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Candidates face intense physical, mental, and leadership challenges across three phases: indoctrination, academic, and applied leadership. The training includes drills and physical challenges led by Marine instructors, as well as intense academic study in weapons, engineering, navigation, and leadership. OCS is designed to push candidates to their limits before earning the right to lead enlisted sailors.
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FunTranscript
00:00Let's go! What's going on? Get outside, let's go!
00:03S.T. Discipline!
00:05This is not boot camp.
00:08I need LASER! I need LASER!
00:11These are future Navy officers going through their initial training
00:15in officer candidate school
00:19Get off your knees!
00:22Where they will be accountable for the lives of the crew they command aboard their ship.
00:27In order!
00:28Business Insider followed Class 01 TAC 26
00:33at officer candidate school over 13 weeks
00:36following their progress through different phases of training
00:40We have a split seam on port side
00:43to find out how this demanding program
00:46transforms civilians and prior enlisted sailors into naval officers.
00:52You! The one that was just yelling at! Get on your feet!
00:55It's I now!
00:57I'm in!
00:58Every year, the Navy produces about 1900 new officers
01:03who graduate from OCS at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island.
01:08A naval officer is ultimately a leader.
01:11Every naval officer is going to have sailors that they're responsible for,
01:14people that they need to take care of, and programs that they need to manage.
01:17You should not be comfortable. You're saying that?
01:18Yes, sir!
01:19It's imperative that once they get through this training,
01:22they get out to the fleet ready to hit the ground running and ready to go start leading and running programs.
01:28All officer candidates must be U.S. citizens at least 19 years old, meet the Navy's physical requirements, and hold a four year college degree.
01:38Left! Right! Left! Left! Left!
01:41Some candidates are prior enlisted.
01:44So I've been in the Navy just under five years now.
01:47Going from enlisted to officer, I felt that I have adequate experience to give to the Navy and give to the country.
01:54So I joined in 2014 as an intelligence specialist.
01:57Yes, sir!
01:58And I would like to be that type of leader that my enlisted members could look up to and say,
02:02hey, if my ensign or my lieutenant or my commander isn't afraid to do it, I'm going to do it as well.
02:08Good morning, sir!
02:09Good morning, sir!
02:16I'm indoctrination candidate Kornhoff. I'm from Atlanta, Georgia.
02:20I'm 24 years old and I'm here at OCS to become a warfighter.
02:25What caught my eye was you were wearing a Dale Jr. shirt on day one.
02:28What was the story behind that? Was that just the first thing you grabbed out of the dresser or were you trying to make a statement?
02:33I'm a massive star car racing fan. I've been a fan for a couple years now and my college internship,
02:39what I was originally going for before I went to the military was actually to be a motorsports journalist.
02:44But I realized money's not so great in racing.
02:47They say that, uh, if you want to become a millionaire, start with a billion dollars and start a racing team.
02:53Next hand up.
02:55It's your seat bag. You just can hold it open like this.
02:59Go ahead and go to the next station.
03:01It's your seat bag. You'll be given everything you need. Go ahead and go to the next station.
03:06This is your knowledge bag. This is everything that you need in it.
03:10The indoctrination phase of OCS is week one to week three, where we teach them discipline, attention to detail, and spirit of core.
03:18During the in-doc phase, their privileges are minimal, right? They always have their rights.
03:22But as far as, you know, those things that we see as amenities in life, they do not have those.
03:27One count, zero, six, plus one, not to be a candidate.
03:31Say you heard her.
03:32Not to be a candidate.
03:34Not to be a candidate.
03:38We're getting up, sir.
03:39We're getting up, sir.
03:40We're getting up, sir.
03:41We're getting up, sir.
03:42First Tuesday is their first event of Officer Candidate School, where the students are introduced to the class team,
03:50myself, the two class officers, and the Recruit Division Commander, and we give them expectations.
03:54Our mission is to train each and one of you to become a United States Naval Officer.
03:59And I will send them lies, cheats, or compromise.
04:03At Navy OCS, the first phase of training is led by a Marine.
04:09Tignity and compassion.
04:11A tradition dating back to the 1940s.
04:13Am I, sir?
04:14Am I, sir?
04:15For this class, it's Gunnery Sergeant Pedro Guerrero.
04:19Hey!
04:20Hey!
04:20Hey!
04:21A Marine Corps drill instructor who's trained 12 Navy OCS classes.
04:26Never, never, never!
04:28Their drill instructor, they play a big part in the creation of discipline and bearing in this place.
04:35Push out!
04:36Push out!
04:37Push out!
04:38Push out!
04:40This event right here is going to be the first one that we've identified candidates that we think are going to struggle here.
04:46It's a wake-up call.
04:48They know where they are after this state.
04:51Push out!
04:52No, sir!
04:53I say lead on the deck!
04:54No, sir!
04:55Staff members circle the room, calling out mistakes and zeroing in on anyone who falls out of line.
05:03If they find a candidate that's making and exercising correctly, they will flag the leadership, and the leadership will pull that candidate and get him further evaluated in the back of the building.
05:16And at that point, they make a decision where the person has failed the event or not.
05:21Keep pushing!
05:22Let's go!
05:23Get up!
05:24Let's get up!
05:25Let's get up!
05:26Let's get up!
05:27Let's get up!
05:29Let's get up!
