<p>OCS (Officer Candidate School)... Pros & Cons?</p>
<p>Back in ancient times when college graduation meant loss of deferment we had a lot of OCS Officers. They were the old ninety day wonders. Most of them were great but a few were real jerks. At the time some of our senior Officers were OCS and they were competent and professional, they just didn't have the ring. I have seen some of the current Navy OCS candidates in Newport and they look pretty squared away and enthusiastic. The only down I remember is that when it comes to a RIF (Reduction In Force) they were the first to go. It may have changed but I don't know the current procedures for retention or the qualifications for the program.</p>
<p>Pros and Cons as compared to what? USNA? ROTC? A civilian career?</p>
<p>If you're asking about OCS vs. USNA (hopefully, as this is the USNA board), it really depends on how you want to spend the next four years of your life. USNA is a military school. You are in the military from I-Day through graduation and beyond. All day every day. You have limits on the courses you can take and majors you can choose. You live under an honor concept. Upon graduation, you MUST enter the USN or USMC. Your education, room and board are paid for and you get paid beyond that. After your first two years, there is no turning back (w/o consequences).</p>
<p>Thus, most people who enter USNA are sure (or believe at the time that they are sure) that they want to spend at least 9 years (4 in school + 5 out) in the USN/USMC. Also, you have limited career choices -- almost everyone who is medically qualified must go into the unrestricted line.</p>
<p>OCS is great for people who have a different approach to life early on. Many may not realize they want to be in the military until sometime after they are in college or even out of college. You get a normal college life in that you have no ties to the military at all -- you can take and major in courses of your choice, spend your summers as you choose, own a car, get married, etc. You pay your own way through college. You apply to OCS. I believe those entering OCS typically have more flexibility on career choice, such as being able to go into restricted line communities (intel, AEDO, etc.) -- this used to be true, not sure today. </p>
<p>I won't go into the subjective pros and cons because those, quite obviously, are subject to interpretation. The bottom line from a practical perspective is that USNA is a full-time military commitment from Day 1 and OCS is a 16-week (or whatever the length is now) wonder. </p>
<p>In the very short run, USNA grads are typically better prepared for the military but SOME also may suffer from burnout and/or a superiority complex. In the mid-run, I'm not sure your commissioning source matters all that much. In the very long run, USNA grads still account for most of the flag officers (I believe this remains true). </p>
<p>Very, very different approaches to the same goal. One is not better than the other but one may be better than the other for certain people.</p>
<p>Being a grad and having a son who is an NROTC Marine Option that just finished six weeks at Quantico, I believe you can't go wrong either way. If you have the right unit and the right attitude the country will get a leader of men. </p>
<p>There are differences, but in the end both programs do a darn good job of taking high school boys and turning them into confident young men prepared to lead others. </p>
<p>FYI My son is at Duquesne Uinversity in Pittsburgh and does his crosstown training at Carnegie Mellon along with University of Pittsburgh students. If you can't get into USNA I HIGHLY recommend this unit. It is special!!!</p>
<p>^^^^</p>
<p>You're talking NROTC, which is done while you're in college. OCS, Officer Candidate School, is for college graduates who didn't participate in NROTC.</p>
<p>NROTC Marine Options have to attend OCS for their 1st class cruise in order to commission as Marine officers. I've also heard that a change of policy is in the works that will force all NROTC Navy options to attend an abbreviated form of OCS in order to commission as well.</p>
<p>^^^^ I believe it still is an abbreviated version of OCS for college grads.</p>
<p>6 weeks for NROTC MO types. Tough six weeks with nearly a 20% attrition rate.</p>
<p>Hey there MamaSparrow! Long time, no post! How's your girl doing at ND??? Hard to believe mine is now a 2/c - which means yours and mine are 1/2 way to their Commissions!!</p>
<p>Wow, wait. MamaSparrow, who is your daughter? I'm a 3/C MO at ND.</p>
<p>PM's sent to you both, peskemom and danbrenn...</p>
Reviving this old old thread. Anyone else out there have a kid who, 3/4 done with college, suddenly is talking about OCS after graduation?