Officer Development School
Brief summary of what to expect at Officer Development School. There is a great section on a previous blog there is referenced here: http://navynurse26.weebly.com/ods.html.
I went to ODS in May-June of 2016.
I went to ODS in May-June of 2016.
Getting to and arriving at OTCN
Once you receive orders you will finally get your date for ODS or officer development school which is located in Newport, Rhode Island. The government will be responsible for booking your travel to ODS unless you are driving there. Depending on when you get your orders, which should be ideally a month or more before your ODS date (sometimes it is much less unfortunately), your flight should be booked a couple weeks before you leave. You will receive an email with a flight itinerary included, it will have your flight information and confirmation code included that you use to check in to the flight.
The day before your flight you will check in and then the next day its time to roll. Catch your flight and once you get to Providence airport you will need to get a taxi to the base. There is only one taxi company that access to base so make sure to look that up on the OTCN website before you leave, I can't remember which company it is. Also make sure you keep your taxi receipt because you can get reimbursed for your taxi ride once you are at ODS. Once you get to OTCN (Officer Training Command Newport) you will check in to King Hall, the taxi company that takes you on base should drop you off right in front of King Hall. Everyone either arrives on Saturday or Sunday throughout the day and night time. The quarterdeck (entrance/main deck of any Naval ship or building) is maned at all times during the weekend so there will always be someone at the desk to check you in. You will check in at the desk and they will give you your check in folder with all your paperwork in it. They will also give you your room assignment, there are three numbers, like mine was 4310, the first number is the deck (floor), second number is the wing number, and third number is the room. So I was on the 4th deck, 3rd wing, 10th room. It's really confusing when you first arrive but luckily there was some DCIOC students there when I arrived and they could tell I was lost so they helped me find my home.
After you find your room you can settle in. Unpack your things, make your bed, and get a good night's sleep. Ask around for someone who knows how to make a rack (bed). You will be expected to have them made the first day, not perfect but try your best to make them the best you can. Your check in folder will contain a ton of paperwork that you will need to fill out before you meet with your class officer on Sunday. There should be a board when you arrive with instructions on how to fill out all the forms. I arrived on a Saturday night so I had some of the day Sunday to explore, go to the gym, experience the galley for the first time, and generally just settle in. Sunday we met with our class officer at 1300 and he gave us instructions for the next day when we would meet our class chief.
The day before your flight you will check in and then the next day its time to roll. Catch your flight and once you get to Providence airport you will need to get a taxi to the base. There is only one taxi company that access to base so make sure to look that up on the OTCN website before you leave, I can't remember which company it is. Also make sure you keep your taxi receipt because you can get reimbursed for your taxi ride once you are at ODS. Once you get to OTCN (Officer Training Command Newport) you will check in to King Hall, the taxi company that takes you on base should drop you off right in front of King Hall. Everyone either arrives on Saturday or Sunday throughout the day and night time. The quarterdeck (entrance/main deck of any Naval ship or building) is maned at all times during the weekend so there will always be someone at the desk to check you in. You will check in at the desk and they will give you your check in folder with all your paperwork in it. They will also give you your room assignment, there are three numbers, like mine was 4310, the first number is the deck (floor), second number is the wing number, and third number is the room. So I was on the 4th deck, 3rd wing, 10th room. It's really confusing when you first arrive but luckily there was some DCIOC students there when I arrived and they could tell I was lost so they helped me find my home.
After you find your room you can settle in. Unpack your things, make your bed, and get a good night's sleep. Ask around for someone who knows how to make a rack (bed). You will be expected to have them made the first day, not perfect but try your best to make them the best you can. Your check in folder will contain a ton of paperwork that you will need to fill out before you meet with your class officer on Sunday. There should be a board when you arrive with instructions on how to fill out all the forms. I arrived on a Saturday night so I had some of the day Sunday to explore, go to the gym, experience the galley for the first time, and generally just settle in. Sunday we met with our class officer at 1300 and he gave us instructions for the next day when we would meet our class chief.
First few days...
The first few days at ODS will be very early days but honestly it was like that the entire time we were there. During the week there was never a day that we didn't need to be up and doing something by at least 0500. Some weekend we were able to sleep in a little but we always went to chow together so the latest I slept in during the 5 weeks was 0630. Be prepared to be exhausted. I always got up way before we needed to be ready because you have to get ready, make sure your bed is good, clean up, etc. Make sure you bring a blanket with you because you will not be sleeping under your sheets, or at least I didn't. You will not have time to completely remake a bed in morning so just sleep on top of your sheets.
