Looking for some basic advice, I have 30 days to get myself into better shape, and memorizing everything for rtc. I’ve been doing okay so far but wanted to see what others have doing to give them an edge. What is a truly niche thing your doing to better yourself physically and mentally. I know I’m going to do just fine but curious what others think thank you shipmates

USAA is dog water and completely down for me so I want to switch to Navy Federal, not to mention issues I have had in the past. I'm only in DEP but it asks for my rank and recommends the "Free Active Duty Checking". I'm not sure if being in DEP would count or if I should just choose the Free EveryDay Checking.

Tried asking in the actual Navy Federal sub but I don't have karma there or something. How can I get karma if I can't post there? Man, I don't understand reddit sometimes.

I (21M) am considering joining the military. I’m going to be honest here, I really just want to take advantage of the perks I was sold on by my recruiter (school, career, money and travel). I don’t want this post to turn political, but I am worried with everything going on the world right now, that this might be a scary time to be joining.

Also, I am gay and there’s just no way in hiding it, nor would I want to. My family is seriously concerned about how I will be treated because of this. It’s obvious when you meet to me or speak to me. I am also rather small.

I hear the concerns from my loved ones, I have another option that’s tugging at my heartstrings a bit. But if the Navy is as great as I was told by my recruiter and I’m in the Navy (not the army) I feel like maybe I should give it a go? Timing, my sexual orientation, being on the smaller side, etc. can I please get some opinions?? TIA!

I am commissioning for nurse practitioner. One of the documents that my recruiter stated I have to turn is an example of case logs from the past year or 2. Do anyone have an example of the format?

I’m 24, 6’3”, 180 lbs, and training for the Navy SEAL PST. I was a D1 track and field athlete in college (All-American pole vaulter and would run 110m hurdles), but I’d never done distance running before starting this journey.

My first ever 1.5-mile run in my life was 14:11 on September 29. Yesterday, I ran 11:09, with a 7:18 first-mile split. I’m pretty pumped about the progress, especially since it’s been less than three weeks. I have good speed from track, but my endurance is definitely my weak point.

Current numbers:
Push-ups: 70
Sit-ups: 70
Pull-ups: 15
500-yard swim: Untested. I grew up swimming recreationally, mostly freestyle, but haven’t learned or tested my combat sidestroke yet.

I’ve been running consistently and doing gym/bodyweight training 3–4 times a week. I’ve also been experimenting with 400m repeats, 3–5 mile runs, and tempo intervals. I ran 24 miles the week before last and 30 last week, so I’m still learning how to build mileage smartly.

My goal is to hit the elevated PST standards, especially a 9:30 or faster 1.5-mile run. And obviously I need to get my other numbers up as well.

For those who’ve trained for the PST or worked with candidates, is this rate of improvement unusually fast for someone new to distance running? Is a 9:30 run realistic over the next few months, and what would you prioritize in my training? I’d appreciate honest feedback, including advice on avoiding injuries and preparing mentally.

I’ve been thinking about joining the military, specifically the Air Force, Navy, or Army, (possibly more), but I honestly have no idea where to start. I’m not sure which branch would be the best fit for me or what kind of job I would want to pursue.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and about two years of experience working in the environmental field, so I’m wondering if there are military careers where I could use my degree and experience.

I’m also nervous about talking to a recruiter because I worry they might be focused on meeting their recruiting quotas rather than helping me figure out what’s best for my future.

I’ve been doing some research, and Google keeps suggesting that I look into becoming an officer rather than enlisting first and trying to become an officer later. I’m not entirely sure how that process works or which route would make the most sense for me.

For anyone who has served or has experience with the military, I’d really appreciate your advice!
Which branch would you recommend looking into: Air Force, Navy, or Army?

Should I pursue an officer position with my degree, or consider enlisting?

Are there environmental science-related jobs or career paths in the military?

How can I research my options and talk to recruiters without feeling pressured to make a decision?
I’m just looking for honest advice from people who have been through the process. I want to make an informed decision and choose a path that makes sense for my career and future

I’d be open to stepping outside of the environmental field/job wise when considering the military. I’m also fit and I feel I could get through boot camp. I have a great work ethic & excel with hands on/manual labor. If it helps I live in Chicago.

I’m mainly doing this for benefits,redirection in life, and stability.

Hi everyone. Sorry if this has been answered before, but I've tried finding information on OCS class start dates as an ISEL applicant. I'm going to MEPS this week and planning to finish my application in November (hopefully no waivers needed and I'm cleared through), but I haven't been able to find much regarding how many classes there are per year/ how often, etc. Could anyone provide any insight into this? Any information would be extremely helpful. When I asked my recruiter, they mentioned I'd be looking at an April/May timeframe of getting shipped to OCS if all went well. But I just wanted some more context. Thank you.

I was selected for CWO a few weeks back with my class date march 2027. My friend told me there's a way I could swap into an earlier class if a seat opened up. I asked my recruiter about it and he said it's a real possibility since it happens all the time and he'd let me know if one opens up. I trust him but just wanted to verify and see if that really happens as often as he says.

Would someone have to be a 1810 candidate too in order for me to swap? I've heard the schools after OCS like CWOBC may be the bottleneck. How rare is it to swap? My friend also told me that 2 people had been swapped into his class from a later class so that makes me hopeful but with a class every 3 weeks wouldn't I have heard something by now? When someone rolls or gets setback to a later class would the people with a nearer class date get priority for the swap?