05:30We have offered numerous videos online of the experience here and what we expect physically.
05:36Between the recruiters and the internet, we expect that you should so appear and have a little bit of physical fitness in you.
05:41However, this is a training command, so we will take people's sons and daughters and get them to the standard that they need to be at.
05:49You don't know what's coming next, and you can't anticipate it.
05:52Is it that day or difficult, scream I, sir?
05:54Aye, sir!
05:55Head for it!
05:56Head for it!
05:57Head for it!
05:58Head for it!
05:59So once we finished with K, we exited the building, and then we came to the pit here in Nimitz.
06:04Move!
06:0524, 23, 22, 21.
06:07Squat!
06:08Squat!
06:09Squat!
06:10It's about militarization.
06:11It's about just introducing them to the things that they're not used to.
06:14I think when we came into the sandpit, it became a bit more challenging.
06:43Aye, sir!
06:44Not that many breaks between exercises.
06:47A lot of instructions and directions coming to you from different directions.
06:51It's a little intimidating, but that's the part of the curriculum.
06:55They try to break us down.
06:56Not that high, sir!
06:58You got 100 to go get in formation right now, 99, 98, 98.
07:01Aye, sir!
07:03Push the pressure!
07:042-minute 190!
07:05Move, move, move, move, move, move.
07:08Ten, nine, eight, seven, six!
07:12what are you supposed to do every time you pass a staff member do that over
07:25there anytime I'm gonna hold you accountable scream my sir how are you
07:30gonna find your daggone canteens without opening a daggone mouth to my
07:33sure why did you drink water well everybody is still waiting for data to
07:44drink water you just started to be individual huh I messed up sir I know
07:50you messed up that's why you were there my sir unfortunately I made a mistake and
07:54drink water when I was not supposed to and that caused me to get a little bit
07:59of extra training the instruction was if your canteen was empty to fall out of
08:08the formation so you can fill it up I had about two ounces left and did not want to
08:13be wrong so I said to myself let me drink this little bit of water so my canteen
08:17could be empty and I was not supposed to drink water during that time I call them
08:22an individual because everybody else is thirsty we're all thirsty and we're all
08:27hungry and we're all gonna do it together as a team this is what we're here for
08:30to be natural warfighters and to be the tip of the spear so every workout that we
08:35do is leading us in that direction five four three two one and you you're gonna
08:41grab your day on canteen and you're gonna go fall back in formation scream my
08:44go run spray now oh you look at me right now right now so we had to learn our lesson and I
09:00promise you we learned it sir be honest with you the sandpit was kind of fun it woke me up it really
09:11showed me all right I'm here this is what I signed up for I'm in the sandpit to go and be
09:18a leader in the United States Navy it hurts it's tough in the moment but afterwards you think to
09:27your system wow that was rewarding when I say why we dagger will think about that in our daggone
09:32freaking brain housing group and remember to keep pushing just a little bit more scream I sure why is
09:38as important as you say it is then now why is gonna take you a very very long way here in the
09:43next 13 weeks from my server I said I understand that I said what that 2 sex recalibrate I speak
09:54about the why because we all join the military for different reasons if you just remember the why when
09:59you start feeling tired then at that's at that point you're going to be able to just push a little
10:03more but you are going to do right now it's gonna go back upstairs you are going to hygiene that means you
10:07We're going to use soap and water to wash your daggone body.
10:10Scream, aye, sir.
10:11Aye, sir.
10:131, 2, 3.
10:142, 7.
10:151, 2, 3.
10:162, 8.
10:16Two days after First Tuesday,
10:19Are you turning around right now?
10:20Aye, sir.
10:21the candidates report for their initial strength test.
10:242, 3.
10:251, 2, 3.
10:262, 4.
10:27But even this early in training, some candidates didn't make it.
10:31Currently, we started at 1, 26, and we are down to 1, 22 right now.
10:36According to the schoolhouse, one candidate was excused to fly home for an emergency,
10:43while the other three were pulled from the course due to medical reasons.
10:49Medical will assess them and ensure that they are physically fit to come back into training.
10:54They will not fall back into my class, but they will fall back into the next class to start all over again.
10:59Are you ill today or no of any medical condition that may prevent you from participating in any physical activity today?
11:04The test assesses the candidates' physical readiness before they continue training.
11:09Through the head, shoulders, back, body, to legs.
11:11Just as such, stand by.
11:13Opposition.
11:14Each candidate must meet the Navy's minimum requirements in planks, push-ups,
11:20and a one-and-a-half-mile run scored by age and gender.
11:23I was told I was coming to Officer Kenneth School in November, so since then I've been trying to run a lot,
11:28at least two to three miles every other day.
11:31I personally felt very confident because I had put in so much work.
11:35I've been preparing for this program for about a year.
11:40It's hard, but it's a fun type of hard.
11:43Pushing yourself to that next level, that's what a lot of the people here are about.
11:49They want to be pushed to that next level.
11:50They want to push each other to that next level, and they want that challenge.
11:54All right, dude.
11:56There are seven.
11:58Get up. Get up. Get up.
12:00Get up, sir.
12:01We can tell me that John's is going to contact. How about that?
12:03All right, sir.
12:04All right, sir.
12:06Bring your hips down.
12:08It should be one straight line from here to your freaking feet.
12:10All right, sir.
