VeteranWiki

  • Facebook
  • Home
  • My Navy OCS Journey
  • Applying to OCS
  • PCS & Allowances
  • VA Home Loans
  • Designators

Navy OCS, from the application to the day you commission

I went through Officer Candidate School in Newport and served as a Cryptologic Warfare Officer. Everything here is firsthand — the twelve weeks, the paperwork that comes before them, and the benefits nobody explains until you need them.

Staff Sgt. Jordan G. Kinal, Marine Corps Drill Instructor assigned to Officer Training Command, Newport (OTCN), Rhode Island

Start here

  • My Navy OCS Journey Twelve weeks at Newport, written up week by week.
  • Applying to Navy OCS Packages, waivers, the ASTB, and what a board actually sees.
  • Navy Officer Designators and Career Paths Pick the community before you judge your odds.
  • PCS Money and Allowances TLE, BAH, PPM — the money nobody explains before you move.
  • VA Home Loans What the loan actually does, and what prequalification is not.
Navy officer with Ensign bars after OCS, headed to Nuclear Power School
  • Navy OCS Journey

Got Orders to Nuke (Power) School? Life After OCS

12 months ago
Add Comment

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...

Basic Division Officer Course (BDOC) students graduate from phase one of their training at the Mariner Skills Training Center, Atlantic
  • Veteran Benefits

Continuation Pay Waiver: How to Beat Promotion Time Limits

12 months ago
Add Comment

Need a continuation pay waiver but worried about E6 promotion time limits? Learn how the IPPS-A process works, what your retention NCO can actually do, and how to get un-stuck.

Students in Officer Candidate School (OCS), Class 10-26, at Officer Training Command Newport (OTCN)
  • US Navy

Low GPA OCS: Can a 2.6 GPA Get You In?

1 year ago
Add Comment

A 2.6 GPA makes Navy OCS a long shot, but not impossible. Learn the GPA minimum, what else matters, and how enlistment can become your commissioning path.

Capt. Thomas Bullock, left, reads his orders during a change-of-command ceremony for Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 12 held aboard USS California
  • US Navy

Overseas Screening Dependent: DEA Disaster

1 year ago
Add Comment

Avoid a costly DEA disaster when moving to Japan as a military dependent. Learn how proper overseas screening and Dependent Entry Approval are critical for a smooth PCS to Yokosuka.

Brad Schmid, a school liaison officer for Fleet Activities Yokosuka’s Child and Youth Program
  • US Navy

Navy Recruiting Duty: What to Expect for Family Stability

1 year ago
Add Comment

Considering reenlisting for recruiting duty to stay near home? Learn what this shore duty really involves, from quota pressure and sales skills to the reality of hometown assignments.

Spanish Navy Ship ESPS Alvaro De Bazan (F101) returns to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to participate in the final events of Exercise Rim of
  • US Navy

MEPS Medical Waiver for Past Alcohol Poisoning and Therapy

1 year ago
Add Comment

Wondering if a past hospitalization for alcohol poisoning, Adderall use, and therapy will prevent you from becoming a Navy officer? Here's what you need to know about MEPS waivers, GENESIS, and...

Lt. Cmdr. Samuel Cho, a chaplain assigned to Fleet Activities Yokosuka
  • Veteran Benefits

BAH Documents for Basic Training: What to Bring |

1 year ago
Add Comment

Learn which documents you need to bring to Navy OCS or basic training to set up Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for your spouse, and how the Navy determines the dependent's location.

Curtis Abbott signs his Navy enlistment contract at the Kansas City, Mo., Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS). He and his mother
  • Veteran Benefits

Navy Enlistment Bonus for A-PACT: What to Know

1 year ago
Add Comment

Learn how enlistment bonuses really work for the Airman PACT program, why non-citizens often don't qualify, and what to consider before signing—from a retired Navy officer's perspective.

The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia (SSGN 729) transits the East River as she returns to her homeport at Naval Submarine Base
  • US Navy

Recruiter Ghosting: Your OCS Recruiter Disappeared

1 year ago
Add Comment

If your Navy recruiter ghosted you after scheduling a Saturday appointment for OCS, don't panic. Here's what's happening and how to get back on track.

Philippine Coast Guard personnel assigned to PCG Gabriela Silang-class offshore patrol vessel BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV 8301) conduct a Maritime
  • US Navy

BDCP vs Reserve Enlisted: Which Path to a Navy Commission?

1 year ago
Add Comment

Considering the Navy? Learn why the Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program (BDCP) is often a better bet than enlisting in the Reserve first, and how competitive it really is.

Previous 1 … 3 4 5 6 7 … 13 Next

Categories

  • Navy OCS Journey (22)
  • US Navy (81)
  • Veteran Benefits (26)

Trending

  • Navy OCS Candio box care-package tradition
    Navy OCS – Candio Box
    19,988 views
  • Navy OCS third-class swim qualification training
    Navy OCS Swim Test: 3rd Class Swim Qualification
    18,627 views
  • Navy OCS candidate officer phase, Weeks 10 to 12
    Navy OCS – Candidate Officer (Week 10, 11, 12)
    17,314 views

Video

Officer Candidate School - Newport RI

Quick Read

  • Naval Flight Officer: A Great Gig Worth Considering
    6 min read
  • Dress Blues Inspection
    Apply for VA Home Loan: Correct Order of Steps
    7 min read
  • visit board search and seizure training
    Navy OCS Immediate Select: Still Available?
    6 min read
  • NAVSUP Commander Speaks at Town Hall Meeting
    Rota vs Sigonella: Which Navy Duty Station Is Better for
    6 min read

Advertisement

From the OCS Journey

  • Navy OCS Candio box care-package tradition
    Navy OCS – Candio Box
    19,988 views
  • Navy OCS third-class swim qualification training
    Navy OCS Swim Test: 3rd Class Swim Qualification
    18,627 views
  • Navy OCS candidate officer phase, Weeks 10 to 12
    Navy OCS – Candidate Officer (Week 10, 11, 12)
    17,314 views

Worth a Read

  • Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) John Perryman, right, tours the King Hall officer candidate dormitory
    No, Marines Aren’t Training at Great Lakes:...
    4 min read
  • U.S. Consul General of Naples Terrence Flynn, (left), and Capt. Benjamin Foster, commanding officer, U.S. Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples
    Debt and Military Service: What You Need to Know
    4 min read
  • Navy OCS third-class swim qualification training
    Navy OCS Swim Test: 3rd Class Swim Qualification
    9 min read

Most Popular

  • Navy OCS Candio box care-package tradition
    Navy OCS – Candio Box
    19,988 views
  • Navy OCS third-class swim qualification training
    Navy OCS Swim Test: 3rd Class Swim Qualification
    18,627 views
  • Navy OCS candidate officer phase, Weeks 10 to 12
    Navy OCS – Candidate Officer (Week 10, 11, 12)
    17,314 views
Copyright © 2026.The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense visual information does not imply or constitute DOD endorsement. Full disclaimers.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclaimers
  • Privacy Policy