The first time you meet your chief is a little intense, our company was really really nervous for this but it wasn't too bad. He will raise his voice but they can't RPT (remedial physical training) you until after they brief you and train you on the PT standards. Its actually pretty ridiculous, the first like 4 days you are there you are not allowed to do physical training of any kind and you have no time on your own to try and work out, plus you are absolutely exhausted. After you do your first PT brief then the chiefs can use PT as punishment and believe me they will. We did a lot of push ups, leg lifts and holds, bear crawls, sprints, etc. But every class chief is different, the other company did not do nearly as much RPT as we did so it all depends on your chief.
Also be sure to make friends with all the prior enlisted! They will be your lifesavers and will teach you most of the things you need to know about bed making, wearing your uniform, what to expect in the fleet, etc. They are your best resource and I know for a fact my time would not have been as valuable and worthwhile without all the prior enlisted folks we had in our company. My roommate was prior enlisted and I was so glad to have her as my roommate. She could help me with so many things. We even had a couple of prior chiefs in our class and they were for sure the best resource we had. There is a saying in the Navy, "Officers run the Navy but Chiefs make the Navy run". This statement is completely true! You will learn to love, trust, and need your chief!
The first time you meet your chief is a little intense, our company was really really nervous for this but it wasn't too bad. He will raise his voice but they can't RPT (remedial physical training) you until after they brief you and train you on the PT standards. Its actually pretty ridiculous, the first like 4 days you are there you are not allowed to do physical training of any kind and you have no time on your own to try and work out, plus you are absolutely exhausted. After you do your first PT brief then the chiefs can use PT as punishment and believe me they will. We did a lot of push ups, leg lifts and holds, bear crawls, sprints, etc. But every class chief is different, the other company did not do nearly as much RPT as we did so it all depends on your chief.
Also be sure to make friends with all the prior enlisted! They will be your lifesavers and will teach you most of the things you need to know about bed making, wearing your uniform, what to expect in the fleet, etc. They are your best resource and I know for a fact my time would not have been as valuable and worthwhile without all the prior enlisted folks we had in our company. My roommate was prior enlisted and I was so glad to have her as my roommate. She could help me with so many things. We even had a couple of prior chiefs in our class and they were for sure the best resource we had. There is a saying in the Navy, "Officers run the Navy but Chiefs make the Navy run". This statement is completely true! You will learn to love, trust, and need your chief!
ODS Schedule
- 0400--Wake up and get ready (will be different depending on the amount of time you need to get ready)
- 0445--Assemble for PT
- 0500--PT
- 0600--Breakfast
- 0645--Hygiene
- 0730--Quarters
- 0730-Lunchtime--Academics
- Lunchtime-1700--Academics
- 1730--Dinner
- 2200--Lights out
This schedule will vary a lot depending on where you are in training. The first week you will have no free time but eventually you will have more and more. Use your free time wisely because unfortunately even your free time should be filled with something; shining shoes, getting uniforms ready, laundry, study, etc.
Things to know for ODS
Please see the link above for this section. Carolyn, who was my inspiration for my blog, created a great list of things to know before ODS. I will add a few other things I think need attention but please visit her blog to see more great information on ODS.
-Carolyn mentions that snacks are not allowed in your room in ODS, while this is true I am a snacker so I needed them! I brought little things of peanut butter, snack bars, and protein bars. Just don't get caught eating in your room, make a mess, and most importantly DO NOT LEAVE YOUR LOCKER UNLOCKED. Then they will find it and you will pay!
-I would bring both Shout wipes and a Tide-2-Go pen. They both work great. Shout wipes are for bigger stains on the whites and the Tide pen is good for little stains. Also do not use these on your khakis unless you are immediately throwing them into the wash or washing the spot with water after. If you just use the Shout wipes or Tide pen on your khakis they will leave a stain. They work great on whites though!
-Carolyn already said this in her blog but start memorizing the gouge (or ODS smart pack thing online) before you leave! You will not have much time to memorize it and as much as you think you won't need to know it all (or maybe that was just me) you will! The only thing we didn't need to know (and keep in mind it could be different for your class) was the Navy Ethos. We were never asked that but I think its because its so long and they just don't want to listen to the whole thing.