12:11All the way up.
12:12Let's go!
12:13All the way up.
12:14Your whole body is going down together and come up together.
12:16All right, man.
12:16I did maybe 15 to 20 less push-ups than I could usually do
12:22because we've been beat pretty hard the past couple of days.
12:25You're going to go ahead, and you're going to stage the road.
12:27Stage on the road, utilizing both legs.
12:29Scream, aye, sir.
12:30Aye, sir.
12:31We had no failures for the run time,
12:33which is usually where most candidates struggle.
12:35It's the run.
12:37I think I came in physically prepared,
12:40but you can always be more physically prepared.
12:45Next camera.
12:47My name is Maddie Martin, and I am from Lansing, Michigan,
12:51and I am 21 years old.
12:53I've wanted to join the Navy since I was little.
12:55You know, I grew up in the Navy.
12:57It's pretty much all that I've ever known,
13:00and I just, I always knew that I wanted to serve.
13:02Before coming to OCS, I did not have any real swim experience.
13:10I never took any formal lessons.
13:11It wasn't anything I was very interested in,
13:13but I knew that I would have to prepare.
13:16In week two, the candidates are introduced
13:19to the combat pool for the first time
13:21for third-class swim qualification.
13:24Third-class is an entry-level course to get into the Navy.
13:28Everybody has to go through it.
13:29It's a basic war to survival.
13:30With either hand you want, you're going to grab your nose.
13:34Opposite on, crush the body.
13:35Grab your tricep, bicep.
13:36Candidates have to swim 50 yards
13:38using one of the four Navy-approved strokes.
13:42Freestyle breaststroke, side stroke, elementary backstroke.
13:46I practiced for about a month, two months.
13:48I talked to family members and friends that were good swimmers,
13:51and I had them show me.
13:53I spent a lot of hours in the pool before coming to OCS.
13:57Initially getting into the water, you know,
13:59it was just a slide in.
14:00It was simple.
14:01I was feeling okay, but I kept looking over at the tower.
14:05I knew I was going to have to jump off that.
14:06I'm not very comfortable in water,
14:08and I've never jumped that high.
14:10The intensity increases,
14:12as candidates are expected to jump from a 10-foot platform.
14:17You're trying to emulate an abandoned ship,
14:20so you have to be ready to get off immediately.
14:23First, I want you all to close your eyes
14:26or pick a spot on the floor or wall,
14:28something that is not moving so you can focus.
14:32Picture the water moving in the pool
14:34and the smell of chlorine in the air.
14:36They call it warrior toughness.
14:37A lot of it is rehearsing in your mind
14:40what you want to happen
14:42in order to get your mind and your body
14:45in the right frame to attack what you're about to do.
14:49When I got there, I thought,
14:52it's only about 10 feet.
14:53It doesn't look that daunting,
14:55and it's a whole lot more daunting
14:57when you're actually up there
14:58and your toes are, like, on the edge.
15:01You know you're about to fall off.
15:03It had me a little bit dizzy, I'll say,
15:05and I was not expecting that.
15:09It was my turn,
15:11and I was standing at the bottom of the ladder.
15:13As I was going up the ladder,
15:14I was feeling a little uneasy.
15:16My heart was racing,
15:17but I was able to mind over matter
15:19and just take that step and cross my ankles.
15:23It was a big victory for me.
15:25I was worried about how long it would take
15:27to come back up in the fall,
15:28but as soon as I surfaced
15:30and the instructor said,
15:31you're good, you can get out,
15:32I was ecstatic.
15:35I felt very good for the rest of the swim fall after that
15:38because I knew that that was going to be my biggest hurdle.
15:42We can teach everything but the tower.
15:45I can't teach you to have the strength
15:47and courage to step off the platform.
15:49Once the entire class has taken the jump,
15:52they immediately advance into two floating tests.
15:55The first, an unassisted float for five minutes.
16:01You don't think five minutes is a long time
16:03until you actually have to do it for five minutes.
16:05Floating on your back,
16:09it's a lot harder when you don't really float that well.
16:12For the final test,
16:13candidates must successfully fill their coveralls
16:16with enough air to keep them afloat.
16:30So what was so difficult about the coverall exercise
16:33was it's a pretty heavy suit once you jump in the water.
16:38I'm a small person
16:39and the jumpsuit that I was in was a little too big.
16:42So the legs,
16:43I wasn't able to kick my feet properly.
16:46So it took me three tries
16:47before I was finally able
16:48to do the motions that I needed to
16:51to get the bubbles in my coveralls.
16:55All right, you're good.
16:56Good job.
16:57Come on in.
16:58I was very happy that I passed that event.
17:04You know, I remembered all the work
17:05that I put into being able to do
17:07the swim qualification test.
17:09Get outside, let's go!
17:12Get outside!
17:15Come on, sir!
17:16Post out, you can't see me right now!
17:17Let's go! Post out!
17:19All right, sir!
17:19All right, sir!
17:20Are you facing the left right now?
17:23All right, sir!
17:24Facing the left right now!
17:25All right, sir!
17:26Okay, let's go!
17:27D-I-S-C!
17:30For me, school,
17:32it's what I've done my whole life.
17:34Hurry up!
17:35Fight faster!
17:37OCS is just a whole different caliber.
17:42Chief of the right now!
17:43The class of the right now!
