I created this blog so I can track my progress as I go through Officer Candidate School and so my friends and family can follow me as I go through it.  It has also turned into a resource for other people who are joining the Army (which is great, I used blogs to find most of the information I was looking for).  Most of the visitors to this site are people searching for answers to common questions about joining the Army and going to OCS.

I hope people will still use this site while I’m gone and that more people will visit when I’m done with Basic Training.  To make sure you don’t miss any of my posts when I’m done with Basic, here are some ways you can be reminded of them:

Subscribe to my RSS feed or receive my RSS feed via email.


If you have a Twitter account, follow me.  I’ll share all my posts on here.


If you’re on FriendFeed, become my friend.


Subscribe to my blog on Facebook.


Join Milblogging and favorite my blog.


While I’m Gone, Check Out These Videos of Things I’m Looking Forward To
Gas Chamber
American Gladiators
Grenades
Falling Down a Big Wall

Wish me luck.

Over the past few months I’ve spent quite a bit of time trying to get into better shape.  While I’m not in the best shape ever, I’m much more physically fit than I was a few months ago and feel much more prepared for Basic Training. 

The Army takes physical fitness very seriously.  The one piece of advise I got from the OCS board was to get as physically fit as possible.  This will help me be more competitive in Officer Candidate School as well as help me with promotions later on in my career.  For both enlisted and commissioned officers, the Army physical fitness test, or APFT, is an important part of getting promoted.  Officers set an example, so it is very important to be in the best shape possible.

I mentioned the APFT briefly in Applying to Army OCS - Part 1.   It consists of three main areas, two mintues of push-ups, two minutes of sit-ups and a two minute run.  Each area has a max score of 100, making the max score of the APFT 300.  To find out the scores for your age group, check out this chart http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/apa/rc/apft.htm.

To pass Basic Training, you must score at least 50 on each test.  To get into OCS you must score at least 60 on each test.

The Georgetown University ROTC program created videos showing the proper way to do push-ups and sit-ups.

Push-Ups

As long as you don’t lift your hands off the ground, you can change the position of them. This will change the muscles that are being used. Do as many as you can in one position, rest and then do as many as you can with your hands in a different position.  Repeat this until your two minutes are up.

Sit-Ups

Adjust your legs and your feet when you start getting tired. This will adjust what muscles are being used and will make it possible for you to do more in two minutes.

After doing several sets of push-ups and sit-ups a day, I’ve been able to go from barely being able to do any to scoring over 60 in both areas in just a few weeks.

To prepare for the running, I have been running intervals.  More information about running intervals can be found here, http://www.sportslog.com/running-log/running-speed-work.htm.  I’ve also been swimming and cycling, which has been a nice way to spice up my workouts.

For more information on the APFT and tips on how to max out your score, check out this article http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/14245/how_to_max_the_us_army_physical_fitness.html.

Ok, so the future soldier manager still hasn’t gotten back to me about what to bring to Basic Training.  Luckily I have the internet or I’d be panicking. Here are some links I found with some helpful information.

Ft. Jackson’s Official Site

• One set of casual, comfortable clothing *No halter tops or ragged shorts
• Three sets of underwear (White)
• One pair of white, calf-length athletic socks *No color bands, designs or logos
• One pair of comfortable athletic shoes
• Eyeglasses *No faddish/stylish eyewear
• Athletic supporter (males only)
• Luggage should be limited to one small suitcase or gym bag
• Two locks (combination or padlock with 2 keys)
• Disposable / safety razor with blades
• Shaving cream (optional for women)
• Toothbrush with clear carrying case
• Hairbrush or 6″ black comb
• Shampoo
• Two washcloths and one brown towel
• Non-aerosol antiperspirant
• Black shower shoes
• Toothpaste
• Dental Floss
• Soap with clear carrying case
• Nail clippers
• A minimum $10.00  - but No More Than $50.00 in Cash
• Traveler’s Checks or Money Orders
• ATM Card or Personal Checks

There’s also some other helpful information about what to expect during Basic Training on the Ft. Jackson site.

