What to expect at Army Accelerated Officer Candidate School

What to expect at Army Accelerated Officer Candidate School - Army OCS

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BensZ28

Күн бұрын

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@HablemosDelHuerto 10 ай бұрын

Alabama AOCS 2011… tuff at age 39 but I was so physically and mentally fit that I actually did really well.

@plasmahandoku1073 10 ай бұрын

In my unit we had one future officer that is going to OCS but had to go through Basic training first. So no military experience ever. To get slotted into OCS with no military background and getting a recommendation is crazy hard because there is only slightly below 15% of the soldiers gets selected to OCS in the U.S. When she got back, she said the hardest is of course, the History test.

@yanceehardy 9 ай бұрын

I'm grateful to have gone through Utah's Phase 0 to prepare for accelerated OCS. I was well prepared for my time in South Dakota. Fantastic information, Sir.

@BensZ28 9 ай бұрын

And you crushed the course! Do have any additional advice for those looking to go through OCS?

@yanceehardy 9 ай бұрын

So far as physical fitness is concerned, don't neglect core strength or your posterior chain. Running is also important. Finally stretching. Stretch as often as you can before and during OCS. It does a lot to help you recover more quickly, avoid injury, and even recover from injury. I would also say your mindset and intangible motivations are critical. OCS will find uncanny ways to test your resolve on a daily basis. Mainly through just being tired and fatigued. You need to be able to power through those times when all you want to do is give up and go home. Think about our country (its history and the opportunity you have to be a part of its future leading troops), think about people you care about, who you want to be, and the people that advocated for you and worked to get you the opportunity to be there.

@BensZ28 9 ай бұрын

@yanceehardy6006 Well said brother! Thank you!

@gcpa12 Жыл бұрын

I graduated from the inaugural AOCS at Fort McClellan in 2003. At age 31 and prior Navy it was an ass kicker. I had to "learn Army" and do everything in this clip. I agree 1,000 percent on Band of Brothers, I too still get goose bumps when I hear that intro. I had no idea that they still showed that to OCS candidates, it's great that they have continued that tradition. I own my own business now and still use the leadership principles that I learned in OCS every single day.

@BensZ28 Жыл бұрын

They sure do! Some traditions live on. 🤙 Great to hear from a fellow AMA grad! Keep crushing it brother!

@damoneubanks9075 3 ай бұрын

2003 was the inaugural AOCS? I graduated AOCS in 2003 as well. I didn't recall that being the first time it was done. I was in the Georgia ARNG. Went to McClellan (phase 1), Indiantown Gap (phase 2), and back to McClellan (phase 3). I was 30. Good times!

@Wrensspeedshop Жыл бұрын

Prior to going to AOCS you need to do the following, RUN, RUN, RUN, and then RUN more! Lol. Great video buddy, this will be helpful for those planning to go AOCS.

@BensZ28 Жыл бұрын

Solid advice! There’s plenty of running to be done at AOCS! Thanks brotha!

@Accident_Proof Жыл бұрын

I love this video. Absolutely the best, and possibly only, AOCS video I've seen. The clips and comments on Band of Brothers and Bruno took me right back to McClellan, couldn't have said it better myself. My number 1 tip is to be physically fit before you get there; knowing all the OCS-ism's was a great leg up I had before I showed up, but being fit is the only thing you truly can do prior to arrival that will guarantee your passing. You'll learn the book one way or another, but if you can't pass the run or the rucks, you're not getting out of Phase II. With that, a good leader should be planning ahead and getting as much information as they can on the mission, so read that OC Guide!

@BensZ28 Жыл бұрын

Dude you are awesome! Thank you for this! Great tips for those looking to head to OCS! And congrats to you for graduating AOCS! IT SHALL BE DONE!

@Accident_Proof Жыл бұрын

@@BensZ28 IT SHALL BE DONE

@W3ND1G0 8 ай бұрын

I received some up-to-date info. It seems to have cleared it up. However, I am not sure on the Phase process. Our state's OCS page seems like there is an accelerated OCS arm here at Camp Shelby, but after doing a little more looking, I see that class was back and forth from Shelby to McClellan between phases? Just not sure how that goes. Any light on the movement to-and-from one place to another would be much appreciated. It's just a little confusing lol. Thanks sir.

