The Basic School Challenge Coin

If you are married when you report to TBS do you have the option to stay with your wife and not in a barracks?

Answer:

You will get a bunk and space in a barracks room (with other Second Lieutenants) but will be allowed to live out in town with your wife and you will receive BAH while there. I highly recommend living as close as possible to MCB Quantico. TBS is located here, near Stafford, VA. With 14-15 hour days 5 days a week, you don’t want to be wasting any time commuting.

BAH is the Basic Allowance for Housing, and you can check the current rates with a simple online search. Try searching for BAH Rates.

Related: The Basic School Gear and Gifts Guide

Thanks for reading. Married at The Basic School is a post from OCS Blog

This famous line from the Marine Corps Hymn has its origin in the Barbary War of the early 19^th century.

In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the kingdoms of North Africa, called Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli—today, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, respectively—conducted piracy in the Mediterranean Sea against American and European shipping. In 1785, the U.S. agreed to pay Algiers an annual ransom of $1 million, equivalent to about 10% of yearly revenues.

Marine First Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon

The U.S. Marine Corps and Navy were reformed in the 1790s, and that gave the U.S. the tools to fight back. Thomas Jefferson put more pressure on the Barbary States by deploying a squadron to the Mediterranean. The Battle of Derna was central to the war, and it was led in part by a Marine First Lieutenant, Presley O’Bannon. O’Bannon was born in 1776 in Facquier County, Virginia and took a commission as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 18^th January 1801. In June 1802, he set sail as part of the Mediterranean squadron. The ensuing conflict came to be known as the Barbary War.

Enter William Eaton, who served with the Army in the Revolutionary War as well as in Ohio, before acting as U.S. Consul at Tunis 1797-1803. Apparently he did not lose interest in the region. He concocted a plan to end Barbary piracy and free the U.S. of onerous tribute payment. He came up with the idea of installing Yousef’s brother Hamet as the pasha in exchange for peaceful relations with the U.S. Eaton went about selling the idea to Congress, Secretary of State James Madison, and President Jefferson. In late 1804, the mission was approved and given $40,000 and artillery, arms, and provisions.

Meanwhile, Hamet had fled to Egypt. Eaton presumptuously took the title of “General” and went chasing after him. The American party found Hamet and brought him to Alexandria to enlist a mercenary army. Lt. O’Bannon joined Eaton at Alexandria with a sergeant and six junior Marines from the USS Argus. “Wherever General Eaton leads, we will follow. If he wants us to march to hell, we’ll gladly go there…” wrote Lt. O’Bannon.

With an army of about 300 Arabs, Greeks, and Americans, Eaton and O’Bannon set off in March 1805 towards Derna, the easternmost city of Tripoli, across 500 miles of scorching, barren North African desert. They planned to link up with ships from the Mediterranean squadron and assault the city. The march was anything but easy. Eaton, O’Bannon, and the Marines had to manage food shortages (at times cutting down to half-rations and rice only), the mercenaries’ demands for more money, threats of desertion (including from Hamet), and simmering religious tensions that nearly burst into open conflict on more than one occasion. All the while, the army sometimes made as little as 5 miles per day, attempting to find any water source in the parched terrain.

The army arrived outside Derna on 25^th April, after 52 days of marching. The Americans observed a fort with 8 nine-pound artillery pieces. Barricades were constructed on the east side of the town, perforated with murder holes for muskets. Eaton sent a letter to the Governor Moustapha, ostensibly seeking passage through the city, writing “Sir, I want no territory. … Give us a passage through your city… I shall see you to morrow in a way of your choice.” Moustapha wrote back his reply, “My head or yours.”

On the 27^th, the USS Nautilus unloaded an artillery gun to the shore for Eaton’s forces. The USS Hornet and Argus arrived next. The next day, Eaton and Lt. O’Bannon began their attack. The three vessels bombarded the town, while the ground forces assaulted Derna from the east and south, utilizing classic combined arms tactics. Lt. O’Bannon commanded the Marines and 50 Greek artillerymen, attacking from the southeast. According to the two American reports of the battle, “heavy fire of Musquetry was constantly kept upon them” and within 45 minutes the enemy artillery, the greatest enemy threat, was neutralized. At this time, the Greek cannoneers accidentally left the ramrod in the tube when firing, and blasted it away along with their shot, reducing the effectiveness of the gun. Then, “Mr. O’Bannon… urged forward with his Marines, Greeks, and such cannoniers as were not necessary to the management of the field Piece, pass’d through a shower of Musketry from the Walls of houses, took possession of the Battery, planted the American Flag upon its ramparts, and turn’d its guns upon the Enemy…” It was the first time the American flag was raised in the Old World.