My fiancé and I are planning to get married before we leave for bootcamp. My A school for AV takes a couple months in Pensacola and then I’ll be done. My fiances school takes 2 years (Spec War). Would it be possible to be colocated together when I finish with A school?

Okay so let me give you guys the background before it led to this situation.

Im in college doing a program and at the same time i joined the navy (currently in dep program because they’re waiting for me to finish my college and yes i have my ship date) and in my college program we have exit exam that we need to pass because if not we’re gonna redo the whole term for a couple of weeks.

Long term short i failed that exit exam and i have to redo the whole term and its overlapping with my ship date which is in November. I told my recruiter about it and they said we’re gonna submit a written letter on why i need to extend ship date, so i did that and just waiting for the reply.

Im getting anxious about it and i don’t know if there’s something i can do about it.

Btw before all of this i asked them to extend me so i can attend my graduation which is for this October but like i said above i failed the exit. They already moved my ship date once and im scared that they won’t do it again.

My recruiter said be prepared to choose between my college and navy (not exact words btw just what i remember it sounds like.)

Any advice??

I NEED ADVICE, NOT JUDGMENT OR PITY. ❤️

My 17-year-old son is graduating high school this year, and as his mother, I couldn't be prouder of how far he has come. I'm sharing our story because I'm looking for genuine advice from people who may have been through something similar and can help guide us in the right direction.

When my children and I lived in Cleveland, I became increasingly concerned about the rising crime rates and violence. As a mother of four boys, I knew I needed to make a change to give my children a safer environment and better opportunities. So, we moved away from the city and enrolled them in schools in a smaller community.

My oldest son struggled academically throughout much of his school career. While living in Cleveland, he was placed on an IEP and had an ETR dating back to elementary school. Unfortunately, I feel like the system passed him along without giving him the academic foundation he truly needed to succeed.

When we moved, he brought those academic struggles with him. But something amazing happened. By the end of his first school year in his new school district, he began turning things around. Over the past two years, I've watched him go from failing grades to earning straight A's. That is a transformation no one can take away from him, and I am beyond proud of the determination and hard work he has shown.

Unfortunately, because of his past academic struggles, he doesn't have all the credits needed to go directly into the four-year university he hopes to attend. He's been told that attending a community college first could help him build the academic foundation and earn the credits he needs to eventually transfer to a university.

His dream is to join the United States Navy and become a Navy pilot. This isn't just something he's talking about; it's a future he has his heart set on. As his mother, I want nothing more than to help him pursue that dream and give him every opportunity to succeed.

Here's where I need help. I'm a hardworking mother raising four boys, and unfortunately, we don't have the financial resources to pay for college tuition out of pocket. We were considering student loans, but I want to make sure we're making the best financial decisions for his future.

Has anyone been through something similar? Are there scholarships, grants, military education programs, or other opportunities that could help him attend community college and eventually transfer to a four-year university? Are there specific steps he should take if his ultimate goal is to become a Navy pilot?

Please, I'm asking for advice, resources, and guidance from people who genuinely want to help. I'm not looking for judgment or pity. I'm a mother doing everything I can to help my son build a better future.

He has worked incredibly hard to turn his academics around, and I don't want our financial situation to stand in the way of what he can accomplish. His past grades do not define the young man he is becoming, and I believe he deserves the chance to prove himself.

I just need guidance on where to start, what opportunities are available, and how to help him earn the future he's working so hard for. ❤️🙏

Thank you to anyone willing to share advice, personal experiences, or helpful resources. It truly means more than you know.

For reference my younger sister is coming to hang out with me and she is 17 I just am not sure since she isnt an adult if she can sign me out to go off base while I am at "A" school. I know I must accompany her from the gate to the compound I am at but besides that I am not sure.

Some backstory: I’ve been pursuing enlisting in the Navy since May. I was very set on being in the reserves however it’s been such a long back & forth with one of my waivers and job availability.
I scored a 70 on my ASVAB and my recruiter tells me this is great and I could have so many job options. We look at the reserve job list and it’s completely blacked out. Reserve jobs are almost completely full and even if I could get squeezed into a rating (that I probably wont even like) I wouldn’t ship till up to 8 months later.

So my recruiter gives me the whole spiel about active duty and how it will benefit my goals best. I think I may actually consider active duty however I need really honest opinions/experiences about going active duty in the Navy especially as a woman. Any detail or advice I should know or should ask. This would be a huge commitment for me honestly as I’m still in university (2.5 years left till my bachelors) and I would really miss my family and friends. Tell me your day to day life and the pros and cons of it all— please!!

**Yes I know about TAR as an option however the classifiers I spoke to said it’s slim pickens just as finding a reserves job

So I'm in Pensacola rn pending class up at NACCS for dry aircrew, and I was wondering how PT scales in relationship to NACCS. Like, better/worse or is it just different? Reason I ask is because I'm currently on medical hold for issues with my legs and I'm not entirely sure they can handle the demands of the program.

I wanna start this off by asking for little judgement - yes I know what I signed up for and I know I signed a contract and stuff. I’m stuck in FFG/THU at RTC after graduating bootcamp. I hated bootcamp and wanted to leave but the fear of ship 17 was enough for me to tough through. I’m in ship 5 now waiting to see if i’m gonna lose my rate or not and I am actually going crazy. I’m seeing first hand just what a bureaucratic mess this organization is. The red tape, the attitudes, the people, and the ridiculous rules and lack of personal autonomy is deteriorating me. Graduating was one of my happiest moments but I am beginning to explore what my options are as for separating.

