Shoot, I used to watch the first half of the movie before going on midwatch (2345-0345); worked better than half a pot of java. Well, okay, I did supplement with coffee, but I can quit any time.

-4FF

 

Not life as a Naval Officer, but life at AOCS for 14 weeks. I understand it's been changed a bit since I went. The Marine Corps DIs were awesome, but I don't know if they're even there anymore.

 

OCS ,ah yes,the longest 75 days of my life,felt like a survivor on commisioning day,I will always have a tender place in my heart for Q-town.Semper Fi !

 

Did you only make it to Q-town for the one and only time or did you become a frequent visitor to 'The Command Post'?
also...did you ever go back to the OCS area after graduating? that brings back some memories. I'm sure it is like returning to PI or San Diego; except that it is just so isolated back there in its' own little corner of the world!

USMCFLYR

 

I spent all of '83 in Quantico,OCS late Jan-Apr,TBS May-OCT, IOC Oct-DEC,by the time I hit the fleet in '84,I was tired of MotherQ. I used to hit the Globe&Laurel regularly,the CP occasionally, but in TBS/IOC most available libo was taken in G-Town,Old town Alexandria,with occasional roadtrips to the Jersey Shore. Now I have nothing but nostalgia for the place of course,last visited in '01 pre the horrors, told them I was alumni,and drove all over,mainside,TBS,etc.,watched a platoon of candidates be eloquently verbally abused,and my eyes misted over !!!

 

You spent more time in the WOODS with that background than anywhere around Triangle or Q-town If you spent anytime in Bulldog then you are more than qualified to give young 2StgTurbine on life in the Corps

Anyways - Mach Tuck - did you find out anything to share with us here over there at AW?

USMCFLYR

 

Should've clarified: AOCS....as in Navy, Pensacola, though I think it's been moved due to some pencil pusher's decision......sad, a lot of history there.

 

OCS was combined with AOCS in 1994 at Pensacola. In 2007 the entire program was BRACed back to Newport, RI.

Good summary here...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Officer...ool_(U.S._Navy)

 

As a graduate of OCS at Pensacola, with an almost all AOCS class. The Marine Corps Drill Instructors are still there, and were phenomenally hardcore & professional at the same time. The school is now in Newport RI, a huge mistake I hope will be corrected again in the future as Pensacola had a lot to offer.

The reason you should watch the Full Metal Jacket opening is because the Class Drill Instructor (never called the DI!!!) is still this intimidating, harsh, and full of unscripted whit designed to defeat you with your own stupid antics. They will never stike a candidate these days, but you will pay a physical price for the simplest of errors - pushups, mt climbers, 5 count bodybuilders, etc. Looking back it was funny, in the moment it was anything but.

When you graduate (if you graduate) you are forever changed. You may consider quitting many times, but never never quit... OCS life is nothing like the life of a Navy Junior Officer flying airplanes - my career was awesome looking back to summers in Virginia Beach, launching/catching jets from a aircraft carrier flight deck, and my final tour of duty living in Pearl Harbor as a single LT.

I'll trade you positions right now....

 

Brandedpilot -

Are you saying that the Marine Corps Drill Instructors are in Newport, RI for OCS?

USMCFLYR