In two and a half hours, Derna was in American hands. There were fourteen casualties, including four Americans. Eaton took a musket ball through his left wrist, limiting his ability to fire his musket. John Wilton, a Marine, was killed in action. David Thomas and Bernard O’Brian, both Marines, were wounded in action; one later died of his wounds, but history does not record which one.

Of Lt. O’Bannon’s conduct, Eaton wrote that it “needs no encomium, and it is believed the disposition of our Government has always discover’d to encourage merit, will be extended to this intrepid, judicious and enterprising Officer.”

Eaton, Lt. O’Bannon, and Hamet held the town for another six weeks, and repelled a counterattack from Yousef’s forces. In early June, the American consul signed an agreement with Yousef that freed American prisoners in Tripoli. Eaton and O’Bannon evacuated Hamet and his retinue on June 12^th.

The Battle of Derna no doubt put pressure on the Yousef’s regime to change their policy of piracy, and to release the American hostages in Tripoli. In a wider sense it proved the ability of the American military, which had reformed in the mid-1790s.

The General Assembly of Virginia awarded Lt. O’Bannon a sword in commemoration of his victory. Contrary to popular belief, there is little evidence that Lt. O’Bannon also received a curved sword, called a Mameluke sword, from Hamet. But the Mameluke sword was popular amongst professional officers, especially in Europe, and it was made a standard weapon for Marine officers in 1825. Lt. O’Bannon remains important to the history of the Marine Corps. A barracks aboard Camp Barrett in Quantico, Virginia, where the Marine Corps trains newly-commissioned lieutenants at The Basic School, is named after him and has housed tens of thousands of lieutenants from the Viet Nam era up until today.

Thanks for reading. United States Marine Corps History: “To the Shores of Tripoli” is a post from OCS Blog

I am 6 feet tall and 200lbs at approximately 15% body fat. I’d like to maintain the definition in my arms and shoulders (chest shouldn’t be a problem considering the amount of pushups done during OCS). Is there any place I can train with weights during Liberty?

A:

Imagine if you weren’t so obsessed with your own appearance and were instead focused on learning and living “combat fitness” instead of what is known in the Marine Corps as “vanity lifting.” I recommend looking into bodybuilding or another career like that.

Thanks for reading. Candidate Q: “Bodybuilder” at OCS is a post from OCS Blog

Candidate X did well at OCS physically, but ended up dropping with a new appreciation for his own strengths and weaknesses. He has graciously accepted an invitation to conduct an interview with the OCS blog as he prepares for another run at the grueling course.

How far into OCS did you get?

While I wasn’t able to successfully complete USMC OCS by our end date in Spring of 2013, I was able to make it to the decision making phase, and lasted to the end of week 6. I hope that my post will help any of you who are currently in the process of being selected, or have already been selected.

What were your biggest surprises of OCS?

One of my biggest surprises when I arrived at Officer Candidates School this past February was how small my starting class size was. Class 212 started with around 133-145 United States Marine Corps Officer Candidates which is extremely small, we consisted of one company or Charlie Company, and we were split up into three platoons which in the beginning numbered around 43-45 candidates. For this class each platoon was given 5 Instructors which consisted of three sergeant instructors which were for the most part the rank of Staff Sergeant, one Platoon Sergeant which was the rank of Gunnery Sergeant, and one Platoon Commander which was the rank of Captain. If you don’t know already each of these instructors will be in your squad bay, and each of them usually play a different role. For example while all are there to screen, teach, and evaluate you, you will find that one of them will be there to simply create chaos, another will be your father figure (most likely the platoon commander, or the platoon sergeant) and one you will identify as a teacher.

Another surprise I had was how many other candidates were there for their 2nd/3rd times, as well as the number of Candidates who were already priors or active duty Marines. In my platoon which at its height numbered 42 Candidates, there were about 15 who were prior Marines most ranking at Sergeant or Staff Sergeant, and our Company had about 40 priors which is a lot considering that each platoon had on average 42 candidates after the first week, and that number quickly dropped to an average of 38 by the third week. If you are like me then you are fresh out of college, and you have zero military experience, you are also most likely one of the youngest candidates there especially if its a Winter/Spring training session.

What were your biggest challenges of OCS?

