r/USMCocs

Hey I’m going to plc senior in few weeks and I’m part of the ECP program what advice can yall give me . Also if you part of to you also DM so we can just talk more before we go

i have had two shoulder surgeries in the last year, with the last one being in january, but i am healing up well. i am back to doing pushups and i am currently working on pull-ups. i have been in touch with a officer recruiter and he tells me my shoulder will be fine as long as i take recovery seriously, but how do they view this kind of stuff at meps? and for those who have been to ocs, how has it been in talk physically?

Good evening, I’m a 1302 halfway through my contract and am contemplating not accepting career designation. A lot of it boils down to the duty stations and how it has disconnected myself and my significant other from civilization. Being in Lejeune and coming from NYC, my girlfriend and I find every opportunity to leave and head back up. We do not particularly enjoy being away from friends and family. On top of that, with us wanting to start a family, I do not want to miss raising my child for a deployment only for me to go to Oki or sit on a boat.

Though I gripe about this, becoming a Marine has been the greatest thing I’ve ever done for myself. I am so grateful to be in the position I am today and to have experienced things not many can say they have. Despite all of the hardships, stress, and lack of sleep, I feel true purpose in what I do and I love it.

Right now I am weighing my options between staying in for a B-Billet or getting out. I feel a lot of uncertainty about going into CivDiv as I know I am going to miss the sense of purpose, mission, and the camaraderie the Marine Corps gives me. However I know I will have more freedom over my life. But I just don’t know what I would want to do outside of the Marine Corps. My only goal is to have more freedom and make more money.

So, officers, and maybe even specifically 1302’s, what do you do now that you got out? How do/did you find purpose? What are some careers worth transitioning to with my background?

Currently at TBS right now. Long story short, IPAC has denied my BAH request for me and my wife and it makes us go in circles.

- Do we have better luck getting BAH in the fleet?
- Has anyone else experienced push back from IPAC despite bringing the required paperwork? If so, how did you figure it out?

I’m trying to seek help far and wide since it’s irritating to hear my wife complain about it and gets frustrated that I can’t fix it. I’m at training during the working hours and don’t have time to go to IPAC anymore

I was about to take the OAR but after trying to cram study a few days before the test I basically learned I was not ready. I realize a study partner or discord channel would really help.

I think it's pretty tough to study for. I feel semi confident, but feel like I could start to answer questions incorrectly. I just now timed myself and got a sense of how much more difficult that makes the test. The more I thought about it, the more I realized the competition probably isn't a push over. I'm basically competing against other college grads and I need to score in the top 40% or so of people taking the test at least to get the cyber job I want. I have a 3.2 GPA and a CS degree.

I was pretty lulled into taking the test by a recruiter I talked to once. He said he didn't study and he was just a bit smarter than the average person so he scored above a 50. I tried to ask him if he was simply trying to push me to take it for some incentive I'm not aware of but he assured me it wasn't.. Perhaps he wasn't lying, I'm not sure.

But, after taking some the practice test, I realize I can't exactly get so many questions correct. I think I studied for it months ago and I thought I could do well, but I was looking up the answers and sort of falsely thinking that I could easily do them next time. But after not taking the test for a while and forgetting these questions seeing them for the first time is rough.

Studying is a bit tough actually. I'm 37 so it's been years since I've really done college level material and while relearning it feels familiar, there's a lot I still don't know. The test itself can have a large number of differing questions. I'll list what I'm studying: motion force acceleration

types of machines, pulleys levers,

calculate mechanical advantage,

fluids, electricity, pressure, volume

electrical circuits and heat transfer

memorize equations to calculate gravity, force, friction, mechanical advantage, torque and know how to calculate the force to balance out a lever system

memorize basic physics principles such as Bernoulli’s principle, boil's law, Charles law, newtons three laws. and learn how to apply them given a word or picture problem.

But also taking the practice test the navy sent me doesn't have all of those topics.

Anyway, I would love to find some other guys who took this test or are currently about to take it and are studying. I could definitely use a buddy to get some perspective on what is on this test and someone to give me a bit of motivation.