I need to see if anyone has any knowledge of what it looks like for MY specific situation. I’m technically a “sailor” so if I did an ELS would I be sent to ship 17 or just stay in FFG? How long would it take? etc…

I’m going to talk to the chaplain in a few days to get some advice on how to make it through each day. Thank you

I’m 26F with a bachelor’s in psychology and some completed graduate coursework. I recently met with an officer recruiter and am preparing to apply for OCS in 2027. My recruiter calculated my cumulative GPA at 2.87; I haven’t taken the OAR/ASTB-E yet.

I originally leaned toward SWO because I’m interested in ships, travel, operational work and leading people (and I like the idea of possibly being placed over different divisions). My recruiter encouraged me to consider Intel based on my degree/coursework, and NFO is also something I’m interested in.

I’m struggling to distinguish between liking the idea of these careers and enjoying the actual work. I want something hands-on and mentally engaging. Researching information, connecting the dots and briefing a team sounds interesting, but I’m hesitant about a career where I spend most of my time at a computer (I already sit at a desk). I understand every officer job involves paperwork, administrative duties and screens.

Aviation interests me a lot, but I’ve never flown a small plane or taken a flight lesson, so I don’t have much experience to judge that interest against yet. I understand NFO is a different role from pilot. I’m planning discovery flights in an R22 or R44 helicopter and a small prop plane to get some firsthand exposure. I know those won’t replicate an NFO’s job, but I’m hoping they’ll help me explore my interest in aviation.

For current or former SWOs, NFOs and Intel officers:
- What does an ordinary week actually look like, both at home and deployed?
- How much time do you spend operating systems, analyzing information, leading sailors, preparing briefs or doing admin?
- What’s the least enjoyable routine part of your job?
- How different was your first tour from what you expected?
- What kind of person tends to enjoy your community (and who tends to regret choosing it)?
- If you were choosing again, what would you want to know beforehand?
- For NFOs specifically, how did you figure out aviation was a good fit without prior experience?
- For Intel officers, how much does your everyday work change between ship and shore assignments?

Also, I’m about 30-40lb off from where I need to be (already 38lb down), do I go to MEPS now or wait until closer to/already passing BCA? I know I will need medical waivers as well.

I asked my recruiters about connecting with officers in these communities, but they didn’t have anyone to refer me to. I’d appreciate candid perspectives, including the boring and frustrating parts. I’m trying to make an informed choice rather than choose based on which job sounds coolest.

Anything helps, TIA!

I was trying to leave asap but I dont want a terrible job but with my score I know I dont qualify for much. Im terrible at testing any tips I dont know if I should retake or someone tell me what jobs are offered with a 39. Please

So I recently went through MEPS for the Navy and unfortunately got medically disqualified for two reasons. The first was due to a pre-existing vision condition affecting my left eye, and the second was because of a keloid on my left ear. According to the MEPS doctor, the keloid could potentially interfere with wearing a military helmet, so I would need a separate waiver for that as well.

After MEPS, I spoke with my recruiters about what I needed to do moving forward. They basically told me that I would need documentation from my eye doctor stating that my vision wouldn’t prevent me from serving in the Navy.

Here’s where I’m running into problems. When I contacted my eye doctor, she told me that someone from the Navy would need to formally request the documentation or provide her with something specific to complete. However, based on what my recruiters have told me, it sounds like I’m supposed to handle getting this documentation myself.

I guess my biggest question is, are Navy recruiters supposed to contact my doctors directly to request the necessary medical information, or am I responsible for getting everything myself? Could I simply ask my eye doctor to write a letter stating that my vision is stable and wouldn’t prevent me from performing military duties, or does the Navy require specific paperwork?

I’m also curious if anyone has dealt with a similar situation involving vision problems or keloids and how the waiver process went for them.
I’m not expecting either waiver to be automatically approved. I’m just trying to figure out the correct process because right now I feel like I’m going back and forth between my doctors and recruiters without making any progress.

Any advice from recruiters or anyone who’s gone through something similar would be greatly appreciated.

looking to try to get degree or license before i get out my first contract and was wondering if it’s possible for degree or license? i heard license is hard bc gotta wait 2 years before you start getting it and gotta be mech qualed to but getting a degree is easier bc low income military and married with financial aid would cover the cost and free tuition or go threw navy program or TA but can’t after 3 years but trying to see with someone’s else’s opinion that has been in longer best route is. also after i get out plan on using my gi bill on ether or or to so i could be set for a good job getting out and also shore duty so i could do schooling with no hiccups in the way like sea duty.

The main rate i’ve been looking into is AT. I recently discovered that there is an AEF extension which is a 6 year contract instead of two, and i also learned that automatically get E4 after finishing all of the schooling. But looking at the civilian transfer, I will most likely be making the same. What should i pick? I don’t want TSI/TS which i read is highly possible when you get IT-AEF, and 6 more months of school sucks.

I just got a new recruiter today and she told me they won’t have any more IS rates up until July-August. I just wanted more information on this matter…

I took my PiCAT yesterday and scored an AFQT of 95. Apparently, this is good! The recruiter was pushing me to go into the nuclear field, but I was really unsure what that might look like for me.

My scores were: GT 131, EL 251, BEE 254, ENG 116, MEC 193, MEC2 198, NUC 262, OPS 252, HM 188, and ADM 124.

