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FutureBootLouie
09-02-08, 10:46 PM
I just graduated from Platoon Leaders Class-Combined last month. Will commission when I graduate from college after my senior year.

There's plenty of gouge about boot camp here, but doesn't seem to be much about OCS (other than the one stickied thread, but thats a year or two old)

Any questions, please fire away.

Mikewebe
09-02-08, 10:55 PM
No questions, but I trust you will not forget your roots and lead with honor and pride and not be a yes man, seen too many Mustangs forget they were enlisted or trying to out do PLt Commanders to be the next XO. Much respect to you Marine do us proud:thumbup:;)

FutureBootLouie
09-02-08, 11:06 PM
No questions, but I trust you will not forget your roots and lead with honor and pride and not be a yes man, seen too many Mustangs forget they were enlisted or trying to out do PLt Commanders to be the next XO. Much respect to you Marine do us proud:thumbup:;)


Will never forget the most important leadership principle of them all:

Know your Marines and LOOK OUT FOR THEIR WELFARE.

Ooorah.

TJR1070
09-03-08, 08:24 AM
Congratulations Brother. Always take care of your Marines and they will always take care of you. Good luck and much success in your future endeavors.

MyCorps
09-03-08, 08:45 AM
Congratulations! Keep up the good work.

Wyoming
09-03-08, 09:22 AM
I just graduated from Platoon Leaders Class-Combined last month. Will commission when I graduate from college after my senior year.

There's plenty of gouge about boot camp here, but doesn't seem to be much about OCS (other than the one stickied thread, but thats a year or two old)

Any questions, please fire away.

I have actually wondered how you were doing.

Congrats!!

SGT VAS
09-03-08, 09:44 AM
I am actually torn between talking to an Officer Recruiter or a Prior Service Recruiter. What can one expect going into PLC as a prior service NCO (I am sure the instructors just love NCOs at OCS)?

By the way, congratulations Marine!!:beer:

FutureBootLouie
09-03-08, 11:12 AM
I am actually torn between talking to an Officer Recruiter or a Prior Service Recruiter. What can one expect going into PLC as a prior service NCO (I am sure the instructors just love NCOs at OCS)?

By the way, congratulations Marine!!:beer:


We had several prior service NCOs in our platoon. I was a Corporal, we had two Sergeants, but one got dropped in week 1 because he didn't disclose his LASIK surgery at MEPS and one Staff Sergeant.

They really don't mess with you much extra. The Staff Sergeant caught a LOT of grief if Week 1 because he held the same rank as our enlisted staff. He was immediately made Candidate Platoon Sergeant.

Basically our platoon sergeant brought us into his office with the platoon commander (a Captain) and said: Ok, you're (me) Candidate Platoon Commander and you're (The SSgt) Candidate Platoon Sergeant now, not because you're sh*thot, but because we think you'll be able to handle it a bit better early on than the people with no prior experience.

I failed my billet, and he barely passed his. I failed because candidates kept going to sick call without my knowledge and I had trouble keeping accountability in the hecticness.

They definitely expect more out of you, especially with knowledge and military bearing. Many a times I've heard an instructor say - "Candidate so and so, how the hell are you a prior?? How did they let you graduate boot camp? I wouldn't follow you into Burger King to buy a whopper" to a sh*tbag prior.

If you choose to go the OCS route, don't worry about getting singled out at OCS. There are plenty of fellow priors. Its really a leg up and an advantage, but after about week 3, everyone is about the same. The prior candidates there range all the way from Pfc to Gunnery Sergeant, you'll fit right in.

Just be sure to use your knowledge to assist others who are struggling, it'll help you on peer evaluations.

SGT VAS
09-03-08, 11:21 AM
Thanks for the advice. I may have to make a trip down to St. Louis and talk to an Officer Recruiter.:marine:

Semper Fi,

SGT VAS
09-03-08, 11:25 AM
By the way, do you have any good links to any physical fitness regimes that would help someone about to embark PLC? I just shed my 15 pounds of beer fat from getting out last year and I am ready to rebuild myself. Or just give me a day to day physical fitness routine that you guys normally would do and I will figure it out from there.

FutureBootLouie
09-03-08, 11:26 AM
I am actually torn between talking to an Officer Recruiter or a Prior Service Recruiter. What can one expect going into PLC as a prior service NCO (I am sure the instructors just love NCOs at OCS)?

By the way, congratulations Marine!!:beer:


Now my personal advice to you, and this is my two cents and my two cents only, regarding you being torn between going to an OSO or a prior service recruiter is this:

What is more important to you?

Do you have dreams on really making an impact on the Marine Corps, and one day being pretty influential on a company, level or even regimental scale? Go to OCS

or

Do you enjoy much more the camraderie you share with a tight knit group as a small unit leader as a squad leader or a platoon sergeant? Stay enlisted.