17:44Push up!
17:45Push up, my sir!
17:46Push, push!
17:47You know, you're up at 0400.
17:50They're putting you into uncomfortable situations
17:52that no other organization in the world can do.
17:57S-O-N-D-I-S-C-I-P!
18:00My name's Ethan Larson.
18:01I'm from Chicago, Illinois.
18:03I'm 22 years old.
18:05I just graduated college,
18:07and yeah, now I'm right here at OCS doing more school.
18:11Hi, sir!
18:12How long have you known you wanted to join the Navy?
18:15I've known for a long time,
18:17probably around high school is when I knew,
18:19but my parents were never comfortable with the idea.
18:22You know, they've seen news stories
18:24about Houthi rebels shooting missiles at ships.
18:27That most certainly concerns them.
18:29To me, however, that seems rather intriguing
18:31to be the tip of the spear and be in the fight.
18:34Alignments to the right
18:36and covers to the front
18:39Joe prepares these candidates in the fleet
18:41because it teaches them teamwork.
18:43It teaches them attention to detail.
18:45It teaches them spirit of core.
18:47Yes!
18:47Open!
18:48What am I looking for?
18:49Sexy!
18:50What am I looking for?
18:50Sexy, sir!
18:51I'm looking for sex.
18:52You can get my shirt.
18:53I, sir!
18:54When I tell my classes, you know,
18:55make it look sexy,
18:57is I want them to think about themselves
18:59when they're executing these movements.
19:01Make it have pride in what you are doing.
19:03Looking for you to march
19:04like you're a Dagon modeling
19:05down a ramp with your sand hat.
19:07Yes, sir!
19:08This is your one and only chance
19:09to be a Dagon model.
19:10Am I sure?
19:11Aye, sir!
19:12No one here wants to look ugly at no point.
19:15So I wanted to think
19:16while the command is watching them,
19:18make it look sexy for the world to see them.
19:20Aye, sir!
19:21All the way!
19:23Aye!
19:25Aye!
19:25Aye!
19:27Your salute is going to be done
19:29at four to six paces away.
19:31In week four,
19:32candidates move into the academic phase.
19:35The academic workload has been pretty substantial.
19:40It comes at you real fast.
19:41To that zero,
19:42because I'm in single digits.
19:44We're adding an additional stressor
19:46of the academics.
19:47You're now working not just the body,
19:49but also the mind.
19:50So I'm using the two-to-one, right?
19:52No, because this entire thing...
19:55A major part of OCS is learning your strengths
19:58and weaknesses
19:58and developing yourself through the academics,
20:01through the physical,
20:02through the military instruction,
20:04the militarization.
20:05They go through the cyber fundamentals,
20:08division officer fundamentals,
20:10naval history,
20:11engineering and weapons,
20:12and navigation,
20:13which is ultimately their final for OCS.
20:16It's not so much the difficulty of the material,
20:21but just that they're trying to get you to learn so much
20:23in such a short period of time.
20:25It's a device that measures angles between objects,
20:28more specifically things like celestial objects,
20:30things like that.
20:32Candidates spend about a week learning each subject,
20:35and failing the final exam will require the candidate
20:38to roll back into the previous class
20:41and retake the course.
20:43It is all the information
20:44that we believe a young officer coming in
20:48should enter the fleet
20:49with that baseline of knowledge.
20:52It's full go.
20:54You know, I was joking around with my roommates the other day
20:56that we spend more time in the classroom
20:58than we do sleeping.
21:02It's way different than college
21:04because in college you have all these distractions.
21:08Here, it's all work.
21:09You wake up at 4.30, you're PTing,
21:12then from the rest of the day,
21:14my mind is almost exclusively on work.
21:18I cannot serve.
21:19I had family in the military.
21:21My grandfather was a Navy NFO,
21:23U.S. Navy NFO,
21:24on the P-3 Orion aircraft,
21:26and that's exactly the designator that I'm going for,
21:29NFO, so I'm sort of following in his footsteps.
21:33Good morning to your chief.
21:34Good morning.
21:35I'm touching your uniform for you.
21:36I'm on the specials all at the dealer's center.
21:38Yes, sir.
21:38Sir, what is your 6th general order?
21:42Sir, chief, first, just plan my last 6th general order
21:45of the center.
21:45He says,
21:46I see if I can pass on to the center,
21:47who leaves me all orders,
21:49the commanding officer,
21:50command duty officer,
21:51officer deck,
21:51officers, petty officers,
21:53watch.
21:54Now you see I have a sailor walking in,
21:56and they have two red stripes
21:58on the sleeve of the dress uniform.
22:00What would they do?
22:01Sir, chief,
22:02they would be a fireman.
22:05Dodge.
22:05In week 6,
22:07the candidates don their khaki uniforms for the first time
22:11and undergo a rigorous inspection.
22:14So we're measuring everything.
22:15We're taking a look at their garrison covers.
22:18We're measuring their rank tabs.
22:19We're looking at their ribbons,
22:20if they're prior service and have those.
22:22We're looking at belt buckles.
22:24We're looking at how shined their shoes are,
22:26how well they ironed their clothes prior to the inspection.
22:29We want to see if they're able to set the example for the sailors out in the fleet
22:33because ultimately their sailors are going to be looking at them to set the standard.