The biggest challenge for me was succeeding on my Leadership Billets as Candidate Platoon Sergeant, and Candidate Co. First Sergeant, I also struggled with the 5 paragraph order on LRC (leadership reaction course) one and two. I cannot stress enough how important it is to understand the five paragraph order, as it is the foundation of almost everything you do at OCS. In fact understanding the five paragraph order or brief when it is given to you by an instructor, and then being able to give that brief to your fire team, or squad is one of the most important concepts to grasp while at OCS, and it is important that you understand this before attending OCS if you plan to succeed on your Leadership Reaction Courses, and your Small Unit Leadership Evaluations.

Did you have any favorite parts?

Land, day and night, navigation are actually pretty enjoyable, the material is basic, and with proper study this should be a skill that you learn pretty quickly. It’s also one of the useful skills that you will also acquire while at OCS. Another pretty cool part was the Tarzan Course/confidence Course which includes a Zip-line, and as long as your not afraid of heights it’s essentially an over-sized jungle gym for adults. Also the water portions/combat portions of OCS are pretty fun provided it’s not cold outside, in which case you need to make sure you can handle freezing water for an extended period of time. By handle I mean you need to be able to avoid going into shock, and perform your duties as a member of your fire team. When I was at OCS many candidates lost focus because they went “internal” as the staff puts it, and this will reflect negatively on your grade if you show weakness. Also we had many candidates go down due to hypothermia (not everybody is the same, so if your body is unable to retain heat normally this may be a disqualifying factor for you at OCS), and some failed the course as a result only to have to make it up on an even colder day. So as with everything else you do at OCS do it right, and make it through the first time.

What preparation was helpful for you?

Running & more running, especially on trails/up & down hills. You will do a lot of running at OCS, and you will be expected to keep pace, and at times lead runs so it’s best you arrive in great running shape. Also if you are weak at pull ups or sit ups you need to master that as you should anyway because it is part of your PFT. Also go online, and find the OCS website, and download the study material i.e. (General Marine Corps History/Weapons info etc) the more you know before the better because studying will cut into your very limited sleep time.

Any advice for others who would attend OCS?

1.Do not run in boots before OCS, and if you do make sure you are doing so sparingly as this will cause unnecessary strain on your joints prior to training where your body wont have time to heal.

2.Make sure you understand the five paragraph order & Rank Structure.

3.Make sure to say “Good morning (insert time of day)/(Insert Rank of enlisted/NCO you are addressing) if an Officer it’s just (Sir). You will need to greet every staff member constantly with the proper time of day/their proper rank as loudly as possible if you are walking by them. Failure to do so will immediately draw attention to yourself, and you will immediately be yelled at also remember if there is a group of staff 2 or more you just say Good (time of day) “Gentlemen”. If you are able to properly do this before the staff starts to enforce it on Pick Up it should help you remain under the radar. However this can prove difficult at times in the beginning simply due to the chaos of the environment however you should have time during the first week to learn your Instructors names/ranks as well as the company staffs names/ranks, & I highly advise you to do so.

4.Understand, and know the M16-A4 Service Rifle, review its parts, and watch a Youtube video on how to assemble, and dis-assemble it.

5. Don’t go overboard buying gear particularly items such as boot socks, underwear, athletic socks. All of these things will be issued to you in bulk you will also be issued two pairs of boots, along with one pair of boot insoles (Superfeet) so you don’t need to purchase insoles if you don’t want too, nor do you need to bring your own boots although it can be useful to have an extra pair for inspection. Small fabric scissors are a life saver as is the labeling tape you will be issued. As you will constantly be re-taping, and marking gear. In fact you should go through your candidate regulations, & see how to properly label your gear and create multiple labels during your free time so that you can better use your time in the future.

IP Scissors will save your bacon

6. Bring flash cards-it will be the easiest/most effective way to study.

7. Always move with a purpose never slack because you think you can get away with it remember you are part of a team at OCS, and the team suffers if you slack, also you are graded by your peers so never do anything that you wouldn’t when an instructor is not present/it is important to treat your fellow candidates with respect. Correct others if they are making mistakes but try to do so in a respectful/positive manner calling people out is only necessary in extreme circumstances remember you will have plenty of Instructors yelling at you, and your fellow candidates constantly the last thing your platoon needs is another instructor.

8. Assist your fellow candidates, never stand around if you finish with a task early. Remember unselfishness is one of the 14 leadership traits.