Feel free to email me if so ericjlima@gmail.com or add me on Discord: ericx2x

I may not keep these contacts up on reddit for too long

Anyone who is an officer and did well on the test please share your strategy.

Thank you.

Was looking to do my feet and shins a kindness and get a pair of boots to have broken in for OCS, any brand recommendations and how to size myself (will be ordering online since store isn’t really an option)

Heading to seniors in 3 weeks, I got a tattoo 2 years ago on my ankle and reached out to my OSO at the time to check before I went to get it. He said go ahead we'll just have to do some paperwork before seniors. Fast forward to now and we've got a new OSO and I never did any paperwork on my end for the tattoo. Is that something that could prevent me from shipping if it wasn't recorded by now?

Title is pretty self explanatory. Currently preparing to go to OCS in June and wanted to ask about what watches people recommend for OCS. Thanks!

Can anybody who has been fired from a civilian job and put it on their clearance msg me about what happened?

Just wanted to thank everyone on here for all the help and guidance with OCS :)! I was medically dropped for a heat stroke during the induct PFT (which really sucked because I was at the last 800m), and I’m already at the age where I’ll need an age waiver plus the waiver for the heat stroke… I learned so much on this sub and it’s really an incredible community and an amazing experience. I worked really hard at this and I’m happy with my journey so far, especially fitness wise! If you have any questions about induct week, I can help lol. This former candidate wishes you all great luck and please HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!! I got to 106° then down to 95.9… please hydrate in all seasons and get electrolytes in!!

All the best!!

Im currently going into my sophomore year of college and am planning on doing the PLC program. After looking into it I think I want to apply for the combined 10 week program that takes place the summer after your junior year so I have more time to prepare for applying. A lot of what i’m seeing says to contact your OSO early to get the ball rolling. My question is should I contact mine this year even though I am not planning on applying until next year, or should I wait?

Here’s our Mess Night after-party in the quad at TBS during graduation. Afterward, two Captains, one the Company CO and the other the Company XO, drank shots with us in my barracks room in Graves Hall.

What’s your best story after Mess Night or graduation from OCS or TBS?

Hello, I am am currently a Marine with an Air Wing MOS. My goal is to be a military pilot for honestly any branch. I understand I made things harder on myself by enlisting first. Due to this I've been told by almost everyone, military pilots and other military people that I pretty much screwed myself out of any chance of flying for the military at all. I enlisted to pay for college, but after looking at things and such I'm also considering the Army Guard to fly for as I want to fly helicopters. Is it still possible to get a pilot slot as an officer from my position once I get my degree finished, or has my shot of being a military pilot closed already?

Just curious if Judge Advocate's have higher attrition than general populace.

hi!!

my boyfriend recently left for ocs in quantico and i wanted to know what i *shouldnt* include in a care package? and if i sent him a letter via snail mail or on sandboxx will he be the only person to read it?

i read that liquid iv might get him in trouble, but i want to ship him some snacks or gear that could help him make it through the next nine weeks. any advice? 🙏

Been working with the local OSO for about a year and a half now. Without going into too much detail, I need a waiver for medication that was taken for about 2 years. It's been about a year and a half since it was last taken.

I would like to try and go for the next iteration that leaves in September, but my OSO is saying for sure that I'll have to wait until November to even retry for the waiver. My question is, if I manage to reach out to my state's congressional people (Senate or House), would that change anything?

Also, is there anything else I can try to boost my chances or am I doomed to be that one person that's in the program for 2 years?

For those that this applies to: a lot of the questions I see on here can and should be asked directly to your OSO; Someone who has the proven experience to advise on how to strategize an application, selection, and graduation to/from OCS. They are given every possible resource and data point from OCS on how to improve the chances of a candidate to graduate from OCS. If you don’t have a relationship with your OSO where you can ask these questions, that is a point of immediate concern and you should fix that. Every OSO has led a group of Marines prior to their billet and proven they can mentor subordinates. Best of luck to all.

Hello.

Does having an active TS aid in getting an air/ground intel slot at tbs.

Thank you!