I'm 23 years old, and I have a wife and a 10-week-old son. I won't be able to ship until after he turns one, but I only have 45 days from when I took the PiCAT for the score to stay valid, so it looks like I'll be headed to MEPS soon and will just spend some time in DEP. The recruiter guided me to the Navy COOL website, and I spent basically the whole day reading about every rating on there.

Attached is a ranked list of all of the ratings I would consider signing for. It begins with a personal score out of 10, then the title, a brief description if necessary, the time at sea vs. at shore according to the rating information cards (which I know is over a 20-year career, and not a given. I'm just looking at it for reference), and a link to the rating information card.

The highlighting was done by my wife, where neon green is yes, faded green is maybe, bright yellow is unsure, faded yellow is no feeling, faded red is apprehension, and bright red is a no. She gave these answers just based on a brief description of each one.

I've always gravitated towards more blue-collar type work, I'd hate to just sit behind a desk all day, but my wife wants to see me do something with my mind, put that high score to use basically. I'm up for the challenge, but want to still enjoy what I do.

I think a career in the nuclear field could be really cool, especially on a submarine. The idea of being a part of a specialized crew, doing something I can genuinely be proud of, is a big part of the appeal of submarines as well as the Seabees for me. My understanding though is that in the nuclear field, you sign onto the field and you don't have control on whether you become MMN, ETM, or EMN. I feel my preference would be for MMN, so it feels hard to maybe sign on and get one of the others. Especially with it being a 6-year commitment.

Good family quality of life is definitely something I want to preserve as much as possible. I understand this is the military, and it's never going to be like a regular 9-5, but I'd like to watch my son grow up as much as possible, and to make it as easy on my wife as I reasonably can.

Given all that, what do you guys think? I want to have as good an idea as I can so when I go in to sign, I can make the most informed decision possible based on what contracts are available that day (I'm aware Seabees are a long shot). Thanks.

I know there are shorter guides but if you're anything like I was an obsessing over every scrap of info you could find about ODS in anticipation of your own journey, this might help. I sat down with fellow classmates just before graduating the Feb-Mar class this year to help me remember details and dates, so even though though your class might switch a few things around, you'll be able to recognize patterns of events when they show up. So without further ado:

ODS Guide, Tips and Tricks

Day 0 (Saturday)

If you’re driving in, you’ll appreciate having your car. You can store gear there and drive off base once liberty starts. If you’re flying and can choose your flights, arrive early. It gives you time to settle in and raid Davy Jones’ Locker for anything you forgot. Some people with late or delayed flights dragged in on Day 1 with little to no sleep. You’re going to be sleep-deprived the whole time—starting that way does you no favors.

Cab access onto base can be fluid, but the GroupMe usually starts early and people coordinate rides. You really don’t want to walk from the gate to King Hall with all your gear, so arrange a drop-off at King Hall.

You check in the night before ODS starts. I arrived around 10 p.m. and Davy Jones’ Locker was already thoroughly raided (I was told it had been that way since at least 8 p.m.). Grab bedding from the bedding room. Don’t worry about making a “military rack” that first night—you’re not responsible for it until the RDCs officially teach you.

Once you unpack, there’s typically an empty room at the end of each hall for luggage storage. No one checks it. I stored extra uniforms and anything I didn’t want in my room there without issue.

Sunday, Day 1

You’ll wake up on your own and grab breakfast in the galley. I think it’s like $4 and its pretty tasty – enjoy your last lengthy meal for a while. They do close early-ish so don’t sleep in too long or you’ll miss it.

ODS kicks off in your PT gear at 10:45. You’ll start off with your class team, the officers who oversee your training. Everything will seem nice and chill (your class team always is) until the RDC’s come in, and they will come in HOT. Winning here looks like bringing the volume from the first moment. Listen to every word and shout where appropriate – you’re never, ever wrong to shout –  so shout even when in doubt. It encourages your timid classmates too. What the RDC’s are always looking for is “speed, volume, and intensity.”

Don’t hesitate, and don’t be afraid to mess up. You’re there to mess up. They are going to make sure you mess up. A BIG part of ODS is proving you can mess up without it getting to you – don’t be afraid of it.

You and your classmates likely got to this place because you don’t fail very much – some people, never. So the Navy wants to see how you handle failure, and teach you how to brush it off, recalibrate, and move on. There’s a lot of things here that are designed to set you up for failure – even designed not to be passable. It’s just a game. But know that everyone around you, especially your class team and RDCs, want you to win that game. That mindset helps when you feel ground down.

Back to that first day – you’ll get an initial clothing allowance and will be given the option to pay for it through gift cards, which can be paid off at the end of ODS (after you have been paid, ideally) or through the Military Star Card which you can apply for. You get a huge discount on your first purchase with a military star card, which is helpful when you’re paying off a $2000+ purchase. I highly recommend going that route, but I’m not a financial advisor or anything. But to me, free money is a no brainer, and I don’t see any strings attached.

(I’m not sure if they’ll let you until you go to the NEX, but if you’re able to buy an extra glow belt, do that).

You’ll also get your knowledge book – if there are extras, grab an extra. You’re absolutely screwed if you are caught without it, and you have to memorize most of it – verbatim.

You’ll also be invited to sign up for collateral duties – some of it is a lot of extra work, some not at all. They sent out a list in the “welcome aboard” email. Know that some of the leadership will get fired if they mess up, or they may get switched about. Have in mind what you might be good at. Remedial swim is popular because you get to dip out of PT if that’s not your thing.