Thanks for reading. Interview With A Dropped Candidate is a post from OCS Blog

Tact Definition

Tact means that you can deal with people in a manner that will maintain good relations and avoid problems. It means that you are polite, calm, and firm.

Tact is probably the toughest of the 14 leadership traits for many Marines. Brash. Confrontational. Cocky. These words describe many Marines. And many of those Marines would be a little proud to hear those descriptions. However, if you lack tact as a follower or peer–or even leader–you will eventually alienate or irritate those around you. They will be less inclined to follow, mentor, or help you if you embarrass them publicly or frustrate them privately. Be especially mindful to be tactful with your superiors!

Staff Sergeant Thomas adds, “however, tact should be a two-way street to a certain extent. A leader has an obligation to be tactful when addressing his subordinate just as the subordinate has an obligation, but obviously, the subordinate bears a larger burden.”

Suggestions for Improvement

Begin to develop your tact by trying to be courteous and cheerful at all times. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Read More

See all leadership posts here, and check back often as there are many more to come!

References:

Marine Corps Leadership Traits

Tact

Thanks for reading. Marine Corps Leadership Traits: Tact is a post from OCS Blog

The Why – The What – The How

The Why: Find your motivation

What attracts you to becoming a Marine Corps officer? Before you make a life-altering commitment, you need to examine your motivation and your perception of military life versus the reality. First, let’s consider your motivation. Many things go into possible motivation, and here are a few examples:

• Are you patriotic? If you don’t feel like “giving back” to this country, how will you feel when you are forced to make sacrifices for it?

• Are you a team player? Most Marine officers played on sports teams, and all of them have to be able to work well with others and for the benefit of a group, not just themselves.

• Do you crave leadership? As an officer you will hold much responsibility and probably command many Marines.

• Does the phrase “baddest fraternity on the planet” make you excited or does it make you uncomfortable? The Marine Corps is a proud warfighting gun club absolutely true to its stereotypes.

• Are you going to college? A degree is mandatory for commissioned officership.

• Do you just like Call of Duty and Act of Valor? Leadership in the Marine Corps is not a video game. It is tedious, difficult, rarely glamorous, and frequently frustrating. If you are just an armchair military buff, joining the service would be a huge blunder.

• Do you crave meaning? As President Reagan echoed, “some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they’ve made a difference. The Marines don’t have that problem.”You will make a difference as an officer.

So you want to be in the military? How about the Few, the Proud?

Have you educated yourself on all your options? If you’re not even sure if the Marines are right for you, make sure to study all the military branches to find out where you would fit in best. See a discussion of differences between serving in the Army or Marines from our friends at Future Jarheads: Should I join the Army or Marines?

Read More at BecomingAnOfficer.com

Thanks for reading. Becoming An Officer is a post from OCS Blog

The Can

Normal 5.56mm (M-16 ammunition) ammo boxes are generally used, but if you can’t find any on ebay or Amazon, then something close like a .50 cal box would be fine. The weight is what needs to be precise: 30 lbs.

The Weight

Just fill it with sand or earth until it weighs net 30 pounds. Not rocket science here.

Bonus

Grit tape makes for an excellent grip-enhancer. After running or in the heat, your hands will get very sweaty and the ammo can could easily slip and drop to the ground, or worse, hit you in the face. Be careful if you don’t use the tape!

Most units in the Marine Corps, and also at OCS, you will have boxes prepared with grit tape.

Thanks for reading. Make Your Own Ammo Can to Train for the CFT! is a post from OCS Blog

Thanks so much to fitness enthusiast Mike Manning for this guest post–check out his good work on his blog

While you probably do a lot of things for your health, chances are that travel isn’t one of them. Sure, it can be relaxing to take a holiday somewhere far from home, but even traveling for pleasure comes with stressors that take a toll on physical health. Research indicates that those who travel regularly for business have increased risk of obesity and struggle with multiple health problems more than those who travel infrequently.

The good news is that you can exercise and eat right while traveling. All it takes is a little advance preparation and some mindfulness during your trip.

Before leaving home, make plans to stay fit and healthy.

• Learn about running trails or tracks available at your destination.
• If possible, select a hotel that provides fitness amenities to suit your preferences for working out. On a recent trip to San Francisco I was able to book a hotel with a 24-hour fitness center by using a travel site. This travel site listed San Francisco hotels in order of rank and from here I could click through to see how nice the fitness amenities were.
• Pack comfortable workout clothes and good athletic shoes.
• Bring a refillable water bottle everywhere you go to help you remain hydrated and improve your fitness level.
• Pack an exercise band or other portable equipment to help you get a powerful workout in limited time and space.

