
OCC candidates may drive personal vehicles to OCS. All the candidates that are
going to OCS will meet with the OSO on the Saturday before shipping. Your OSO
will do one last check to make sure you are all set and then you will be put up
in a hotel for the night. The next morning your OSO will take you to the airport
and put you on a commercial flight to Washington DC. Marine liaisons will be
waiting at the airport in Washington DC to take you to OCS.
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If you are flying to OCS make
sure you know when and where to meet your OSO for shipping.
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Make sure you pack what is required in the OCS Prep Guide to include $300 cash, two sets of appropriate civilian clothes, running shoes, prescription medication, boots (if you have them), government identification, glasses, wristwatch and enough toiletries for a few days.
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Pack light and use luggage that
you can wear on your back if necessary.
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Make sure you have your orders,
medical records and pre-ship checklist. These items will be provided by your
OSO.
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If you have dependants, bring
your marriage certificate and dependants' birth certificates.
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Do not bring any weapons, over
the counter medications, or portable electronic devices except for cell phones.
No IPODS!!
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