2nd Increment 2014 Graduation
Attended DS’s graduation from OCS this weekend. The entire weekend was well done and we enjoyed some of the best weather Virginia could possibly offer during August. In fact, it was uncharacteristically cool with low humidity. The OCS staff did a great job organizing the events and the graduation parade was first class.
Family day starts with a 5-mile motivational run for the candidates led by the OCS Commanding Officer. The route is posted on the OCS website along with the start and turnaround times. We positioned ourselves near the turnaround site so we could see the unit both ways – good thing as we missed DS on the outbound leg. Finally saw him on the return leg. We stood along with 50 other parents/ families at the corner of Anderson and Caitlin Avenues. The runners hit our spot around 6:15am. Running in formation was nothing new for the candidates but having folks on either side of the road cheering them on certainly picked them up a bit!
Hint: Getting on base at 5:30am at the main gate can be a little slow and backed up. Plan accordingly. All you need to show is your driver’s license to gain access.
Family day orientation is an hour-long presentation led by the OCS Commanding Officer. The presentation began at 8:30am. He did a great job describing the objectives and training cycle at OCS. I was surprised at the attrition rates for the NROTC students. Remember, these are candidates that have been on Scholarship for 3 years and vetted extensively over that time. Most have had some exposure to the military via the summer cruises. All should have been briefed and prepared for the OCS course by their schools. Still, 22% failed to complete the course. According to the CO’s brief: “147 NROTC candidates arrived at OCS, 138 began training with Company L of that 108 (78.26%) are scheduled to graduate this cycle; compared to 131 of 170 (77.1%) that graduated from Company G in 2d Inc Summer 2013.” The reasons provided were: DOR (2), Not Physically Qualified (3), Performance issues (21) and Integrity issues (4) = 30 drops.
The CO’s brief is posted here:
https://www.trngcmd.usmc.mil/OCS/FA...AMILY DAY IL CO COMMAND BRIEF SUMMER 2014.pdf
Following the brief, parents are escorted to the parade deck where the candidates are standing in formation. They are dismissed from there and free to spend several hours on liberty. There is a formal tour of The Basic School (TBS) offered but we couldn’t convince our DS to participate. He wanted to get off base and away from things. I think it was a missed opportunity – he doesn’t. Anyway, we were able to get off base and have a leisurely lunch and sit in hotel for a while. DS had to be back by 4:30pm. This turned out to be a challenge.
Hint: It seems all of Virginia and the eastern seaboard spends their Saturdays in a parking lot known as I-95. I suppose their intent is to head to the shore or something but honestly it may have been the worst traffic jam I have ever encountered. We were staying in Woodbridge, VA which is 8 miles from the main gate entrance for Quantico. We left at 2:30pm and got our DS to the barracks at 4:25! 2 hours to go 8 miles! We had one panicked candidate in the car who threatened more than once to get out and run back. No idea if coming north was any better – it didn’t look like it.
The graduation parade was on Saturday morning. The parking area opened at 8:00am and the parade was at 9:00am. We arrived shortly after 8:00 and were some of the first to get to the stands. There was a steady stream of vehicles and by 8:30am the stands were pretty full. From our vantage point, there were always seats available but you end up having to climb over people to get to an empty spot on the bleachers. People were arriving and finding spots all the way up to the start of the parade. On good thing about arriving early is that we got to see the final practice and saw where DS would be for the event. Lots of good picture opportunities as well.
The graduation was exceptionally well done and the fantastic weather made it even better. Afterwards, the candidates are dismissed and meet up with family, friends and fellow candidate for pictures.
One final comment from a former Marine. I could not be more impressed with the OCS staff and active duty Marines I saw this weekend. They are carrying on the Marine standards in an exemplary fashion. I reserve the right to pull out the “old Corps” card every once in a while but mostly in jest. I am confident that the young men and women graduating this weekend have passed the bar and will honor the past while forging the future. I have to admit I got a little choked up during the ceremony and greeting my son afterwards. Semper Fi!