Will OCS or WOCS be like BCT?

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 09:04:32 -0500

I'm a 42R (musician) and I have been considering going to OCS or WOCS I meet all the academic requirements (degree, GT score, etc.) I just don't know what to expect, will it be like BCT again? I'm trying to weigh pros and cons of both, or if I just want to stay enlisted for now.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 10 at 2019 9:07 AM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 09:07:15 -0500

What are your motivations to be an officer (regular and Warrant)? What specifically are your fears? And yes, WOCS is like Basic Training, on steroids...with an added guilt trip because you’re not a trainee and you should know better.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 10 at 2019 9:31 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 09:31:45 -0500

Just like Chief Brooks said, for the OCS side you have to have the reasons why you want to be an officer straight. I would highly recommend you pursue a commission, WO or O, after you have spent a few years in the NCO corps. My experience in positions such as team leader, squad leader, and platoon sergeant have been invaluable in my officer career. But, to answer your original question, OCS is not BCT, it’s a different and sometimes frustrating experience. The frustrations mainly arise from your peers. Every one to two weeks, your student leadership changes. The college ops have no time in the Army and when they mess up, will impose policy out of gut reaction. Example, people are late to PT formation so they make a new policy that there will be a formation 30 minutes earlier. Then the student platoon Sergeants form up 30 minutes before that, etc. There were times at OCS I showed up to a 0600 PT formation at 0400. Also they would play little mental games like tell you that there will be a free weekend for all, but then you would get to Friday and the cadre would decide the barracks are dirty so it’s barracks cleaning and leaf raking detail all weekend. So different from BCT but there are other things that can get under your skin.

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 10 at 2019 11:38 AM

2LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 11:38:44 -0500

No OCS is not like Basic. The differences between the two is cadre in basic are creating a soldier and understand you do not know anything about soldiering. As where OCS, you are expected to know the basics when you first get there. Also, it depends on which company you go to. Charlie Company was known for being "like"basic training. They had zero liberties. Bravo Company was the more laid back company. They were allowed to leave base like the 2nd week. Alpha Company was a mixed between the two.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Feb 10 at 2019 5:30 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 17:30:26 -0500

OCS is like cramming the Army down your throat.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Feb 10 at 2019 10:47 PM

LTC Stephen C. — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 22:47:11 -0500

It’s been a long time since I graduated from OCS (JUN73), SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member, and even longer since I graduated from BCT (JAN70). However, BCT was a cakewalk compared to OCS. At the risk of angering many drill sergeants, OCS tactical (training) officers made BCT drill sergeants look like the baby sitters my parents used for me when I was a child.
Times may have changed the circumstances, but that was my experience.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jul 2 at 2019 4:33 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 16:33:17 -0400

OCS is filled with classes relating to army and a short field problem to gloss over infantry tactics. We were not given tests.