I am interested in the history of OCS. Can you tell me how it was when you went? What did you study, and how was the experience?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 19:38:20 -0500

Response by SFC George Smith made Feb 22 at 2017 7:42 PM

SFC George Smith — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 19:42:42 -0500

LOL...
1978... Got Booted from National Guard OCS for exposing the Instructors Slush Fund...
so i sent them to jail... and Moved to another State

Response by LTC Trent Klug made Feb 22 at 2017 9:03 PM

LTC Trent Klug — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 21:03:00 -0500

I went thru National Guard Traditional OCS from March 1995 to August 1996. The curriculum was exactly the same as Federal OCS just spread over the 18 month time frame. I was able to keep working on my career with the Bureau of Prisons while chasing a commission. I was an enlisted infantryman and I commissioned as an Infantry officer. Went to MP OBC after having busted up my foot at Infantry school. Spent 12.5 years as an 0311 and 11B, almost 7 years as an 11A, and then re-branched MP in 2003 and been a 31A for the last 14 years. I retired with almost 21 years with the BOP in 2014 too.

Then from February 2008 to August 2010, I served as the OCS Company Commander.

Response by LTC Orlando Illi made Feb 22 at 2017 9:28 PM

LTC Orlando Illi — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 21:28:47 -0500

1978 Graduate of 50th Company - Ft. Benning, GA. Still in contact with my OCS Classmate. We both retires as LTC. Intense course - but nothing in life worth striving for should be easy.

Response by PVT Mark Brown made Feb 23 at 2017 1:42 AM

PVT Mark Brown — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 01:42:09 -0500

It was mid summer of 1968, I nearing completion of AIT (Signal School MOS 31M) The OCS recruiters called several of us into a meeting to discuss Signal OCS and asked all interested to apply at once. I did and after going through the little bit of stuff you have to endure nearly all of us were accepted to SIGNAL OCS - NOTE: SIGNAL OCS. After AIT was completed, graduation, etc. those of us headed to Signal OCS, which was also at Ft. Gordon were all piled on one of those good old green school buses with bag and baggage. We were left sitting on the bus for what seemed like forever. Finally some E7 came aboard to address us all as a unit. His news was the good news/bad news routine. We were told right off the bat that Signal OCS was filled to capacity and no openings were expected to become available at anytime in the near future. However, since we had all been selected and approved for OCS we would be leaving immediately for Ft Benning (I think it was Benning, may have been Bragg) to begin in-processing for Infantry school. At the end of his little dog and pony show the kindly SFC made an offer assuring us all that each of us to successfully complete Infantry OCS and become commissioned would be able to submit a branch transfer to Signal. Furthermore, any of you men not wishing to go on this bus ride are free to grab your gear and return to your company area. Well, as I looked back over my shoulder on the way back to the barracks it appeared that the green school bus had only two occupants, Sgt Driver and SFC Con Man. That was my OCS experience in 1968, just a few months after Tet. To some degree I regret I did not stay on the bus and give it a go at Infantry OCS. Can not go back now. What would you guys have done?