@BensZ28 8 ай бұрын

Hey @W3ND1G0. I’m not familiar with the process of the individual states. Some states do a traditional program where they do OCS over 18 months of drill weekends. For AOCS at in South Dakota and Alabama, that program is set up into three phases. I know candidates show up at the beginnings of different phases but that’s usually because they got dropped at some point, say in phase two and then they get recycled to the start of the next phase two class. Your state may have some program set up that does phase 1 locally but I’m not sure. You’d want to connect with your state OSM or OCS school house for details on how they run it. Sorry I can’t be much more help on state specific programs. 🤙

@W3ND1G0 8 ай бұрын

@@BensZ28 On no worries I appreciate the clarification in general! I don't want to inundate my recruiter with a bunch of questions, not that your time is any less valuable. I would peg him for answers but I know he will let me know what I need to know when I need to know it lol. MS does have the 18 month route, I just don't know who makes that sort of call. Either way, I am very appreciative to even be having the conversation of becoming an Officer. So, with that said, it will get done the way it needs to get done. Thank you for your content, sir.

@shellsbells13 Жыл бұрын

Sick video dude! Super cool to learn more about the program from a civilian standpoint 🤜🏼🤛🏼

@BensZ28 Жыл бұрын

🫡

@maxmartez7849 Жыл бұрын

Hey well done with this video, definitely not on my radar or plan to go but for some reason I watched the video all the way through. Well done on this video!

@BensZ28 Жыл бұрын

Thanks brotha!

@timdave5909 2 ай бұрын

Well done! FLARNG OCS CLASS 40 Grad...Hooah!

@ancelware6651 8 ай бұрын

I am 34 yrs old and in the process of enlisting under the O9S program, no prior service. I'm not terribly worried about basic training but OCS definitely has my attention, especially after some of the negative comments I have read about the AOCS. Thank you for shedding light and helping me understand what I'm getting into. It will likely be the most challenging thing I have ever done but after watching your video I'm confident I have the tools to succeed and to prepare myself mentally and physically. I do have a question about the rucks. Should I try to get my hands on an actual ruck sack or will a hunting frame pack suffice so long as I can load the suggested weight? Thank you!

@BensZ28 8 ай бұрын

That’s awesome! Going through at 34 will be easy and tough. Easy for being able to understand “the game” and how the processes go but tough as those 18 year olds can bounce back each morning like crazy! I’d say for getting used to rucking, anything with 35+ pounds on your back will do you some good. Having a legit ruck will help you get used to packing it, and how it wears on your hips, but definitely a hunting pack with the weight will do you good for practice. You could talk to your recruiter and see if he can find a ruck you can borrow if you really wanted to get your hands on one. But good luck with it all man. Keep me posted on how everything goes with enlisting, BCT and OCS!

@Donner906 6 ай бұрын

I wouldn't do it. This officer training failed to produce victories in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's all bullshit.

@daiber45 10 ай бұрын

Awesome! I’m looking forward to get myself there. Show us how to apply. Step by step

@BensZ28 10 ай бұрын

I’ll see what I can do. Different units have different SOPs but maybe I can put something together for general packet requirements and examples of timelines how we do it in my state. Thank you for the suggestion!!!

@douglasbenton4094 Жыл бұрын

Very well crafted video sir!

@BensZ28 Жыл бұрын

TY!

@douglasbenton4094 Жыл бұрын

Definitely got me excited for Traditional OCS even if things are SLIGHTLY different 😂

@BensZ28 Жыл бұрын

Awesome! Glad this was at least somewhat entertaining. When do you start?

@douglasbenton4094 Жыл бұрын

@BensZ28 I'm in the process of leaving the Air Force Reserves as we speak. Haven't gotten dates just yet as I still have go to MEPS again but hopefully not long after that looking towards January

@BensZ28 Жыл бұрын

That’s outstanding! Welcome to the dark side of the armed forces! Good luck in your training brother! Keep me posted as to how it goes!

@stephenwilson9872 8 ай бұрын

Respect and. Great. Standards of value

@meilei8716 7 ай бұрын

How do you get into AOCS vs OCS? Edit: Went to marine corps OCS and am looking for actual leadership training

@BensZ28 7 ай бұрын

AOCS is typically only available to National Guard members or Reservists. That being said, with enough rank, you can get a waiver for anything. I don’t have much experience with the Marine OCS, but I would assume they’re similar in the intent of a high-stress training environment to assess the ability of future officers to lead troops. So not sure Army OCS would scratch and itch that the Marine OCS didn’t.

@joannaalexander1006 10 ай бұрын

I am wondering if I can have your opinion on my current situation. I enlisted in the Army National Guard in June 2023 as a 88N. I leave for basic training on October 30th. Before enlisting I had a bachelors degree in Political science and a minor in International Relations with a 3.97 gpa. However I didn’t know until after I signed my enlisted contract that I could become an officer with a Bachelors degree. Should I do Army BCT and AIT first and then pursue my masters in Cybersecurity while doing Army ROTC under the simultaneous membership program or should I try to get out of my enlisted contract and apply for Army OCS instead?.

