The first week at OCS is often referred to affectionately as hell week. From the first moment you report in, all the stuff you plan on bringing into the barracks is searched. You have a bunch of paperwork to fill out and sign about your background and qualifications. That is the last time you are treated like a civilian and all freedoms and self expression start to disappear one by one.
After you get all your personal items that can not be brought into the barracks taken care of, you are taken into the barracks in small groups. Upon entering the building, and still in the stair well, you are read a standard introduction and given some basic information (which at this point you really are not paying attention to). The second after the speech is over a large bass drum starts to beat and about a dozen candidate officers from the senior class rush in and start yelling at the top of their lungs. They concentrate on one person at a time until everyone is thoroughly freaked out. You are rushed up the stairs to be fitted for your first "uniform". I use the term "uniform" lightly because these clothes consist of a green one piece coverall, metal blast helmet and utility belt. The coverall is called a poopy suit and the helmet a chrome dome.
The poopy suit goes over your civilian clothes as soon as the candidate officers find your assigned room. If it takes them forever to find it, as in my case, they just continue to yell at you for being an annoyance. Once the poopy suit is on, you are told to stand at attention (hands clenched into a fist at your side, standing straight up, eyes staring straight ahead at a single point on the wall). You will continue to stand there for at least a few hours, do not even think about moving or looking around. You will be handed a sacked lunch and told to eat it while continuing to stand.
The rest of the day is devoted to medical paper work, basic instructions, some advice is given on how to succeed at OCS (pay attention no matter how badly you think you are being treated), your physical training (PT) uniform and basic necessities are issued and then you get your first buzz cut that you pay $8.00 for upfront.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday progress fairly smoothly, more instructions are given focusing on procedures like formations, proper greetings and most importantly chow hall. Morning PT starts and will continue for the next three months. You will be fitted for your real uniforms, some of which will need alterations. You will be given a "gouge pack" consisting of pens, paper and a small booklet of information you NEED to memorize as soon as possible. You will take this pack EVERYWHERE you go. If you are ever found without it, there will be repercussions. During meal times you will hold the pack out straight in front of you once you reach your seats. You will continue to hold it there until the entire class has set their trays down and gotten out their packs. This can be very very painful, it does not pay to be the first in line. The last people are encouraged to move quickly.
Thursday is a different matter entirely, today is the day you meet your class petty officer and drill instructor. It is guaranteed to be a painful experience. The candidate officers will have followed your class throughout the week and given daily reports to the drill instructor. You will be exhausted by the end of the day but the week is almost over and Friday is not particularly bad, unless your class screws something up, which they definitely will. Then you hear one of my favorite expressions, "get on your face."
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