22:37Chief, my 11th general order is to be especially watchful at night.
22:42We're testing the confidence of the candidate.
22:45Those things are going to apply when they get out to the fleet.
22:47The purpose of the fire trainer is mostly to teach them the basic on damage control,
23:13but mostly on the firefighting side.
23:16For me, there were certain points where I was like,
23:20this was kind of a little bit too much.
23:22Like, it's really tight in the mask.
23:24The mask is fogging up.
23:25I don't actually know what's sort of going on beyond my immediate vision.
23:31We want them to feel the pressure once they're fighting fire
23:34so that when they get into that scenario,
23:36at least they can recall back on what they went through here.
23:39This is pretty unique.
23:40Like, a couple months ago, I was at school,
23:43and now I'm learning to fight a fire.
23:45You know, none of my friends back home are doing this stuff.
23:49But before they step into the fire trainer,
23:51the day starts with classroom instruction.
23:54First one is just basic fire chemistry,
23:57the types of fires you usually see on a ship in the Navy.
24:00After that, we go through damage control organization for the fire teams.
24:04Each assignment, what they're responsible for,
24:06and then we go through their PPE, their personal protective equipment,
24:10how they put them on, how to take them off.
24:12They do the inspection, make sure it's good to go.
24:15Once you get your FPG on, you're going to keep your pant legs unzipped.
24:18After that, we get dressed up into their PPE.
24:22We cross them over to our trainer.
24:23Today, I'm going to be teaching you about hose handling procedures.
24:27Instructors demonstrate techniques the candidates must use
24:30to effectively fight different fires they may find aboard a ship at sea.
24:35You've been probably relieved.
24:36Come on.
24:38Oh, really?
24:38Relief an element.
24:39Come on.
24:40First step?
24:43Hand on top.
24:44Second step?
24:45Hand on top.
24:46Third step?
24:47Right on top.
24:47All right, sliding, this is.
24:50I got it.
24:51First thing we're going to check is your gauge.
24:53I want to make sure it is above 30.
24:56Extend your arm, make sure it is not caught in your straps.
24:59Getting that mask on, getting used to breathing off of something
25:02that's only giving you air when you're asking for it,
25:06it's a bizarre phenomenon.
25:08And breathe.
25:09There you go.
25:10There you go.
25:10It was probably the biggest learning curve.
25:12We got two deck fires simulated for classic Bravo fires as the fuel type
25:19fires, and then we got two smaller fires for our portable extinguisher type
25:25fires.
25:26This is the coolest thing.
25:28Like, this is unreal.
25:30I can't believe I'm doing this right now.
25:31I can't believe I'm breathing, and it's making this cool noise,
25:35and there's smoke.
25:37I mean, I wouldn't know if it's realistic,
25:39but it gave me a really raw sense of, like,
25:43the feeling of what it's like to be there.
25:46The main thing I was thinking in that fire trainer with respect to if I had to
25:50lead sailors through this is I better know what I'm talking about.
25:54Your choices, especially as an officer, and in general,
25:58have a lot of weight in a situation like that.
26:00The next day, the candidates board the USS Buttercup,
26:05a mock ship that recreates the experience of a damaged hull.
26:16The candidates must work together to patch.
26:18Everybody needs to have a baseline level of knowledge to save the ship.
26:21On ladder!
26:22This training, I think, is very similar to the fire trainer.
26:25You're sending people in to go under that water,
26:30to go towards that rushing water that's coming out of the pipe.
26:35These are people's lives.
26:37It's the entire ship that's at stake,
26:41and it teaches you a lot about just the entire thing coming together.
26:44I need my Jubilee patch team.
26:47We have two ruptured fire maids.
26:50Where are y'all?
26:51All right, it's going to be in three, tack, five, nine, tack, zero, tack, FEMA.
26:56All right.
26:57When you're having to go under water and your body is floating upward,
27:01you have to hold on to something to stay down.
27:03It's a lot harder than you think it would be once you get down.
27:05For naval officers to get this kind of experience is extremely important.
27:09It kind of gives you that somewhat realistic feeling
27:11of what it's actually like to combat damages on board a ship.
27:14Predator team will consist of one cruiser, one DDG, one BP.
27:17So the event going on behind me right now is what we call a war game.
27:20It is a military simulation to simulate wartime events
27:25and to try out strategies, see what works, see what doesn't work
27:28in a way that doesn't actually incur losses.
27:31Yeah, I mean, it's not going to do much good.
27:33We can't destroy them.
27:34We pit them against each other.
27:36They are put in charge of a realistic, notional naval force,
27:41and they have to match their resources and abilities
27:44against a set of objectives
27:45and against an adversarial force's resources and abilities.
27:49Two major international maritime powers
27:52are in dispute over control of the Green Sea.
27:55Although blue and red are not in direct conflict,
27:57red is currently conducting military operations
28:00disrupting trade routes.
28:02Tensions have greatly escalated.
28:04The objective they're working towards mirrors real-life naval strategy.
28:08They're not just coming out guns blazing,
28:10trying to destroy everything in sight.
28:12They're probably going to advance...
28:15Their goal is to control maritime choke points,
28:20to maintain freedom of the sea,
28:22to support the economic pattern of life
28:25in a contested area that can mimic certain real-life situations.
28:30What is I-A?
28:32I-A intercepts.