@Omnia-Via 10 ай бұрын

If you signed and sworn in already at meps, there is not much you can do of getting out of your enlistment contract. You could put in a packet for OCS after you finish Basic and AIT when you get to your unit. SMP is great, but not all ROTC programs are made equal, so do your research when choosing schools with ROTC programs and make sure they are halfway decent. Usually SMP cadets stand out among their peers at school and at Cadet Summer Training because of the valuable practical experience they accrued at their Guard unit. I'm a senior at a military college, so I'm familiar with the ROTC path if that is something you are interested in.

@BensZ28 10 ай бұрын

Hey @joannaalexander1006 and congrats on your enlistment! First thing I would say is this: No one will ever care about your career more than you. So don't just let the army decide for you. Crush every school, max your PT, and fight for the positions and career you want to have. Now, you have lots of options. Like @Omnia-Via said, you can go OCS or SMP/ROTC, or if you get into Cybersecurity, you may even have the possibility to direct commission. (That will really depend on your cybersecurity experience and the needs of the Army, but two cycles ago, I had a candidate that was able to direct commission in Cyber. It was pretty awesome.) Whatever you do, I would for sure get BCT under your belt, AIT too if you can make the timing all work out. As soon as BCT is done, I would contact your home unit and start talking about OCS. ROTC is a solid way to get your commission, but I'm obviously bias as to the OCS route, so that'd be my recommendation. You will need to do really well in your BCT class and your unit/state will have to have an available 2LT/1LT slot for you. When you contact your unit, perhaps before you ship out on the 30th, hit up your unit. Talk to your Commander and also get a hold of your State OSM (Officer Strength Management) and let them know you want to go OCS. You'll have to work with your Readiness NCO and others to get everything all lined up but you will have to get your Company Commander's approval and your Battalion Commanders Letter of Recommendation to attend OCS. So starting with your Commander and the OSM will help ensure you're on the right path. It's a lot of work to get everything lined up and your packet put together, but if you're wanting to be an officer, this type of stuff is what you'll be doing all the time. Keep us posted on BCT and how things go. I'd love to hear back from you and happy to help with any other questions about OCS or the process to get there. Be safe and good luck at Basic!

@redlegbravo13 Жыл бұрын

Accelerated? So does that mean the lts are gonna be even more lost then normal?

@BensZ28 Жыл бұрын

😅 What’s amazing is how even Senior NCOs can lose their minds when they come to OCS and start acting like butter bars. Stress does funny things to people.

@billcarson1950 20 күн бұрын

Do they have quiet separate standards for women at OCS? In our society, I just can’t imagine they’re exactly equal? I was commissioned in December, 1972 through ROTC. It was never tough for me.

@BensZ28 3 күн бұрын

No. The standards are all there in black and white. Females are held to the female standards of the ACFT just like the old dudes are held to the old dudes standards of the ACFT. The release run requirement is also slightly different. Males is 9 minute mile and females is 9:45 miles. But the rucks are all the same standard as are all the other tests including land nav, STX lanes, etc. The standards aren’t hard, regardless of gender. It’s more about the mental stress of leading others while the cadre make your life hell. That’s the challenge.

@titois2255 3 ай бұрын

Why does every one talk about the 12 mile walk? I walk 13 to 15 miles every weekend and I do not get tired.

@BensZ28 3 ай бұрын

It’s just part of the training. Put 35 lbs on your back, plus water, plus rifle and the weight adds up. So all that in combat boots for 12 miles is more than just your average Sunday stroll. That being said, that’s the minimum standard. Everyone should be able to do it, otherwise they need to rethink their career choice.

@ryanbills6705 2 ай бұрын

I want to serve in the military after I get my degree. I have a few questions if you wouldn't mind answering them. For starters, my degree will be from wgu which is an online college. Although its a regionally accredited university, is there a chance they will deny me? I will finish my bachelors by the time I am 20 years old, will there be any negatives to that? If that goes through what else looks good for getting accepted into ocs?

@BensZ28 2 ай бұрын

Happy to help man. WGU is an accredited University so you’re good to go there and there are no negatives to being older going through. You will be a little older than some at Basic Training but if you plan to enlist as an O9S (Officer Candidate) you’ll then head straight to OCS after Basic. At OCS you will most likely be one of the younger people there. Really you’ll need to work with a recruiter to enlist as an Officer Candidate and he or she will need to work with your state’s OSM, (Officer Strength Management) folks to make sure they have a slot for you. If you have your degree, do decent on the ASVAB and don’t have any medical or criminal history, you should be pretty set to sign up.

@cliffordavila6708 10 ай бұрын

I totally remember AOCS at Fort McClellan in 2014. There were days I asked myself what in the world was I doing there. Band of Brothers indeed bring back great memories. Kudos to all the TAC Officers and those that successfully completed AOCS. IT SHALL BE DONE

@BensZ28 10 ай бұрын

Hell yeah man! I think we all had those WTF am I doing here moments! It Shall Be Done!

