Pick up is next week, Nic!

I probably won't have much time to post anything next week, since Nic is off work. So I thought I would give you all this website now.

www.ocs.usmc.mil

They'll be posting pictures throughout training and I'm sure there'll be some of Nic. For those of you who are not too internet savvy, don't worry I'll be copying and pasting a lot, I'm sure :-)

Keep praying everyone, that Nic's tendonitis doesn't cause him any problems while he is there!

I'll leave you with this, taken from the website:


The following information will give you an idea of what your loved one is going through while at Officer Candidates School, give you some tips that will help you, and your candidate adjust, and helpful websites that will ease your transition as a family member of a candidate undergoing Marine Officer training.

The day your loved one leaves for officer candidate school he or she willingly embarks on a noble and difficult journey that tests their mental agility, physical prowess and moral strength as they partake in training and evaluation with aspirations of ultimately earning the right of passage to become a U.S. MarineCorps Officer and serve our country.

The OCS training regime offers unique and challenging features that no other service has – itwill always remain professional, fair and safe, reflective of our Country’s finest military force. You are assured that the well-being and care of the son or daughter of America’s parents is of utmost concern and they are treated with respect and dignity.

Description of Officer Candidate Training
"Ductus Exemplo – Leadership by Example"
The mission of Marine Officer Candidate School is to train, evaluate, mentor and screen officer candidates to ensure they possess the moral, intellectual and physical qualities for commissioning and the leadership potential to serve successfully as company grade officers in the Fleet Marine Force. Marines are forged in a furnace of shared hardship and tough training. This intense experience creates bonds of camaraderie, esprit de corps, and standards of conduct so strong that Marines will let nothing stand in the way of accomplishing their mission. Marine Corps officer candidates are trained and challenged not only physically and mentally, but morally as well. These three challenges, when combined, forge the bedrock of the character of a Marine officer.

The Training Cycle
Officer candidate training is divided into fivephases and is broken down by Training Week(Wk). Each phase builds upon the other, reinforces those skills and values necessary tobecome a Marine Officer, and provides goals forthe candidates.
Phase I
In-Processing (Days 1 - 4) is the beginning, where the foundation and reinforcement of Core Values and ethics starts, and where candidates begin administrative and medical in- processing, receiving there gear and uniforms, take the Initial Physical Fitness Test(IPFT), learn basic military customs and courtesies and are placed in their respective training company.