28:33Intercepts.
28:33So let's say I go out there,
28:35I successfully roll to shoot a missile at this guy.
28:41They have senior candidate officers
28:42who are helping keep the game moving.
28:45Five or six on both.
28:46That is neither.
28:47My gosh!
28:47The red fighter is dead.
28:48Let's go!
28:50And blue team gets another two points.
28:53Our strategy was more or less non-existent.
28:55That is another two points for blue
28:57for shooting down aircraft.
28:59The current score is negative eight red to eight blue.
29:02There are a lot of different facets to the game.
29:07It being our first time playing it,
29:08we did not have a great idea,
29:10at least I did not have a great idea,
29:11of what was going on.
29:13We do this here because we can take out the air wing.
29:14Because we can attempt to hit the SSN,
29:16and we can also hit the air wing.
29:17We've made a lot of mistakes so far,
29:19but I guess that's kind of the nature of war.
29:21How'd this...
29:22Probably be beneficial to have...
29:24Oh, wait, we can't...
29:26And I think it's also starting to make sense
29:29why he suggested that we cluster everything.
29:33It's one of its actions, so you...
29:34In my role as the air wing commander,
29:36I felt like more of an advocate
29:37for using our air resources.
29:40Let's assert, let's use the jets,
29:42let's send them out.
29:42They've got a long range,
29:43and let's try and hit some of their assets.
29:45We are attacking the submarine.
29:47Oh, only one.
29:49Get going!
29:49We hit some of their assets,
29:51but ultimately all of our F-18s
29:53have been shot down as of right now.
29:54How are you doing as an air commander there?
29:58I guess I'm not doing a great job.
30:00I am not doing a great job as the air wing commander.
30:02Good morning.
30:05There we go, that's two hits on the destroyer.
30:08They don't have a lot of time to make these decisions.
30:10They also have to, as quickly as possible,
30:12synthesize a lot of information
30:13and stand by their result.
30:16Move! Move! Move!
30:19The next day, students muster around 4 a.m.
30:27to begin their culminating event.
30:29Hi, P-2!
30:30Battle stations.
30:32It's backwards!
30:33It makes them apply their education
30:38from the academic platform
30:40and then also the physical aspect.
30:42Drop them! Drop them!
30:43Get back on your arm!
30:45Get back on your arm!
30:46And puts it into one evolution
30:48that allows them to not just push themselves
30:51and exercise those new muscles,
30:53but it also allows them to focus
30:55and really work on teamwork
30:57and that internal leadership aspect.
31:00Money carries!
31:01Money carries!
31:02Money carries!
31:04Pain, in my opinion, is a privilege.
31:07When we're gone from this world,
31:08we're not going to be able to feel that pain and emotion.
31:11And it's my belief that we earned the right to be slayed
31:15and to go through what we went through today.
31:17We're on your 0-0-0 bearing until I say halt.
31:20Candidates spend about eight hours
31:23enduring various physical and mental challenges.
31:27The team that has the fastest time
31:29will get to have the Relay Championship belt.
31:31Ooh!
31:33Shiny.
31:33Everybody say ooh!
31:35Ooh!
31:36Ah!
31:37Ah!
31:38Let's go!
31:39Ah!
31:42Every time you make something competitive,
31:44you're going to bring out the best in your people,
31:46and you're going to make them push themselves
31:48a little bit further.
31:49Go Red!
31:51Go Red!
31:52Go Red!
31:52Go Red!
31:53Go Red!
31:53Go Red!
31:54Go Red!
31:54Go Red!
31:55Go Red!
31:55Go Red!
31:56Go Red!
31:56Go Red!
31:57Go Red!
31:58You get out of it what you put into it,
32:02and I woke up this morning,
32:03and I was ready to do it.
32:04I knew it was going to be fun,
32:05and I just needed to push through.
32:07Go Red!
32:08Go Red!
32:09Go Red!
32:10Go Red!
32:11Go Red!
32:12Go Red!
32:13Go Red!
32:14Go Red!
32:15Go Red!
32:16Go Red!
32:17Go Red!
32:18Go Red!
32:19Go Red!
32:20Go Red!
32:21Go Red!
32:22So we got Jimmy Deans.
32:24I love these things.
32:25Some people hate them.
32:26Oh, maybe.
32:27But my favorite box chowl.
32:29And then we got the peanut butter bar,
32:31the best bar they have as well.
32:32And we got oranges for the vitamin C.
32:34You ready for what's coming up?
32:35Yeah.
32:36Looking forward to the car trainer,
32:38flight trainer.
32:39Those have been a lot of fun in the past.
32:41Yeah, looking forward to going back.
32:42Great job!
32:43Go Red!
32:44Go Red!
32:45Go Red!
32:46Go Red!
32:47Go Red!
32:48Go Red!
32:49You are all going to die!
32:52So that scenario is December 7th, 1941.
32:55We're getting ready pretty much for Harbor for this scenario.
32:59It's a shaky one, but it's realistic.
33:02And unfortunately, during this time and where we're at now,
33:04anything can happen at any point.
33:06Right over, let's go, let's go!
33:08Let's go!
33:09Let's go!
33:10Let's go!
33:11Let's go!
33:12Go Red!
33:13When you have the fans going and the fire roaring,
33:15and then you have a helmet and all sorts of protective gear on,
33:19it becomes a lot harder to hear the people around you.
