One of the first questions I get from people thinking about Navy Officer Candidate School is simply: “Do I even qualify?” Having gone through OCS myself, here is a clear rundown of the...
You did it. You survived the smoke sessions at Newport, conquered Officer Candidate School, and felt the weight of those Ensign bars on your collar for the first time. You’ve earned the right to be...
Graduating OCS is just the beginning. Let me tell you about my experience transitioning from Navy OCS to my first duty station as a Cryptologic Warfare Officer (CWO). It’s been one hell of a...
At Navy Officer Candidate School (OCS), one of the most anticipated moments of training is the Candio box — a care package candidates receive from loved ones during the final phase. It is a long...
Do you need to know how to swim before Navy OCS? No — but it is strongly recommended that you can swim before you arrive. To move forward at OCS you must pass the third class swim qualification, and...
Weeks 10–12 are the final stretch of Navy OCS — the Candidate Officer (CandiO) phase, when you finally regain phone access, take on the Capstone team exercises and the grueling 12-hour Battle...
Weeks 8–9 of Navy OCS are packed with inspections and assessments during the Officer Candidate phase — rifle drill, the khaki inspection, the Officer Personnel Inspection (OPI), watchstanding, and...
Week 7 of Navy OCS leans into damage control and confidence-building: the Personnel Inspection (PI), firefighting and Damage Control class, the “Buttercup” wet trainer, and the high ropes...
Weeks 5–6 of Navy OCS are heavy on memorization and academics. Now that RLP is behind us, you commit the 11 general orders, the code of conduct, the chain of command, ranks and insignia, the...
Week 4 of Navy OCS is RLP week — the Room, Locker, and Personnel inspection that many candidates dread. It is a single high-pressure test day that combines PT, a uniform and room inspection, and...