Is rank and advancement important to you? Go Officer. One of my Sergeant Instructors and my Platoon Sergeant, as well as a Gunnery Sergeant from another platoon have submitted a package for MECEP. They range from 13-16 years in the Marines Corps and are all Staff NCOs. But when they get through the MECEP pipeline and complete OCS 3-4 years from now and get their butterbars, my boot butt will already be a Captain, and outranking my former instructors.

Is it fair? Probably not, but its how it works.

Or do you enjoy much more the hands on working closely with your junior Marines that being an NCO would entail? Probably would want to stay enlisted.


Its a lot to think about, but if you're want to command (or fly), obviously you want to go see an OSO. But if you prefer to stay in the Marine Corps and constantly get down and dirty without the extra adminsatrative jibber jabber, staying enlisted is probably the way to go...except I'd imagine you'd get your fair share of the administrative crap when you pick up SSgt.




Just my personal opinion, I'm positive there are mustang officers here who know 100000x more than I do.

FutureBootLouie
09-03-08, 11:29 AM
By the way, do you have any good links to any physical fitness regimes that would help someone about to embark PLC? I just shed my 15 pounds of beer fat from getting out last year and I am ready to rebuild myself. Or just give me a day to day physical fitness routine that you guys normally would do and I will figure it out from there.

I don't like the OCS PT regimen. If you ask any Officer here IMHO its designed to break you down. I lost 25-30 pounds of muscle mass over there (probably because Bobo Chow Hall sucks too)

but I heard great things about Crossfit, I'm going to get on some of their workouts of the days.

www.crossfit.com (http://www.crossfit.com)


If you want to know a good weight training and dieting regimen to get stronger, I can help with that, but endurance training is not my forte...my best ever 3 mile time was only 19:35 and my best ever pullups was only 15, so I'm not a PT stud.

Also

www.marineocs.com (http://www.marineocs.com) will help lots about any OCS questions you may have.

SGT VAS
09-03-08, 11:33 AM
Thank you for all the input and you really did bring up some things to think about on my end. Best of luck to you and I wish you Godspeed in leading our Marines for years to come.:flag:

sscjoe
09-03-08, 11:33 AM
Congrats on your accomplishment. I was just wondering seeing as there are alot of civilian candidate, what was the sick call rate?

FutureBootLouie
09-03-08, 11:42 AM
Thank you for all the input and you really did bring up some things to think about on my end. Best of luck to you and I wish you Godspeed in leading our Marines for years to come.:flag:


Ooorah Sergeant. Best of luck in whatever you choose. Hopefully you choose to come back in, the Corps can always use another good Marine!


Congrats on your accomplishment. I was just wondering seeing as there are alot of civilian candidate, what was the sick call rate?

Thanks bud, sick call rate has nothing to do with civilian candidates or prior candidates.

OCS is very rigorous. (Unless you're a natural freak of nature, we had a few of those), candidates drop like flies.

If you want to go to sick call, you can go, but if you miss too much training or are seen as a malingerer, you'll be on a plane home before you know it.

I only went to sick call one time while at OCS, for a pretty bad headache. I had knee pains but I gutted through them. I missed the fartlek run (notorious for being an asskicker) and caught endless grief for it. Never went to sick call again.

But the Naval Officers and Corpsmen there are very friendly and professional. If you're hurt, they will do their best to get you healed up and back to training.

Aitrus
09-03-08, 12:33 PM
Sir- I have been considering trying for the NROTC scholarship. Before that happens, I have a lot of catching up to do, both physically and academically (I'm a Senior in highschool right now).

I realize that you didn't do NROTC, but do you know how different the NROTC 6 week program is from what the people in PLC/MECEP do? Are they treated differently? Also, do you have an opinion on officers that go through PLC compared to those who go through NROTC? Are the NROTC officers any less prepared or respected? Do they generally make as good officers? I realize that becasue of the training they do in college, they only go through 6 weeks of OCS instead of 10 or 12.

Thank you for your time sir. I have a lot of respect for you. I have a friend who just got through his second summer of OCS and will be getting his commision this Fall. I know from what he said that OCS is no cakewalk, and it's quite an accomplishment to get through.

-Brendan

FutureBootLouie
09-03-08, 12:44 PM
Sir- I have been considering trying for the NROTC scholarship. Before that happens, I have a lot of catching up to do, both physically and academically (I'm a Senior in highschool right now).

I realize that you didn't do NROTC, but do you know how different the NROTC 6 week program is from what the people in PLC/MECEP do? Are they treated differently? Also, do you have an opinion on officers that go through PLC compared to those who go through NROTC? Are the NROTC officers any less prepared or respected? Do they generally make as good officers? I realize that becasue of the training they do in college, they only go through 6 weeks of OCS instead of 10 or 12.

Thank you for your time sir. I have a lot of respect for you. I have a friend who just got through his second summer of OCS and will be getting his commision this Fall. I know from what he said that OCS is no cakewalk, and it's quite an accomplishment to get through.