33:22Hard to communicate, hard to just know what's going on
33:25and what needs to happen.
33:27Hold the nozzle off!
33:28Reach it out!
33:29Let's go!
33:30Move it!
33:31Let's go!
33:32Move it!
33:33Look it sharp!
33:35I've seen multiple fires.
33:37I've seen multiple floods.
33:38I've seen multiple toxic gases.
33:40It's never easy.
33:41It's never easy.
33:42There's always going to be stress implemented.
33:43You're always going to have someone talking to you.
33:44You're always going to have someone yelling at you.
33:45So we try to implement the stress to let them know
33:47that you're going to have to do this job regardless
33:49if you're stressed or not.
33:50What is this?
33:51Hey, push this guy this way to get this out!
33:54Push this guy this way!
33:56Hey!
33:57Push this guy this way!
33:58What are you doing?
33:59So for the wild hose, we simulated that.
34:01We had a shipmate that got hit inside the compartment,
34:03so we had to shut off that water.
34:04Oh, everybody!
34:06Who's that?
34:07You can't ship it!
34:08You can't ship it!
34:09What are you gonna do?
34:10What are you gonna do?
34:11What are you gonna do?
34:12What are you gonna do?
34:13What are you gonna do?
34:14I don't know!
34:15I don't know!
34:16I don't know who I am!
34:17I don't know!
34:18What is this?
34:19Math.
34:20Math's gonna learn!
34:21right about the track!
34:22Right about the track!
34:23Right about the track!
34:24Yes!
34:25Keep flying in the line!
34:26Get flying in the line!
34:27Stop!
34:28Now!
34:29Right about the draw more!
34:30This evolution is for them to take what they've learned
34:32execute and to show that not just to the staff and to the Navy but to themselves
34:37that they are capable of doing those things. We're gonna kill the pool, right?
34:41We're gonna do whatever they require and ask you to do, right? And we'll go eat chow,
34:46finish up the day successfully, and then if you do that, what do you get to be at the end of the day?
34:52Get it out, seriously.
34:54The most challenging aspect of today was definitely the combat pool and the abandoned ship demonstration.
35:05So all the evolutions, I'd have to say the funnest one was jumping off the platform in the pool in
35:14pitch black. That was pretty, pretty intense.
35:17In the combat pools, students jump off a 10-foot platform once again, but this time in complete
35:24darkness.
35:25I was, I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty scared.
35:28Once they're in the water, they swim to a raft, carrying their shipmate, playing the role of an injured crewmate.
35:36Things never happen when it's opportune, so in the pitch black they need to be able to abandon ship,
35:43get through the water, get into that life raft, and then have full accountability for themselves and their sailors.
35:50Thug of War is just a fun event for them to do. It, once again, is that class building aspect.
35:57Tug of War is just a fun event for them to do.
36:13It once again is that class building aspect, they're about to go into a phase of training
36:17where they have to count on each other and they have to be there for each other.
36:22We lost both of our tugs, but it was fun to strategize and get one last push together as
36:29a team before we kind of disperse out into our individual billets.
36:44Once battle stations is complete, the candidates are pronounced candidate officers and receive
36:50their billets or jobs for the final phase of their training, applied leadership.
36:55The real Commodore is going to be Marufo.
37:01It feels like a weight is off your shoulders to be behind all the classroom stuff, all the
37:06real hard physical things and I'm really just looking forward to passing down the knowledge,
37:13expertise that I've gained here onto the classes below us.
37:20In this phase, the candidates step into leadership roles at the schoolhouse for two weeks.
37:27In a couple of minutes, the senior officer candidates are going to come out of this building in front
37:32of me and we're going to basically be supervising them.
37:37So as you can see, they're pretty self-sufficient.
37:42They're forming up perfectly just as they are, as they normally do.
37:46I mean, you can see they're perfectly formed up right now, not requiring a whole lot of instruction.
37:52They've been at this for eight weeks now, so they know what to do.
37:58They're singing Cadence, which is great.
38:17They're marching, so yeah, this is exactly what you're going to want when you're transiting
38:23from place to place on board train country.
38:39My role as a candidate officer is dealing with the personnel issues and the accountability
38:45for the indoctrination candidates, the most junior class currently at OCS.
38:50So basically the main thing that I'm going to be doing right now is updating the daily muster
38:55with the roles from RLP this morning.
38:59There's a couple that have to come off the list.
39:03Admin as an officer in the United States Navy is a massive part of your job and it's very vital.
39:09It allows you to track maintenance to make sure that the ship, the aircraft, the submarine,
39:16any type of vessels that you're working on are able to perform at its peak.
39:22And you can't achieve those things without having the paperwork behind it.
39:25And also I'm dealing with student control, which is with any kind of admin issue.
39:34I'm basically like the middleman.
39:35It's a wide array of issues that candidates will come up to me about.
39:39And you chop off one issue and then five more take its place.
39:45So it can get extremely, extremely busy.
39:49And then on top of that, you've only had the job for a week and a half, two weeks.
39:55So you're trying to figure out what is your responsibility, who do you go to for certain issues.
40:01Working with INDOCS, it's really one of the hardest areas to work in as a candidate officer.
40:09But when you accomplish things and get things right, which isn't always the case, unfortunately,
40:16because it's a learning process, but when you do, it's very rewarding, I would say.