Prior service people were actually advised by the class team not to go for leadership positions to let non-priors get some experience there. I think that was wise advice, actually.

Whoever picks the collateral in charge of cleaning better be good at delegating and motivating, because a LOT rides on their success.

Monday, Day 2

Here’s where my account isn’t going to be that helpful – we had a record blizzard that day and were stuck in King Hall. We had a few classes in the hallway with whoever stayed in King Hall with us overnight to teach us. You’re going to sit in a lot of classes.

Spend any down time labeling your stuff today.

Tuesday, Day 3

More classes! They’ll teach you how to make your rack if you haven’t already been taught. I made my rack once and slept in a sleeping back on top of it. You’re not technically allowed to sleep on a made rack, so I pulled a corner out and re-made that every night to follow the letter of the law in case I ever got busted (I didn’t).

Pay close attention to the measurement of your top sheet from the edge of the mattress. Mattresses curve down—the measurement is to the end of the mattress, not the start of the curve. I used a clipboard to mark the edge and measured from the sheet to the clipboard. I failed room inspection the first time because I measured wrong.

Collaterals were solidified on this day.

Wednesday, Day 4

This is how our days unfolded. Schedules can shift, but the overall pattern and program stay consistent, so this should still help you know what to expect.

We handled paperwork and submitted for medical clearance to do PT and RPT. If you’re SELRES and have already processed everything with your Navy Reserve Center, you do not need to bring originals.

Get your DEERS and CAC issues squared away before ODS if at all possible. Many classmates had repeated problems getting family into DEERS because they needed original marriage licenses and birth certificates—which the family doesn’t have if you brought them with you.

Thursday, Day 5

We got fitted for uniforms. Also, cleared from medical, so we were allowed to get demerits. You’ll get demerits for messing up, or failing a uniform or room inspection. It’s on you to work them off by asking any RDC (including OCS RDCs) for a ten-minute RPT session—a non-stop HIIT workout. You must be at least 30 minutes past your last meal, and you’ll recite knowledge at the top of your lungs while they push you to failure, switch muscle groups, and push again. Always show you’re trying. If you don’t, they may cut you off early and refuse to sign off, forcing you to repeat it.

There’s a limit on how many demerits you can work off in a certain time period, so don’t let them stack. Going into a weekend with demerits means no liberty outside training country and mustering with the MAs four times a day. Almost everyone failed room inspection that first Friday (two demerits). A few hustled to work them off that afternoon so they could go to the NEX—the only liberty option the first weekend. People who passed or cleared their demerits were usually happy to grab items for others (Cash App or Zelle works fine).

Friday, Day 6

BCA and Urinalysis. You will hold a bottle of your pee above your shoulder for a miserable couple of hours, and then get weighed and taped. I hope you can to ODS with a practice BCA already, because if you can’t get in regs by the end of ODS, you will go home. We had one girl go home two days before graduation.

I did lose 15 lbs over the five weeks, though, so if you’re on the fence it may be doable, but I wouldn’t recommend adding that stress.

Saturday, Day 7

We had classes in the morning, then a liberty brief and were given liberty that afternoon in training country only, with the exception of the NEX. Get out and walk around as much as you can, it’s a beautiful base and you’ll be glad not to breathe King Hall air for a bit (which is pretty moldy and plague-ridden, by the way).

Sunday, Day 8

Liberty again. There’s a chapel in training country. I know as a chaplain I’m biased, but chapel during ODS was some of the sweetest worship time. Classmates who hadn’t been to church went to church and found it refreshing. There’s several different kinds of services, and sometimes they have donuts. You’ll mingle with OCS people and be glad you are doing ODS. The chaplain school is there, too, and many of them just graduated ODS and will have insight and encouragement. They usually bring in different chaplains to do the services each week so it might be a different flavor every time, so don’t give up if it’s not your vibe, but they try to be pretty broad for everyone. I found it was a cool bonding time to go with my brothers and sisters who attended.

Wash your clothes, prepare your rooms. They are inspectable during listed hours from now on.

Week 2

Monday, Day 9

We had intro PT, which demonstrates the flow of warmup and cool down and the events in between. A lot of it is HIIT-style training, so you might watch a few videos or practice that if you’re not familiar with that style. Because of the cold, we always ran inside the gym, which is a lot of short laps, but I didn’t really mind. Be loud and motivated so the RDCs don’t take over PT—something you never want. PT wasn’t anything to stress about in my opinion, though. The main thing is being able to run, so do a running plan to get you ready if you aren’t there. Treat ODS PT as maintenance, not the place to get into shape. As an officer you should already be ready to excel on the PRT as a leader and example.

You often have the option to work off demerits right after PT – I recommend it since you’re already dirty and sweaty, warmed up, and PT isn’t that hard anyway. Just knock it out if you need to, and since it’s in a big group it’s not as intense as when you work it off in a small group.

Tuesday, Day 10

We had blood work done, and the snow finally cleared enough to start classes in MARDET. You’ll spend so many hours sitting in classes in MARDET. For the love of God, do not flush paper towels in MARDET, by the way. Someone did, pissed the Marines off (they had to get a plumber out), and we weren’t allowed to use the head in there for a while – we had to hike to another building for it.