-Brendan


Ooorah buddy, here's the downlow as far as I know.

As an NROTC candidate you will go through a 6 week program called BULLDOG. Its the same program that the PLC Split candidates do on their 2ND 6 WEEKS (with the 2x6) and its very rigorous. It will also be very competitive there because you'll be with a LOT of MECEP candidates (who range from Sgt to GySgt usually)...so you better be at the top of your game.

I don't see why NROTC officers are any less respected. See...

I went to OCS for a 10 week session in the summer (PLC Combined), but during school, all I do is study, workout and party

NROTC candidates...yeah you only show up for 6, but during the school year you have to do all sorts of crap, wear a high and tight, wake up in the morning for PT etc etc etc...they definitely keep you busy and trained to prepare you to become a Marine Officer.

Good Officers and Bad Officers come from everywhere. I don't care if you're OCC, PLC, NROTC, MECEP, ECP, RECP or Naval Academy. Being a good officer is based on uncomprimising moral character and never ending willingness to learn and accept criticism on the individual, it has nothing to do with the pipeline which you earned your butter bars.

But I would venture to guess that Academy and NROTC grads would have a leg up in terms of knowledge compared to PLC/OCC grads, thats for sure, but TBS will level that playing field at the end.

Aitrus
09-03-08, 12:48 PM
Thank you very much sir. This helps me a lot as I'm still considering my different options.

-Brendan

FutureBootLouie
09-03-08, 12:57 PM
My advice - take the NROTC scholarship if you can get it.

Yeah doing ROTC during school sucks, but nothing like getting your room and board and tuition ALL PAID FOR. Its sweet.

My dumbass is gonna be about 20k in debt when I graduate.

josephd
09-03-08, 05:06 PM
PLC hopeful right here!....I ship out to MCRDSD next month, as soon as I get back I will be getting in touch with the OSO here and start to get my application/package prepared. Being an officer in the Marine Corps is something I want more than anything and will do whatever it takes to get there

Aitrus
09-03-08, 08:43 PM
Sir- I've heard that to get into NROTC you have to have a 1st class PFT. I've looked around, but I haven't been able to find what a 1st class PFT is. If a 1st class PFT is the same for NROTC as it is for PLC, what does it require?

Thanks alot.

FutureBootLouie
09-03-08, 09:13 PM
Sir- I've heard that to get into NROTC you have to have a 1st class PFT. I've looked around, but I haven't been able to find what a 1st class PFT is. If a 1st class PFT is the same for NROTC as it is for PLC, what does it require?

Thanks alot.


Approximately 10 pullups, 100 crunches and a 23 minute 3 mile is around a 1st class. A first class is 225/300 points

pullups - 5 points a pullup, max of 100 points (20 pulls)
crunches - 100 crunches in 2 min, 1 pt per crunch
run - 18 min 3 mile for 100 pts, each 10 sec over 18 is minus 1 point

however you get to 225, but you should aim for a 250+

FutureBootLouie
09-03-08, 09:16 PM
PLC hopeful right here!....I ship out to MCRDSD next month, as soon as I get back I will be getting in touch with the OSO here and start to get my application/package prepared. Being an officer in the Marine Corps is something I want more than anything and will do whatever it takes to get there


Best of luck. Your experience at MCRDSD will give you a leg up at OCS.

Mikewebe
09-03-08, 09:19 PM
Alright Future, I live about 5 miles from Montana State, want to go back to school, I got about 45 credits. But I'm 38. If I manage to get back into the reserve what would be my first step to start I guess MECEP

FutureBootLouie
09-03-08, 09:37 PM
Alright Future, I live about 5 miles from Montana State, want to go back to school, I got about 45 credits. But I'm 38. If I manage to get back into the reserve what would be my first step to start I guess MECEP


I believe the max age is 28 for OCS, but since you're prior service, they can deduct your prior service years from your age, so if you have 10 years of service, you're still eligible (I'm not sure if your Guard experience counts, it should)

You need to speak with an OSO about this, I'm not an authority on it, but having an uber high PFT score will help your case a lot if you need a waiver.

MECEP is one of the greatest deals they ever invented. They send you to college, they pay you active duty pay + BAH and whatnot, tuition and everything is FREE, and all you need to do is help train the NROTC Midshipmen on campus and show up for 6 weeks of OCS.

Absolutely look into it.

www.marineocs.com (http://www.marineocs.com)

somebody who knows more might be able to better answer your questions on that site.

But since you're now serving in the Guard, maybe you should look into Army OCS as well. Theyre more relaxed on their age restrictions.

Mikewebe
09-03-08, 09:49 PM
I've been out of the guard for a year . And I only have 5.5 active

FutureBootLouie
09-03-08, 09:54 PM
I've been out of the guard for a year . And I only have 5.5 active


how many years in the guard?

Mikewebe
09-03-08, 09:58 PM
3 total but only 1.5 was active