40:20Another thing that has been pretty big for me is that I'm not really very well versed when it comes to using Excel.
40:33So it's been a big thing learning how to use Excel from scratch.
40:38Like I've used it before, but not very extensively.
40:42And then now I can make an Excel document, a basic one, no like formulas or anything like that.
40:47But just being able to work with it has been a good lesson.
40:52Do you expect Excel to be a tool in your Navy belt?
41:01Eventually. Eventually, that's what I was thinking. Not maybe this soon.
41:07In the advisory phase, my official billet title is JOC OPS.
41:15What does that stand for?
41:17Junior Officer Candidate Operations...
41:22...person. That's my name. Yeah.
41:24That's me.
41:26So what I'm doing is I'm putting together...
41:29Currently I'm trying to put together a schedule for next week.
41:32They have wet and fire trainer.
41:34So I'm putting together the groups and figuring out what days they're going to go
41:37so I can get my people working on their box chow, transportation.
41:41Is this kind of what you anticipated, joining Officer Candidate School?
41:45There's actually not a whole lot of information about the later phases of Officer Candidate School.
41:50So this was...
41:53This was a bit of a...
41:56This was new information. I didn't know that this was going to happen.
41:59But...
42:02From the start when they started talking about what I needed to be by the time I left OCS,
42:08I knew that they were going to have me do something like this.
42:13Alright. Do you enjoy admin work?
42:20Do I enjoy admin work?
42:22It's...
42:23It's a lot of work, but it's very rewarding.
42:26So as much as it may...
42:31...be draining in the moment,
42:33once I see the finished product and I see the results of my work,
42:36I love it.
42:38Do you feel like this is harder than some of the physical aspects of the training you did earlier?
42:42For me, yes.
42:44Yes it is.
42:45It's much harder.
42:46In what ways?
42:48It just...
42:50This is harder than the physical aspects because it takes a lot more...
42:56...focus and brain housing space.
43:01You know, for the physical stuff, they teach you just lock in, don't out, push through.
43:07Just keep pushing.
43:08All you have to do is keep moving.
43:09But here, you have to not only keep moving,
43:12you have to know where all the other moving parts are and work around them.
43:17There's just a lot, a lot more to keep track of.
43:20My parents are coming around to the idea that I am here and I have made this decision to serve my country.
43:29Particularly, my dad is increasingly supportive of it.
43:32Before I came here, he gave me a book on character and I think that's his way of showing me that he respects me and my desire to come here and try and better myself as a leader and that means a lot to me.
43:47Welcome to Class 01 TAC 266 Ship Selecting.
43:52This is an incredible opportunity for the individuals who are coming through at SWOs, right?
43:57There are one community while here that get a hundred percent say to where they go next.
44:03Candidate officers designated as Surface Warfare Officers, or SWOs, select the ship they will work on for the next two to three years.
44:12Those are the individuals that are always going to be on ships.
44:15They're the ones who are helping run all of those departments and making sure that the ship functions properly.
44:21And the highest-ranking class member gets the first choice.
44:26Tag 26.
44:31March!
44:35Everyone thinks that the platform they've been on is the best platform and so of course you get a lot of different inputs.
44:41I had the opportunity to choose from a lot of great ships, but I chose a destroyer out of San Diego, USS Russell.
44:57I'm quite excited and proud to have finished first amongst the SWOs, but also I would like to add that we all finished really close.
45:05It was a really tight margin separating us all, so it's not that I was exceptional.
45:10It's that everyone here was quite exceptional.
45:14What do you want to do?
45:16Oh!
45:17Yes!
45:18Today is the day we've all been waiting for, OCS Class 01 Tag 26 Graduation Day, and it's a great day.
45:35It's a great day.
45:42I'm excited to welcome our 101 newest graduates into one of the most challenging and fulfilling careers, that of a naval officer.
45:49It's just great seeing them, men and women, just become naval officers and seeing them from in-doc phase on week one and who they become today and what got these hatches.
45:58Against all enemies, foreign domestic!
46:03Once the student graduates from OCS, they're given the title of Ensign.
46:06An Ensign is specific to officers.
46:08It is the 01 for the Navy and for the Coast Guard.
46:12A lot of stress has been lifted, but then now the pressure of getting out to the fleet and having to perform for real.
46:19Has the core law been designated as a student daily flight policy?
46:23Well, it's been a long time since I've been getting shaved bald with a Dale Earnhardt Jr. shirt on.
46:28I feel like a completely new person, and I have a foundation to be a leader.
46:33With an improved amount of confidence, I feel like I have tact to deal with people.
46:38At the same time, my problem-solving skills have increased as well.
46:41My father, the first thing he said was, your uniform looks sharp.
46:44They said I carried myself different, I spoke to them different.
46:48After today, thank goodness I get to go home on some OHARP duty until January, and then I start supply school.
46:55It was a little bit of sweet.
46:56I know for my mom and my dad, seeing me in a uniform for the first time was special.
47:02I could see maybe a little tear in my mom's eye.
47:05A little bit of pride, a little bit of nervousness for what's all about to happen.
47:10As someone who's given them all the tools I think they need to be successful,
47:15now I'm sending them off into the fleet and hoping that they take these skills and everything
47:21and perform to the best of their abilities.
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