How’s life being an OC at JRTC or NTC?

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 00:10:57 -0400

I thinking about being a OC. How is it?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 24 at 2018 6:21 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 06:21:07 -0400

It depends on who you are, what you want out of the position and if you have a family. At NTC everything is planned well in advance. You work in the box for a set number of days, usually around 14. Then you will have RSOI and REGEN. So about 21 days of each month are dedicated to the player unit. There will also be units visiting for their rotation and you will have some data or slides to make for the AARs. I think it is a great job to be able to work with units in order to make them better. Some units welcome your observations/ comments and some do not. You will definitely learn how Big Army works. From the units home station training, their Road to War preparation. Movement by rail and air to get to the box etc. I could go on for days here. I think your family will need to have input if you have one. They need to understand that they are living away from town. Or that town is 2-3 away. You do get 4 days off after a rotation. And we traveled the entire state with three kids and two dogs. So it is doable. If you need anymore info shoot me a note. I'd go back today and OC if I could.

Response by SGT Joseph Gunderson made Apr 24 at 2018 2:10 PM

SGT Joseph Gunderson — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 14:10:54 -0400

I was a guest OCT once and I thought that it was awesome! I definitely came back from my short rotation knowing a lot more about my own MOS, what it meant to train soldiers, what my position as an NCO actually allowed me to do. It was a great experience. From the permanent party guys I got mixed reviews. I wanted to volunteer for a tour of duty as an OCT after my visit though.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 24 at 2018 9:45 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 21:45:04 -0400

I will tell you being an OC/T can be very rewarding. It's all about how much you put into the job, juat remember you are in that position not help the army improve units not make them look bad. As an OC/T I focused in more on the T portion of the job title. You may want to consider JMRC also in Europe, it's one of the best duty assignments I have had in the military.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 24 at 2018 9:45 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 21:45:53 -0400

Typo I meant you are in that position to Help the army improve units.

Response by 1SG Cj Grisham made Apr 26 at 2018 1:32 AM

1SG Cj Grisham — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 01:32:38 -0400

Being an OC was one of my favorite jobs in the Army. I was a bronco. The good news is that downrange time is pretty chill. Your schedule is set so you can plan family vacations pretty far in advance. You'll also become an expert at your job.