-Pick a collateral duty if you can, it looks good and it also gives you practice doing collaterals. I was the information officer which I actually enjoyed. My job was to present information that either chief or our class officer had asked us to look up, or just random information for that day and I was expected to present at morning quarters. I enjoyed it because it forced me to speak in front of a large group too which I have always had a fear of so it was good practice. Our chief always said, "get comfortable being uncomfortable", that has definitely been true for ODS and my transition into the fleet. There are lots of collateral duties the most time consuming are DIVO, ADIVO, Admin O, and probably the Social O.
Overall ODS really is not that bad! Its actually...dare I say...fun! There will be some tough times and some frustrating times but just work together and watch out for each other and you will be fine. Plan and simple you can't really "fail" out of ODS unless you do something very, very bad. That said, it is what you make it. A lot of people in my class didn't really take it seriously because you can't fail, which was really frustrating for me. Medical personnel are more relaxed when it comes to military bearing but I still think that you should not be one of those medical personnel. Take this opportunity seriously and know that the enlisted sailors you lead are held to an extremely high standard of military bearing in their basic training so they will expect you to do the same. I personally think that ODS should be like OCS but I understand why its not. However please take it seriously and know that even if you are not going straight into the fleet you will use everything they teach you in ODS. They will say, "the fleet is different", which I am finding it is. But the one thing they say that will always be true is that you will always be under a microscope, chief always said, "always watched, always judged". It is SO true, I am finding in the fleet that everyone is always watching you. As a JO they expect you to mess up and understand but as you get higher and higher you are expected to be on point, so just practice now!
Biggest thing is get to know all your fellow ODS students, you will miss them when you all go your separate ways I guarantee! And you will stay in touch with some and eventually see some of them in the fleet again. Make friends, have fun, and learn the ways of the Navy.
Congratulations on taking your first step in your career as a Naval Officer! See you in the fleet! :)
-Carolyn mentions that snacks are not allowed in your room in ODS, while this is true I am a snacker so I needed them! I brought little things of peanut butter, snack bars, and protein bars. Just don't get caught eating in your room, make a mess, and most importantly DO NOT LEAVE YOUR LOCKER UNLOCKED. Then they will find it and you will pay!
-I would bring both Shout wipes and a Tide-2-Go pen. They both work great. Shout wipes are for bigger stains on the whites and the Tide pen is good for little stains. Also do not use these on your khakis unless you are immediately throwing them into the wash or washing the spot with water after. If you just use the Shout wipes or Tide pen on your khakis they will leave a stain. They work great on whites though!
-Carolyn already said this in her blog but start memorizing the gouge (or ODS smart pack thing online) before you leave! You will not have much time to memorize it and as much as you think you won't need to know it all (or maybe that was just me) you will! The only thing we didn't need to know (and keep in mind it could be different for your class) was the Navy Ethos. We were never asked that but I think its because its so long and they just don't want to listen to the whole thing.
-Pick a collateral duty if you can, it looks good and it also gives you practice doing collaterals. I was the information officer which I actually enjoyed. My job was to present information that either chief or our class officer had asked us to look up, or just random information for that day and I was expected to present at morning quarters. I enjoyed it because it forced me to speak in front of a large group too which I have always had a fear of so it was good practice. Our chief always said, "get comfortable being uncomfortable", that has definitely been true for ODS and my transition into the fleet. There are lots of collateral duties the most time consuming are DIVO, ADIVO, Admin O, and probably the Social O.
Overall ODS really is not that bad! Its actually...dare I say...fun! There will be some tough times and some frustrating times but just work together and watch out for each other and you will be fine. Plan and simple you can't really "fail" out of ODS unless you do something very, very bad. That said, it is what you make it. A lot of people in my class didn't really take it seriously because you can't fail, which was really frustrating for me. Medical personnel are more relaxed when it comes to military bearing but I still think that you should not be one of those medical personnel. Take this opportunity seriously and know that the enlisted sailors you lead are held to an extremely high standard of military bearing in their basic training so they will expect you to do the same. I personally think that ODS should be like OCS but I understand why its not. However please take it seriously and know that even if you are not going straight into the fleet you will use everything they teach you in ODS. They will say, "the fleet is different", which I am finding it is. But the one thing they say that will always be true is that you will always be under a microscope, chief always said, "always watched, always judged". It is SO true, I am finding in the fleet that everyone is always watching you. As a JO they expect you to mess up and understand but as you get higher and higher you are expected to be on point, so just practice now!
Biggest thing is get to know all your fellow ODS students, you will miss them when you all go your separate ways I guarantee! And you will stay in touch with some and eventually see some of them in the fleet again. Make friends, have fun, and learn the ways of the Navy.
Congratulations on taking your first step in your career as a Naval Officer! See you in the fleet! :)