If you receive a failing grade during this period, you will be given the opportunity to retake the course the following Monday. For this reason, you should not worry much if you did poorly on the tests. If you flunk an exam, study hard for the next one and ace it. The two main things that every candidate should be concentrating on at this time are their studies and their drills.
There will be an RLP-like course called PI (Personnel Inspection), as well as an engaging class called Damage Control during these weeks. In addition, I’ll go over a few additional highlights from the final two weeks of my Office Candidate phrase.
Different Uniforms
After week 4, everyone, as far as I can remember, should have every single type uniform. Photos from my service in the Navy show that we wore the Type 1 Navy Working Uniform (NWU-I). The U.S. Navy stated in August 2016 that the NWU Type I will be phased out in favor of the NWU Type III, which would become mandatory beginning on October 1, 2019, for all Navy personnel to wear as their basic working uniform when on shore duty. In October of 2017, a change to Type III uniforms will be implemented and now they officially use type 3, which is a coyote brown. Everyone should be used to having their clothing worn at different occasions. Keeping the uniform neat and clean was also a must. Twenty push-ups might be warranted for the smallest stain.
Uniforms were crucial since we faced a second round of inspections during our second phase that may have led to a roll-over to H-Class.
Fire Fighter and Damage Control Training Class
The purpose of this training is to qualify officers and enlisted personnel to work in the ship’s damage control situation.This class taught the basic knowledge of how to deal with fire on a ship in general.
We were trained in a Firefighter building. It’s a big structure that features replicas of a ship’s engine room, boiler room, supply rooms, CIC, wash room, electrical closet, berthing area, and kitchen. The simulator creates simulated Class Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie fires so that we can practice defending ourselves in dangerous maritime environments. There’s also a 15×15-foot fire pit used for training kids to use fire hoses safely and confidently in the face of extreme heat. What is that actually? You may be surprise but a lot of people are fear of fire, this fire pit is to give them confidence while dealing with fire, by just standing near it.
(below is a picture gallery, click on it to view more)
Wet Trainer and Damage Control Training Class
The Buttercup, or Damage Control Wet Trainer. A large pool in the shape of a sunken ship. The pool the trainer uses for training is only 5 feet deep on the starboard side and 8 feet deep on the port side, causing the trainer to list severely. There are a total of eight rooms on the trainer, including a fan room, a control center, a repair station for the control center, storage areas, and a sleeping area. The storage area and docking area are flooded on purpose.
In a nutshell, we were taught what to do in the event of a flood or impending shipwreck. The water was not so deep but having the water flashing to your face constantly while doing mechanical work was not pleasant.
(photo gallery below, click on the picture to see more)
High Rope Course
It’s not a very fun class for me. To be very honest, I had a severe fear of heights and found this course extremely challenging. There was no way for me to slow my pulse rate or calm my breathing. Climbing to great heights, crawling to the next pole (like a ship’s mast), walking the line, and finally zipping down were all part of the course. The thing that helped me conquer my difficulty was learning to keep my head up no matter what. My eyes have to be level with the horizontal at all times. I once misstepped and I thought it was the last step of my life, til I realized my body was attached to a secure line, and it has hanging in the middle on the sky.
1. If you're new here, I suggest jumping right into Part 1 of my Navy OCS series.
2. I went to OCS back in the 2010s, so it's possible that a lot has changed since then. This information is being shared with you solely for your own education.
Photo credits: Navy OCS Page (Remember that we are not allowed to use phone/electronic devices during OCS so there was no way any candidate can take any picture during OCS)