@jordantingson6937 8 ай бұрын

What was the pace for the rucks? My guide has said 17min/mile but someone else who’s been through Alabama said 15min/mile

@BensZ28 8 ай бұрын

The standard is 17 minutes per mile. But don’t just listen to me or someone else who says they know, look at your OC guide/OCSOP or the OCS ISAP. Whatever is printed there is what you will be held to.

@BOLTUP182 7 ай бұрын

So I’m curious, I’m an enlisted soldier now and have my bachelors degree. When I get accepted after submitting a packet would I go straight to OCS?

@BensZ28 7 ай бұрын

More or less. Are you active duty or NG/Reserves? Assuming the latter, you’ll find a date for school and depending on which state you’re in, you may go to phase 0 of OCS. I think it’s primarily a NG thing but we have had Reserve Soldiers attend before going to the main school house. Then after you graduate OCS and commission, you head off to BOLC.

@MadHad101 Жыл бұрын

Nice work!!!

@doumbenenyjean-marc760 6 ай бұрын

Respect Major

@samvalladares2135 26 күн бұрын

I thought he meant you have to do 12 miles in 17 minutes total and that's insane! 17 min / mi for 12 miles is at least possible.

@dirtyharry205 9 ай бұрын

I was going through WOCS while AOCS was going on😁

@BensZ28 9 ай бұрын

That’s awesome! How was WOCS? I hear the time crunch for all your tasks is quite the bear!

@michaelmitchell338 8 ай бұрын

What is the graduation like for AOCS? I heard it is not as big a deal as the traditional one with golf, tombstone, and the ball.

@BensZ28 8 ай бұрын

Graduation is pretty short and sweet. They do a little ceremony for everyone there at AOCS but most states do another more formal ceremony for the official commissioning where families and the graduates’ leadership attends. At AOCS it’s more a formality where they announce everyone and highlight the honor graduates, etc.

@trentonvoss4125 3 ай бұрын

Is there a difference between OCS (I'm going AMEDD) and AOCS?

@BensZ28 3 ай бұрын

AOCS is shorter in duration than the federal program but the standards are still the same. I believe you’ll have a bit more time to focus on OPORDs during the federal OCS program than in AOCS, and you probably will have some downtime some evenings and weekends. During the advanced program, there are no days off and no downtime, it’s just push through the training straight through.

@DTMWTD 3 ай бұрын

I was in that AOCS class.

@DTMWTD 3 ай бұрын

Jan-Mar 2009

@Mrnibbs_88 7 ай бұрын

I’m a hopeful OCS in the reserves, AOCS is different from federal?

@BensZ28 7 ай бұрын

No Federal is longer (12 weeks), held at Ft. Moore while AOCS is shorter (8 weeks) and held at Ft. McClellan or Ft. Meade

@W3ND1G0 8 ай бұрын

I’ve seen news footage of Fort McClellan being closed…true?

@BensZ28 8 ай бұрын

I haven’t seen or heard or that. So unless it’s really recent I’m not tracking. Is there a news article online you can point me to?

@Razorbladecrow 4 ай бұрын

can i go to OCS just with a high school degree?

@BensZ28 4 ай бұрын

Here’s the official word from our state OSM on that: “State OCS such as accelerated or traditional you can begin with 90 credits and commission before you have your degree, you would submit a degree completion plan in the form of a memo. If you don’t complete your degree by the time you are eligible to become a CPT you would be reverted back to your enlisted rank. Federal OCS you are required to have already completed your degree, no exceptions to that one.”

@jeffrykellen7384 6 ай бұрын

Is there a difference between Accelerated OCS and OCS? Never heard of Accelerated OCS.

@BensZ28 6 ай бұрын

The accelerated program is a little shorter and doesn’t have any days off. Typically National Guard and Reserve head to AOCS rather than the normal OCS at Benning.

@jeffrykellen7384 6 ай бұрын

Awesome. Thanks.@@BensZ28

@nickcassella1583 5 ай бұрын

Band of Brothers every Sunday was the highlight in Alabama.

@officialthomasjames Жыл бұрын

Band of Brothers, hell yea

@Blakecartersfs 2 ай бұрын

What kind of boots?

@BensZ28 2 ай бұрын

I went with Rocky S2V’s and they were great. A little heavy but I like em.

@mariorodriguez219 11 ай бұрын

Can reservists do this?

@BensZ28 11 ай бұрын

Hey! Yep, just this past January class we had a Reservist go through the AOCS at Ft. McClellan from our state. Not sure the process but your state OSM should be able to help you find the path to get lined up.

@stephenwilson9872 8 ай бұрын

Integrity