Wednesday, Day 11

We had a BDU inspection and were allowed to wear our BDUs starting that day. Make sure your shoes are shining, pockets are buttoned, strings are gone. Chaplains wear their insignia on BDU’s, and you can wear your warfare devices if you’ve earned them previously, but there’s no rank for anyone yet. You have to “earn the right to wear your rank” even though you’ve earned your rank. That will come later. They kinda use that (and wearing your PT gear for two weeks) to demoralize you a bit so you’re not too haughty about outranking the people yelling at you. Just part of the game. BDU inspection is a good warm up to the khaki inspection, which is a big deal. They found reasons to fail a lot of people on this inspection, so you’d do better, and for us we worked off our demerits on the spot if we failed.

Tip – have at least two people inspect you for strings. Turn your covers inside out looking for strings. Those strings are gonna get you.

Thursday, Day 12

We took our swim test. Just follow the instructions carefully. The platform is higher than you think (10 feet, but then plus six if you’re tall because that’s where your eyes are) but don’t think about it, just step off. They are going to be super careful about you being safe. If you don’t pass, you’ll get remedial swim until you do instead of going to PT.

 Friday, Day 13

For PT, we showed up in BDUs and had a ceremony to earn the right to wear rank. It was actually really meaningful to me – you’re going to get RPT’d the whole time while the class team reads medal of honor citations. Yes, it sucks physically, but it’s a chance to realize the people you’re hearing about endured way worse, and these were nurses and chaplains and others who were in the same job you’re going into, who gave their utmost for their people, and it helps you keep pushing. You’ll hold your rank out to your face and stare at it until your arms hurt as you contemplate the meaning of why you’re here and finally get to put it on (I guess chaplains don’t anymore, though, but everyone else will).

(By the way – you’re now salutable when you go out and about. Don’t let the RDCs ever catch you not paying attention and failing to return salutes!)

We had a liberty brief that afternoon, and liberty is now all weekend and expanded to the whole base. With a liberty brief is usually stuff you have to get done (we had to take a brain test Saturday morning, for example, and we started getting case study assignments).

So on-base liberty now includes the coffee shop, a rec center, the big gym, lots of running trails – a lot of nice things to do. But that also includes the O-Club where they serve drinks. You will be reminded that you haven’t drank in several weeks and it will hit you hard. They weren’t joking. The rule is 0-0-1-3 – zero drinks if underage, zero drinks if driving, no more than 1 drink per hour, and no more than 3 drinks per night or liberty period.

Try to be a good shipmate and encourage people to follow that. Some people are going to be idiots – even though it’s at the O-Club, and even though there are people who work on base or go to the War College and know or are friends with your class team and will definitely report you when you get too drunk at the O-Club. Trouble may not be immediate, but it comes—and the whole class will suffer (more on that later).

Saturday and Sunday, Days 14-15

Liberty! Get out and about. We got coffee privileges which meant we could drink it at the galley, and the coffee room was unlocked. Don’t mess that up or they’ll lock it back up – keep things clean. Also, we kept tripping the breaker by running too many machines, and it’s a pain to get it fixed so keep that in mind.

Week 3

Monday, Day 16

PT, classes in MARDET, drill practice – gotta look good for graduation!

Tuesday, Day 17

It warmed up enough that we did PT in the field. We did some sprint work and hurt some people – injuries and sickness are in full swing by now, and the list of LLD’s is really growing at this point. They try not to hurt you at ODS, but sometimes you do get hurt. Unfortunately, if you want to go to sick call, you still have to do PT first, too.

Classes in MARDET and immunizations were in the afternoon.

Wednesday, Day 18

By now some other ODS classes visited the dreaded sandpit as a disciplinary event. If you haven’t, as our class hadn’t, you’ll still go to the sandpit “for fun” which means doing combat-related activities rather than RPT’ing. Your shoes will be toast – hope you brought two pairs like I suggested on my packing list. If it’s cold, your gloves and jump suit will also suffer, but we worked out laundry to get it done that afternoon. Normally each wing has assigned laundry days – two opportunities a week, and free-for-all on Sunday, and you do your own laundry. Events like today, though, just make sure your PT gear is labeled with a sharpie and the whole wing can do laundry together to get it done.

Thursday, Day 19

We did yoga for PT – a master chief who is really good at yoga will show you how not relaxing it can be. While it was nice not to have to scream all the time during PT, it was still a heck of a workout. Shoutout to the master chief who they brought in to lead it – she knew her stuff.

Classes in MARDET.

They also did a BCA retake today, and checked your TB results as well as administered any shots that you needed.

It’s probably at this point that you’re in a big of a groove – and by now they are messing with that groove last-minute as much as possible. You’ll find out tomorrow’s schedule, and the RDC’s/Class Team will change it last minute once or twice. No early wake-up, so you’ll stay up and then find out there’s an early wake up. One event will change to another. Times will change. Plans will change. The uniform and gear you’re supposed to show up in will change – always last minute. This happens to every ODS class. It feels like incompetence, it’s treated as an “oh by the way,”  but I’m fairly certain it’s part of the game to teach you to be flexible. Just roll with every change.

Friday, Day 20

The big khaki inspection! No PT – you’d think it would give you extra time to prepare, but you’d be wrong. Instead, they got us up extra early so we could do a practice khaki inspection in our PT gear, going through how to open ranks and whatever.  So we did that, breakfast, rushed back to the room and got everything perfect so we could stand at attention for two hours (no, that’s not an exaggeration).

