Hooray!! Selected for OCC-202!

The news I have been hoping to hear for almost a year just came this morning!  Pending physical (which should be fine) I am headed to OCS in October!  Captain Smith, Pittsburgh OSO and helo pilot, called me with the good news this morning.

To celebrate, I had to run a pre-ship PFT today (a fair 275) and fill out alot of paperwork.  Ehh government..

The Latest Word on Minimum PFT Scores

• Hi all, if you’re in the process of applying to OCS now with a PFT score between 225 and 275, I wouldn’t feel totally confident that my score is above the minimum if I were you!  With the economy the way it is, there have been an unusually high number of applicants, especially college grads.  Since the Corps can’t accept everyone, some applicants with passing scores have been rejected, or bumped for consideration in the next pool.  
• My OSO has heard in the last week that a “probable” score to get in has dropped from 285 to 275 recently.  
• In other news, officer selection officers have been instructed that air contracts are preferred.  
• Last tip of the day: you might not hear if you get accepted to OCS until even the month before you would have to deploy!  So hang in there, get that PFT score up, don’t count on OCS class you pick!
• Just some good tips you all might be able to use. 

 

My PFT Score Is Too Low??

My pullups, post-PFT…pre-PFT?

I talked to an anonymous Marine officer on recruiting detail about getting into OCS “these days.”  Apparently, with a recent glut of candidates, you OCS hopefuls can’t count on a >225 PFT, the passing grade, as your ticket in.

Some are estimating that with so many qualified candidates, anyone under a 275 isn’t going to be a lock.

You gotta do your pullups!

Beware!

Personally that was concerning (with my 266), but the good news for me was that my application was sent in too early, so I still have chances to redo my PFT.  Since I would have had a near-300 if my pullups were over 15 (75/100 possible points), I am working hardcore on my pullups.

The good news is, Yay!  I set a new personal record this week!  I got 19!  So I am pretty happy about that.  I could only do 10, 11 on a good day in a row last summer and now I’ve worked all the way up to 19.

Hope that’s motivational for you!

Beginning my search online

First off, I will shamelessly link to some more comprehensive sites where a Marine hopeful can find a wealth of generic information.  Obviously I hope my story will inform well, but I don’t intend to clearly spell out each and every step it takes.  That stuff is available elsewhere, and it’s not personal but it is boring.  

A great site to begin one’s search is 
http://wpamarineofficer.com/
, which is the website of the recruiter I’ve been working with, Major Wolf.

He is out of the OSS (Officer Selection Service) of Pittsburgh.  For each state or geographic area (portion of a state) there is a USMC OSS to recruit specifically for officers.

I’m copying straight from his site some portions that apply to my plan:

 

Officers Candidate Course

Officer Candidate Class (OCC) is designed specifically for college seniors and graduates with ambitions to become a Marine Corps officer. Candidates in this program attend a ten-week course at Officer Candidates School (OCS) in Quantico, Virginia. Those who graduate from OCS are offered a commission as a Marine officer, and those who accept are immediately assigned to active service and begin attending The Basic School.

 

Pay and Benefits

Candidate Status:

Approximately $ 4,530.00 for ten week course Best summer leadership internship in existence. No obligation to serve in the military after training. You decide.

Marine Officer Status:

Your salary as a Second Lieutenant will exceed $ 43,000.00 per year with pay increases annually. If you start PLC as a freshman your annual salary will be over $49,000 annualy Full medical and dental coverage for you and your family 30 days’ paid vacation annually 100% Tuition paid for any further education you take on active duty Post-graduate educational opportunities Retirement after 20 years of active service Adventure and daily professional challenge Transferable and marketable skills. Inc. Magazine has described Marine Corps officer training as “the best management training in the world.” Unmatched camaraderie, pride, and esprit de corps