While you journey to your destination, take time to stretch and exercise in your seat or along the aisles of your plane or train. Simple things like ankle rolls, knee lifts and overhead stretches can alleviate cramping and other discomforts experienced by travelers stuck in cramped vehicles for extended periods of time.

When you arrive at your destination, take a little time to familiarize yourself with your surroundings and get centered before running to meetings or other activities. In your hotel room, stretch or walk through a few yoga poses.

During your stay, be realistic about your personal fitness. You probably won’t be able to work out for an hour or more each day, but you can take advantage of shorter breaks in your schedule to get in a good cardio or strengthening routine. Get up early and take a short run before breakfast, or enjoy a brief workout in the hotel fitness center before morning meetings. Take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible. Choose to walk rather than drive to meetings or meals. Each little thing will add to your overall health and fitness.

Thanks for reading. Planning for Fitness-Tips for Frequent Travelers is a post from OCS Blog

USMC Life provides an overview of every major Marine Corps base focusing on specific base information, military housing and photos, schools, youth programs and sports, getting to and from each installation and popular links helpful to Marines and their families.

Check out their blog for a spotlight on companies they love, insight on base and family life, military news and more.

The site also provides resources for fiancés and new military spouses, Tricare healthcare, military discounts, free money for education, moving and PCS tips, separating from the Corps and more.

Thanks for reading. Featured Partner: USMC Life is a post from OCS Blog

This is great. Armstrong got me from zero pull ups to a steady 15-16 over the last year. I’ve been stuck there for the last few months and hopefully this will help me bust the plateau.
On the tendonitis – constant body weight push/pulls and Armstrong over many months was wearing down my left elbow to the point where it was painful to do anything.
-Candidate Kevin

Plateau

“Plateau: [Verb] to stop increasing or improving after a period of development.”

You gained one, two, three pullups a week. You did it all right. Fifty pullups a week went to over a hundred.  Then it stopped. You’re stuck at your current level of pullup fitness.

Now What?

So what’s going on? In many cases, overtraining is holding you back. With only a day or two of rest during the week, the muscles are getting broken down but don’t have the chance to build up and recover. Are you resting a day after each hard workout? Are you eating enough protein and getting enough sleep? On the other hand–is it easy to get a set of more than 10 pullups done? Maybe you need more resistance for each “rep” of the exercise.

Have you tried the Armstrong Advanced workout? Also named in honor of Major Charles Lewis Armstrong, it is designed to pick up where the standard five-day-a-week Armstrong Pullup Program left off.

The Armstrong Pullup Program Advanced Workout Routine

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Five Sets Per Workout:

1. Unweighted working set
2. Weighted working set
3. Weighted working set
4. Weighted working set
5. Unweighted cool-down set

Principles

• Rest exactly 60 seconds between sets.
• Begin the workout without weights to establish your personal number of pullups per working set.
• Start with a weight of 5 lbs or less.
• Increase your working set by one repetition when you can complete all five sets.
• When you can complete 5 sets of 8 pullups, add weight, not reps.

Notes

The repetitive structure of the Armstrong Pullup Program Advanced makes it easy to standardize your improvement by using the overload principle to steadily increase either reps or weight, as appropriate. You should expect to fall a little short of your working set goal on the fourth or fifth sets of the workout.

Don’t have a weight belt? No excuses!

Grab an athletic drawstring backpack and drop some 1kg plates in it. Wear cargo shorts and put the plates in your pockets! Who cares how–get it done!

Don’t combine the workout with any bicep or lat-intensive activity like rowing, to avoid overtraining or interfering with your results.

Example Workout Routine

1. 6 unweighted pullups (working set: 6)
2. 6 weighted pullups with 5 lbs
3. 6 weighted pullups with 5 lbs
4. 5 weighted pullups with 5 lbs (attempted 6)
5. 5 unweighted pullups (attempted 6)

Get Working!

The classic Iron Gym indoor pullup bar

Get yourself an indoor pullup bar. Grab a weighted dip belt or whatever you have lying around.

Your Thoughts?

Got any feedback? Are you one of the candidates who plateaued on the Armstrong Basic workout? Please leave your feedback below.

Thanks for reading. Recommended Workout: Armstrong Advanced for Pullup Plateaus is a post from OCS Blog