OCS question

[baronius]

When people go through OCS as civilians (for example when college students do it), do they still have to go to recruit training like everyone else after they graduate OCS? If so, why do they go to OCS before boot camp since OCS is harder?

[chrisnica]

OCS is not harder than Boot Camp... I've seen what the candidates do..I'm not saying it's easy, but it does not compare to what we go through at the Island, or SD. They don't have to go to Boot Camp, when they're done with OCS they'll receive their comission upon graduating from college or the other way around. And to clarify on OCS training, the candidates are being trained to be officers and Marine leaders, more professional than enlisted. Hope this answered your question and that I didn't thick off officers in here.

:usmc:

[baronius]

Thanks for answering this. I'm just kind of suprised because I thought the whole Parris Island (or SD depending on where you live) experience was part of becoming a Marine. I'm not speaking of the stuff you learn there really, but the bond that develops between Marines after all going through that common experience. Is it more difficult for officers who haven't gone to boot camp to relate to their fellow Marines because they can't share that experience? Why do some people go to boot camp one summer and OCS the next summer, and some go straight to OCS?
Are you saying that the officers who graduate OCS are considered more to be "leaders of Marines", but not actually "Marines" themselves?

(The thing that started me wondering about this in the first place is that I recently bought One Bullet Away and noticed it begins at OCS and does not mention Parris Island).

[rvillac2]

There are a couple of different combinations to OCS, but their training doesn't end there. TBS (The Basic School) is where they pound some serious skill and combat leadership training into the nuggets. The philosophy is while every Marine is a rifleman, every Marine officer is an infantry platoon leader.

Recruit Training (Boot Camp) is only for the enlisted and is designed to make us:
a) immediately obedient to orders,
b) basically trained rifleman, and
c) a proud U.S. Marine.

Officer Training (conducted in Quantico, VA) is a completely different program. They have to create leaders that Marines will willingly follow and respect. Their physical training is equal to ours. If they push themselves farther, it is only so they wouldn't lose face in front of their troops. Their mental and professional military training is much harder (but should be easy for competent college graduates).

You'll hear terms like Sergeant of Marines and Officer of Marines often. This is an honorofic not limited to commissioned officers. It is mean to distinguish those of us with the ranks that would command respect by the majority of us hard-chargin, rifle-shootin, hadji-killin, Devil Dogs.

Sgt. Villacorte
(and I don't care if I ****ed off any officers. ha ha ha ha)