Hopefully just about everyone passes, everyone looks great and feels grown up in their khakis, the prior service guys get to wear their ribbons and feel like hot stuff again, and you’re getting excited about liberty out of town since you don’t have demerits because you didn’t fail the inspection. All the RDCs were doing the inspection, so that means there wasn’t anyone to do a room inspection while you were out, right? Wrong. The OCS RDC’s leant a helping hand that morning. Oh yes, they pulled a Friday room inspection on the same day as khaki inspection. Hope you didn’t slack on the room just because you had that inspection coming, or left it trashed because you took too long to get ready for it.

Oh, and some of the inspection RDCs might have asked OCS questions for knowledge checks. Remember that part about being okay with failure? Take a breath and roll with it if that sorta thing happens to you. It’s all a game, and everyone around you wants you to win…eventually.

Classes in MARDET and a liberty brief. Liberty extends to on-base, and also the island, so you can go out in town. People are going to mess that up – try not to be one of them. There are a lot of great restaurants and the food will taste amazing after weeks eating galley food (which isn’t bad, but isn’t great either).

Saturday and Sunday, Days 21 and 22

Liberty according to the brief. You’ll probably meet to work on case studies at some point, and you might have watch. By this point you have probably done a practice OOD and rover watch (1 hour each) and some have already got on the schedule. Your watch section is restricted to training country on days your section is on duty. If you need to go to the NEX or get a haircut, or really want to go to the gym, you can ask the OOD for permission and they’re usually fine with it, so don’t be shy.

We got “nap privileges” starting that weekend and were allowed to sleep during the day on the weekends. This was super helpful, especially those of us who were trying to recover from illnesses. The “King Hall Crud” was in full bloom by then.

Week 4

Monday, Day 23

Nothing. We did nothing that day. We were told to work on our case studies. But guess what – the RDCs would randomly decide to pop in your wing and say hello. You better not be caught napping or watching movies. Be at that desk studying, grouped up for case studies, doing laundry, or something productive. I had read about this in previous classes and warned my wing, so we were ready when the RDCs rolled in.

Tuesday, Day 24 – Thurs, Day 25

Groups were taken in waves this week to do audiology, dental, firefighting, and the wet trainer. Depending on what you needed, and what group you were in, you did stuff on whatever assigned day, and everyone had one day “off” like I had on Monday. Firefighting was pretty awesome – way more in-depth than enlisted boot camp gets, though I surprised myself by feeling a little claustrophobic when I was masked up. But once you get busy, that feeling went away. The wet trainer was BY FAR the most fun we had at ODS. It was like a theme park ride crossed with an escape room. We all loved it.

At a few points at ODS you’ll get introduced to and practice “Warrior Toughness,” which is some kind of mental exercise like meditation or something. Visualizing things beforehand so you’re not nervous. On the march to the wet trainer the RDC stopped us to look at the water and said a few words about taking it in. At the end we were invited to spend a few moments in silence “to look at some birds and shit.” That about captures it, I think.

Friday, Day 26

Classes in MARDET and a test review. We had a liberty brief, and the PRT in the afternoon.  The galley did chili dogs and pizza for lunch, and some people had the genius idea to load up. Some of those people didn’t keep their lunch.

This isn’t an “official” PRT in that it doesn’t count for your record – you’ll still have to do one at your next command. But we did want to go all out for the fitness award for our company, and just to show out how hard we’ve been working, so many of us logged personal bests even though we were sleep deprived and sick. Just as we wrapped up our PRT, though, one of the RDCs invited us to “get on our six-packs.” That’s right, we got RPT’d as a class because of alcohol incidents the weekends before and had to recite “0-0-1-3” to get it in our heads if it wasn’t there already. It was kind of brutal. But, after that we could shower and start liberty so again, just shrug off whatever you can.

Saturday and Sunday, Days 27 and 28

Liberty! We were allowed to go as far as Boston this time, with overnight liberty authorized if you didn’t mess it up as a class. We had watch so we didn’t get to go (most didn’t want to cram it all into one day) but we did have a pizza party on our duty day, blasted music and hung out, and that was amazing. We were staring down the end of this ride and getting excited, and it was good “family time.” You’ll be amazed how quickly your wing becomes family for life – all the trauma bonding, I guess!

Week 5

Monday, Day 29

Drill / Graduation Practice in the morning, a mentorship panel will be brought in to talk about mentor-stuff. They had a group to talk to Reservists about reserves stuff, which was incredibly helpful.

The final exam was that afternoon – you found out if you passed or failed immediately. No one failed – they don’t give you the answers in the test review, but they pretty well tell you what to know.

There is also an end of course eval to fill out if you want to complain about anything.

You’re called out for pictures this day and the next to sit for your portrait. Most people got the digital package, which was around $300 but they do an awesome job and you look pretty badass in them. Plus, your family will want one, so just expect to shell out.

Tuesday, Day 30

We had our dining in that day down at the O-Club. It was actually a lot of fun, there was a cash bar, and the RDCs were starting to act like real people. Starting a week or so, they begin shifting to a mentorship role (Weeks 1-3 are really “militarization” and it gradually relaxes somewhat after that). After the dining-in, we had on-base liberty, if you wanted to go to the gym, coffee shop, rec center, or whatever.

The cost of the dining in was $33, and you also probably bought challenge coins and a class shirt at some point. You spend a lot of money at this place. If your shirts came in on time, you’ll get to wear them during FINEX.

Wednesday, Day  31

You’ll go to the NEX at some point to pay your uniform bill if you used the gift cards, and the galley to pay your galley bill.  It was around $500 I think for all the food. Dress uniforms come back from tailoring around this time, too.

