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Hello all, I was reading over some of the previous comments about OCS, and will be leaving for OCS in June so I was hoping to get some helpful information and what to expect, as well as what I can start doing now to prepare myself. I little background about myself, I am prior enlisted AF reserve, obviously now taken a commission with the Army reserve. I do understand the physical aspect of OCS lots of running and PT! which I am really not concerned about I am in pretty good physical shape, I workout everyday run every other day, It’s the whole Air Force to Army is what I am worried about, such as Land Nav we don’t do that in the AF so I wondering how that works in OCS, do they teach you, or you just have to know already? I know I read someone's comment about some AF and NAVY people were in his class, were they washed back because they did know Land Nav? Your help is greatly appreciated... Thank you
Not everyone attending OCS is prior service, some are straight out of basic training. Land navigation will be taught with this in mind but still isn't easy for some people to get their minds around. I would study Field Manual 3-25.26 -- MAP READING AND LAND NAVIGATION.
Prior service Air Force and Navy people seem to have more trouble adapting to the Army than prior service Marines. My recommendation to you is too not fight the system no matter what your opinion of how things are done and why. The Big Green Machine does things the way it does no matter how unusual it may seem and you just need to roll with it.
PS: Something else I would study up on is drill and ceremonies. Prior service A.F. and Navy aren't used to marching troops or running a PT formation. Army Field Manual 3-21.5 -- DRILL AND CEREMONIES
There used to be a sport called "orienteering" which involved timed land nav. I think it had a small following in the late 80's. Not sure if it is still around (this was pre- GPS), but if so see if there is a local club or group. A couple weekends with them may get you grounded in land nav and some familiarity with map reading.
My Son graduated OCS 18 months ago after 4 years enlisted in the AF, he said the difference was like night and day.
Make sure you are in tip top condition loads of exercise etc
lots of current and former OCS candidates. you can get some solid gouge there.
I did Marine OCS but reckon the basics are still the same.
react quickly
own up to mistakes
listen
help your platoon mates
stay focused on the task
and yea, land nav is pretty important. i f***ed it up in the beginning but nailed it towards the end and got to wondering why the hell i ever thought it was so difficult. also, if you can find a manual online, learn some drill routines. like what to do at "column left," "about face," or "parade rest."
oh almost forgot to mention: when you get to OCS, seek out the priors. they're the ones who know their $hit cold. don't be afraid of asking them for help if you sincerely don't understand something.
Last edited by RobinsonCrusoe; 03-23-2010 at 06:47 PM..
Reason: forgot something important ;)
Hello all, I was reading over some of the previous comments about OCS, and will be leaving for OCS in June so I was hoping to get some helpful information and what to expect, as well as what I can start doing now to prepare myself. I little background about myself, I am prior enlisted AF reserve, obviously now taken a commission with the Army reserve. I do understand the physical aspect of OCS lots of running and PT! which I am really not concerned about I am in pretty good physical shape, I workout everyday run every other day, It’s the whole Air Force to Army is what I am worried about, such as Land Nav we don’t do that in the AF so I wondering how that works in OCS, do they teach you, or you just have to know already? I know I read someone's comment about some AF and NAVY people were in his class, were they washed back because they did know Land Nav? Your help is greatly appreciated... Thank you
HI, I just came across your post. I'm sure by now you already graduated OCS. Well, I'm not even registered yet, I got my commission April/2011 no orders yet but I'm trying to be proactive. Can you tell me your experience, also, are you reserves or did you go active. My ultimate dream is to get an AGR position somewhere, but I'll be happy with some mandays. Any advice is welcome. Thanks a lot.
BTW I'm in TX.
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Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello all, I was reading over some of the previous comments about OCS, and will be leaving for OCS in June so I was hoping to get some helpful information and what to expect, as well as what I can start doing now to prepare myself. I little background about myself, I am prior enlisted AF reserve, obviously now taken a commission with the Army reserve. I do understand the physical aspect of OCS lots of running and PT! which I am really not concerned about I am in pretty good physical shape, I workout everyday run every other day, It’s the whole Air Force to Army is what I am worried about, such as Land Nav we don’t do that in the AF so I wondering how that works in OCS, do they teach you, or you just have to know already? I know I read someone's comment about some AF and NAVY people were in his class, were they washed back because they did know Land Nav? Your help is greatly appreciated... Thank you
