socom688 217 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Hey guys, I'm heading to Officer Candidate School up in Newport, RI next Friday and I was wondering if there are any members who have been and may have some tips/pointers. I'm nervous as hell, but excited to start this new chapter and push myself to a place I've never been. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GREYLUPO 358 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Hey guys, I'm heading to Officer Candidate School up in Newport, RI next Friday and I was wondering if there are any members who have been and may have some tips/pointers. I'm nervous as hell, but excited to start this new chapter and push myself to a place I've never been. I was in the Navy. Enlisted. Don't think you are better or know more than the enlisted men or treat them as if they are below you just because you're an Officer. Be fair, be a leader. Stay away from girls with adams apples and big knuckles 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Conscript 99 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 The first thing you're going to want to do is join the Army instead. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GREYLUPO 358 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 This! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
storm6490 2,768 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Don't be a dick when you get some brass. Read the book, THE MISSION THE MEN AND ME. Read it twice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dad2142Dad 6,559 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 That is awesome you are getting to do this. PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL. Do not forget where you came from when you come back. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MT Predator 2,294 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 The last thing Lupo said! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerry52 893 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Finish! Going counts for nothing. Get ready to use all your brain. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
magsite20 1,664 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Look at this and see what you want to be an O or an E http://www.militaryrates.com/military-pay-charts.cfm Now work your ass off to get it. I retired an E and worked for a few Os that were prior in enlisted, some were the best of the best and a few I wouldn't piss on if they were on fire. The good ones didn't have to prove they were an officer at every chance they got, they knew it and you knew it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mostholycerebus 415 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 (edited) My dad retired a navy captain. He always said his #1 job was taking care of his guys. He spent a LOT of time helping everyone take full advantage of what the service offers, and setting them up for successful long term careers. Most of these enlisted are too young and dumb to understand the repercussions of their actions at that age. I cant count how many careers hes saved before they even started. Thats why, when it was crunch time, everyone under him would bust their ass and get the job done right. He only really had problems with a couple guys (over a few decades) who shouldnt have been in the service. If you work hard for your people, they will work hard for you. Its not like a 9-5, especially Navy. You live with these people, so see all the ugly bits too. Edited November 7, 2013 by mostholycerebus 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
menace667 194 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Best advice: dont go and join the army instead. Second best advice: before you leave check to see if your head fits up your ass. If it does not, ensure it stays that way. Many officers are ass hats to their subordinates. Respect to your title will exist regardless, but if your guys respect you they will do just about anything to make you successful. Also, be fair and remember that people are people and make mistakes, anything you can handle in house with some tough love and not take the UCMJ route is the better option. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MT Predator 2,294 Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 Always, always, take care of your troops! I was the guy who put my neck on the chopping block all the time for my team. If your baby was ugly, I didn't care if you were an O-6, I told you your baby was fucking ugly. My O-6 trusted me more as an E-7 because of that fact more than the the E-9s in the unit who would rather sugar coat Intel and try to stroke the Commander's cock. Plus the fact I had 55 pipe hitters under my control as Operators and all the E-9s were equal to me in the Org Chart but all of their personnel were support troops. Find your niche, kick ass at everything that you do and be absolutely honest but be constructive with any criticism to enhance the mission, not hamper it with political ass kissing bullshit commonly found in today's Military. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
socom688 217 Posted November 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 Thanks for all the advice guys! I have always thought of myself as level headed and fair, and far from a douchebag when it comes to managing or leading other. I firmly believe in leading by example, if I can't huff it, how can I expect anyone that is supposed to be in my command to do it? I will say though that I will be in the class right behind a real piece of work. He was in one of my fiance's classes in college, and he is the A-typical officer douche nozzle. He was quick to judge, and treated everyone in the group not as equals, but as subordinates even though they were all classmates! I figure I'll just observe him, and do everything he doesn't and I'll be good .I am great friends with a prior enlisted who is now an O-2E. He is one of the smartest and hardest working people I know. He is living proof that just because someone isn't an officer, doesn't mean that they aren't capable or are anything less (though he became one later because the pay is better and he gets to fly UH-60s!). I did my pre OCS PRT with a group of Chiefs and I felt like one of the guys. They were great and had a solid blend of professionalism and conviviality.Definitely not going Army. It's not that I have anything against it, it's just the Navy is in my blood. I grew up in the Naval aviation community and have always felt at home in it. Plus I have a buddy who is in the Rangers and he hates his life more than some grunts I know in the Corp. I wanna enjoy my life 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dad2142Dad 6,559 Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 Go Navy, Beat Army 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerry52 893 Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 Good luck to you. I was also raised navy with a father who was a master chief. Are you going to fly? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
