Would I be able to leave OCS for the weekend prior to it's conclusion for my wedding?

Tyler Lockett — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 19:12:44 -0500

Before making the decision to enlist in the Army, My fiancee and I began to plan our wedding due to the fact that her family is from abroad and we wanted to allow a reasonable amount of notice for them to be able to accumulate the funds for travel expenses. During that time period I became interested in the military as a career path, have enlisted, and passed the OCS board. My documentation is showing that the OCS process will be 11 weeks and 2 days. The wedding date is set for the Friday of the 11 week of the cycle. Would it be possible for me to take leave for that one day and return to finish out the remaining two days?

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 6 at 2020 8:55 PM

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 20:55:24 -0500

Unless someone can prove me wrong with personal experience, I fear you may be hosed. Generally speaking, every day of recruit training or officer training is planned out, even the off-hours are planned-out to be off-hours.

However...though you may not get LEAVE, per se, you probably have some form of liberty on the weekends by that stage. You’re not getting married in that city, by chance, are you?

If it requires travel away from OCS, especially by air, I think you’re hosed. For regular troops, 50 miles is the limit during normal overnights. I doubt you’d get that much during OCS.

The military is often very inflexible during initial training. During officer basic course, I observed a pair of lieutenants who dated for years at the Naval Academy, and planned to get married in September before their class began in October. Well, bad news—you both got advanced to the class starting in September. They reported for active duty on Thursday with the wedding planned on Saturday. Can we get leave beyond just the weekend so we can go pretty much ANYWHERE for the honeymoon? Answer: no.

(Even funnier was when they put each other down as beneficiaries for their SGLI. Because their beneficiary was not a spouse or family, they had to do special paperwork signed by the CO. But we ARE getting married! Yeah, but you’re not married TODAY. Can’t we just wait, and execute this on Monday? No. Has to be today, first day of active duty.)

(Even funnier: they were in trouble by the end of the six-month course, simply because they were assigned to different platoons, and didn’t see each other every day. Ultimately, he got orders to Okinawa, and she got orders to the east coast, and we all knew they were done.)

So I think your best bet is to reschedule or relocate something. Maybe the chapel on post? Something. I’m sorry.

Response by LTC Mark Beattie made Jan 6 at 2020 8:58 PM

LTC Mark Beattie — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 20:58:37 -0500

I suppose anything is possible, but as a former OCS graduate it’s not something I recommend, nor would I count on. If possible I would try to delay the wedding to allow you to graduate, then get married. I realize that this may involve changing reservations, etc, but the Army is not obligated and may not be willing accommodate your request. This may be a good way of introducing your future wife to the reality of the US Army and what she can expect as the spouse of a soldier. Good luck on this challenge!!

Response by CPT Tommy Curtis made Jan 6 at 2020 9:35 PM

CPT Tommy Curtis — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 21:35:19 -0500

Only if you are given a weekend pass, and those are never guaranteed in OCS. If one person screws up you are screwed. You would be required to report back on Sunday afternoon anyway.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 6 at 2020 9:45 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 21:45:44 -0500

I wouldn’t bet on it. Unless things have changed since when I went, every day is planned and mandatory and your weekends are not guaranteed and often taken away especially if the barracks are dirty or something. Best to hold off the wedding until after you get to your first unit if possible because BOLC might not be ideal either. Also, let the Seahawks know you might not make any kind of press event or practice during that period either.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 6 at 2020 10:05 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 22:05:55 -0500

As others have mentioned, now is the time to plan on rescheduling the wedding.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Jan 6 at 2020 11:25 PM

MAJ Byron Oyler — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 23:25:35 -0500

If you want the Army to be a career, you and your fiancé need to put the Army first in your lives, period. If you don't, one of those goals, the Army career or marriage won't make it to 20yrs. Harsh I know but it is reality.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 7 at 2020 2:30 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 02:30:00 -0500

Can you take leave from a school? No. That's a hard no. You can take emergency leave, and then you would have to recycle the school. Every school has a limited number of hours of POI you can miss before failing. Schools don't have the authority to grant leave because they are not your station and their Commanders are not your commander.
Reschedule OCS or reschedule your wedding.

Response by CPL Gary Pifer made Jan 7 at 2020 12:10 PM

CPL Gary Pifer — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 12:10:43 -0500

Sure...ask to have the wedding at the Chapel... speak with a Chaplin... might be good PR.. invite the base commander.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jan 7 at 2020 4:29 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 16:29:37 -0500

Where do you plan of having the wedding? Why do you want to have the wedding during OCS? Typically the last few weeks of OCS is like college, and your barracks become a dormitory. You have the nights and weekends off.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 7 at 2020 8:57 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 20:57:18 -0500

You may wanna have a chat with the soon to be Mrs. and think about rescheduling your wedding until AFTER OCS.

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 9 at 2020 6:36 PM

2LT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 18:36:55 -0500

I hate to say this but it purely depends on your cadre speak to them way ahead to figure that out

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 4 at 2020 9:21 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 21:21:42 -0500