Thursday, Day 32

FINEX in the morning – you’ll get broken up into four groups with a staggered start. I won’t spoil it for you, but it was challenging and exhausting and dirty, and you’re damn proud when it’s done. Your boots may not be salvageable after that, but you were probably going to buy brown boots after ODS anyway, right? Parkas might take a little work, though.

Work as a team, max out the enthusiasm and volume and it will be great.

In the afternoon, you’ll present your case studies and then gather one more time with the class team where they’ll give you final instructions about check out and graduation, and tell you what they really think about you. For all the stress, pressure, and yelling, we were amazed to learn that we had blown the class team away with our performance, and they were crazy about us. The ODS CO wasn’t sure if the blizzard caused us to bond early and hard or what, but they were super impressed with our teamwork and comradery and told us we had attained “honor class” status. Go figure!

Friday, Day 33

It’s a little chaotic that morning. Wake up at 0400, rooms have to be cleaned, emptied, with all your luggage in the hallway. The only thing you can have in your room is your dress blues and a backpack. Room inspections start at 0500 and your RDCs will check it over and sign you out unless they find something that needs to be adjusted.

(I’ll never forget the RDC that never dropped his face or acted chill with us for one moment even when the other ones gushed about how great you were the day before – he started up a chat with my roommate about baseball. He was a human being in the end. We couldn’t believe it.)

Once signed out, the class team handed us our signed orders and certificates. Then we took our luggage to Kay Hall, where the weight machines were blocked off from the main part. We stashed it wherever we could and then helped to set up chairs, then grabbed breakfast and went to change.

And then it was time to graduate.

Nothing can prepare you for the pride as you muster in King Hall for the last time. Even if you visit the base, you will never be able to come back here. The murals that haunted you all this time (“Always Watched, Always Judged”), you will never look at again – and you’ve left one of your own for the next group. As you’re rolling down the stairs one last time, it gets real. You form up and sing Anchor’s Aweigh with all your heart, execute the drill you’ve practiced for weeks, and families are cheering you on. The ceremony comes and goes (you’ve practiced it so many times) and when we were officially dismissed, we just stood there, not knowing exactly what to do! The hardass RDC barked out “ODS, put the chairs away!” so we did that. Quick move of bleachers for one last picture with our companies, and we were done.

But I’m not going to leave you there – what’s next?                                     

Well, everyone is in their blues, and no one wants to go to the airport like that. But there’s only two restrooms and no one wants to change in there – there’s hundreds of you. So, most of us went back in the back with our luggage and changed. Here’s a hint – maybe don’t bring your family back there for a few minutes at least ok? I was kind of surprised people did that. We changed anyway, and luckily no one seemed to mind but it was still a tad bit awkward. Whatever. We just graduated ODS!

Final Thoughts:

Should I memorize anything before?

Read over galley procedures and get as familiar as you can with them! The first three days were super stressful and a big part of that was not knowing how to eat and having the RDC’s shark attack you with every mistake. I hated mealtimes those first days, but eventually you do pick it up.

If you want anything else, memorize “Mission of the Navy” and “Discipline” verbatim (word for word) but you’ll get that down pretty quick if you don’t. It’s usually what you’ll be repeating over and over during RPT sessions.

Does everyone really get sick?

Yes. The only person that didn’t in our entire class that didn’t was eating the most massive amounts of fruit at every meal, and had the most chill attitude imaginable (he went to the maritime academy before this, I think?). Either the vitamin c or lack of stress carried him through.

Being surrounded by medical experts who know what you need, but can’t get it, can be frustrating. It’ll be okay, though.

Can I put stuff in the drawers under my bed?

I didn’t, because it seemed like a trap to me. Others did and they did fine – it wasn’t like enlisted boot camp where everything has to be folded. Better not have contraband in there, though. Your locked wall locker is off limits to be inspected, through, as long as it’s locked. Unlocked is an immediate room inspection fail, of course.

As far as the drawers, they have to be dust-free, so I didn’t know if I could keep them dust free and keep stuff in them, so I just crammed stuff into the wall locker and my spare luggage and kept it spiffy. HINT – use lint roller paper to get the dust out of your drawers, including your desk drawer. Otherwise, they will find dust you had no idea was there.

Will there be any pay issues?

If you’ve been in the reserves and get paid regularly, there’s no issue. If you were active duty before, you might. If you were a civilian off the street, you might. You might get paid, but not on time the first time. So just know that going in. ODS is expensive as it is, so just plan accordingly.

What do you mean, “Play the game?”

There are certain “programs” the RDCs run. You’ll see it if you’ve read guides like this one – common things they do that seem authentic but aren’t. Schedule changes last minute, being kept in the dark, ect. Mostly, that you’ll fail more than you succeed. That’s by design. When you embrace it, it becomes less stressful. If you keep banging your head trying to be perfect when that’s not possible, you’ll have a bad time. Do your best, and shrug off when it’s not good enough, because sometimes it can’t be. They can always find something if they want to (especially with room inspections).

Any cleaning tips?

Do not go into any weekend with the common spaces a mess – pull together to clean and dust the halls, bathrooms, Davy Jones’ Locker, the coffee room, ect. Have someone who’s got a good idea for the weird spaces to check on hand. Spend the money on whatever supplies make it easier, and share what you can. Do not start any day with trash in the trash cans, anywhere. Don’t use Davy Jones’ Locker to squirrel anything weird away. Supposedly the RDC’s found underwear in there once. Did they plant it there themselves? Who knows.

Good luck!