menace667 194 Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 Rangers are meant to hate life, thats their job, which is why they are so adept at taking it away so easily from others.... HOOAH!!!! Anyway, just treat people like they are human and how you would want your son treated and you will be successful and so will they. I do not envy anyone on those ships and it takes something that i could not do personally. I did bot mind living in dirt holes i dug because there was always ground under my feet. Good luck and lead the way. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Nemo 883 Posted November 9, 2013 Report Share Posted November 9, 2013 Officers that spent time in the enlisted ranks first ALWAYS make better officers! (told to me by my father's artillery commander at my father's retirement party) And when you become an O1, learn how to read a fricken MAP & COMPASS!!!! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
patriot 7,197 Posted November 9, 2013 Report Share Posted November 9, 2013 Best advice? ...don't drop the soap! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerry52 893 Posted November 9, 2013 Report Share Posted November 9, 2013 Officers that spent time in the enlisted ranks first ALWAYS make better officers! (told to me by my father's artillery commander at my father's retirement party) And when you become an O1, learn how to read a fricken MAP & COMPASS!!!! No! I think this is the best advice! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sjgusmc21 850 Posted November 11, 2013 Report Share Posted November 11, 2013 Don't drop your soap in the shower..... Just kidding. Good for you! Listen, listen again, and take charge! They are looking for leaders, not FOLLOWERS! Secondly, go to OCS! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
liberty -r- death 1,445 Posted November 11, 2013 Report Share Posted November 11, 2013 Never volunteer 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Big John! 2,062 Posted November 11, 2013 Report Share Posted November 11, 2013 Never lose sight of the fact that your boss is a complete dick who will lie to all of us and send you folks into harms way over his temper tantrums. Thanks for your service and good luck! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
storm6490 2,768 Posted November 11, 2013 Report Share Posted November 11, 2013 seriously dude. read that fucking book and you will go far. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
socom688 217 Posted November 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 Thanks for the support guys. Jerry, I'm not 100% sure what you meant when you asked if I am flying, but I'll give it a shot answering your question. I will be flying up to Newport, RI for OCS and will not be taking my car. But after OCS I will be (if all goes well) flying down in my Navy career because I got picked up for a pilot a lot. Hope either of those answers your question! Liberty, ya that's what I've heard. It's best to float in the middle of the pack. Otherwise the DIs will stick you with more responsibilities in a hard enough situation for no real gain, or will ride your ass raw if you are falling behind. It's best to "blend in". I'll give that book a read Stryker! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wolverine 10,360 Posted November 12, 2013 Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 Best of luck to you in your new venture. Thank you for your service to our country. Maybe when the dust settles some time out in the future you can drop by the forum and give us an update on how things are going and which advice proved the best in your experience. Good luck again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
breid1970 327 Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 OCS is a factory designed to churn out officers in bulk. They will tell you how to act, talk, walk, think, and frankly poop. Period. They will pump your brain full of exactly what they want. Once you graduate you will be an ensign. Bottom of the heap. The only person at that point that has an opinion that matters will be your division Chief Petty Officer. Yes, a lowly E-7, and if you cross him or her, they will make your life a living hell. The enlisted men work for you, and the Chiefs control them. Just sit back, enjoy the ride, and see where it takes you. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
smartbomb 133 Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 The only person at that point that has an opinion that matters will be your division Chief Petty Officer. ditto Quote Link to post Share on other sites
socom688 217 Posted November 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 OCS is a factory designed to churn out officers in bulk. They will tell you how to act, talk, walk, think, and frankly poop. Period. They will pump your brain full of exactly what they want. Once you graduate you will be an ensign. Bottom of the heap. The only person at that point that has an opinion that matters will be your division Chief Petty Officer. Yes, a lowly E-7, and if you cross him or her, they will make your life a living hell. The enlisted men work for you, and the Chiefs control them. Just sit back, enjoy the ride, and see where it takes you. They also have senior DIs now from Camp Lejeune and Quanitco, most being Gunnery or First Sergeants, to 'assist' in all the above activities. They merged OCS Aviation with regular OCS back in 07' and brought the DIs along for the ride. I wouldn't call an E-7 lowly though as most have been in for over a decade and know their shit pretty well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uzitiger 193 Posted November 23, 2013 Report Share Posted November 23, 2013 (edited) Treat your underlings right and remember that you have a hostile Commander and Thief who hates the military so you need to work together with the enlisted until the Obummer nightmare ends. Look at the feminine hats he is forcing the Marines to wear to humiliate them. He is trying to gut the military of the fine men and women who are loyal to this country and turn the military into another progressive experiment. Thanks for your service to this nation. Edited November 23, 2013 by uzitiger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerry52 893 Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 Thanks for the support guys. Jerry, I'm not 100% sure what you meant when you asked if I am flying, but I'll give it a shot answering your question. I will be flying up to Newport, RI for OCS and will not be taking my car. But after OCS I will be (if all goes well) flying down in my Navy career because I got picked up for a pilot a lot. Hope either of those answers your question! Liberty, ya that's what I've heard. It's best to float in the middle of the pack. Otherwise the DIs will stick you with more responsibilities in a hard enough situation for no real gain, or will ride your ass raw if you are falling behind. It's best to "blend in". I'll give that book a read Stryker! Good luck and focus Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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