FutureSoldiers.com

CLOTHING
Wear casual, comfortable clothing:

• Shirt or blouse (no obscene graphics)(no halter tops or cut-off T-shirts)
• Slacks or Jeans (no shorts or cut-offs)
• Complete underwear (You’ll get a mini-physical on ship day, no thongs)
• Pair of comfortable, casual shoes suitable for walking and extended standing  (no high heels) and socks
• Coat or Jacket (seasonal)

Bring change of underwear: (male- briefs, female – briefs and bras) white, black or neutral, no thongs
Bring Feminine Sanitary Items - As needed
MINIMAL PERSONAL HYGIENE ARTICLES:  (All Travel Sized items)

• Shampoo and conditioner (1 oz) As needed As needed
• Soap (1 bar soap or 1oz liquid soap)
• Anti-perspirant / deodorant (non-aerosol only)
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Disposable/safety shaving razor (non-electric)
• Shaving cream (non-aerosol)
• Comb, brush, hair accessories (black or matching hair color)

EYEGLASSES   (if prescribed, no faddish/stylish eyewear w/ prescription if available)
ALL IMPORTANT PERSONAL DOCUMENTS (check with Recruiter) Including:

• Childhood and adolescent immunization records if available
• Government-issued photo ID card
• Marriage certificate, family birth certificates, and their SSN (if married or legally supporting)
• Required prescription medications (in original pharmacy container) and/or a doctor’s prescription.

FINANCE

• Not to exceed $50.00 in cash, Traveler’s Checks, or Money Orders
• Checkbook and/or ATM card with access to direct deposit account for military pay

NOTES:
 All items must fit into the Army FSP Bag or small airline approved “carry on” suitcase or gym bag

UPDATE July 17th, 2008: I talked with the future soldier manager last night. He confirmed these lists were correct. He said to bring two changes of clothes instead of one.

The Cubs game was good. They won and I purchased a Cubs t-shirt as proof that I lived there. So the trip to Chicago wasn’t a complete waste.

Details about my visit will be posted as soon as I find internet access.

Only two more weeks left.

“More American and coalition troops died in Afghanistan last month than during any other month since the American-led invasion began in 2001…”

According to the article, this is the second straight month that the death toll has been higher in Afghanistan than Iraq. This is despite the increase of U.S. forces in the country.

“The violence has spiked even as the number of foreign troops in Afghanistan approaches its highest level since 2001. Roughly 32,000 American troops are deployed inside the country, up from 25,000 in 2005. The Pentagon is now considering sending an additional 7,000 troops to help tamp down the worsening violence.”

ASVAB Test and Medical Exam
The ASVAB test and the medical exam were both taken at the United States Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) in Des Plaines, IL.  Walking into this building was like walking into the 1950s.  It looks like nothing has changed, except for some added computers and a few flat panel TVs.

I took the ASVAB first.  ASVAB stands for Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.  It’s a computerized, multiple choice test used to detemine if someone is qualified to enlist in the armed forces.  It contains 9 sections:

• General Science (GS)
• Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
• Word Knowledge (WK)
• Paragraph Comprehension (PC)
• Mathematics Knowledge (MK)
• Electronics Information (EI)
• Auto Shop (AS)
• Mechanical Comprehension (MC)
• Assembling Objects (AO)

The typical ASVAB test score that is used is the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT or QT).  The QT score is a precentage of how well you did compared to everyone else.  To become an officer in the U.S. Army, you have to score over a 110 on the General Technical (GT).  The GT is a combination of AR, WK, PC and MK.  I’m not too sure how they calculate the score, not all the questions are weighted equally and I believe the WK and PC sections are weighed more than the AR and MK sections.

More information about the ASVAB test can be found here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armed_Services_Vocational_Aptitude_Battery

The medical exam was the next morning, so I had to spend the night at a hotel a few miles away.  That morning I got a wake up call at 4 a.m., breakfast was served at 4:15 a.m. and I had to be ready for the bus at 4:45 a.m.  I arrived at MEPS around 5 a.m. and waited in the Army liaison’s office until they were ready for my group, the people who were not shipping out that day.  The whole morning consisted of hurrying up and then waiting at different stations.  The stations were set up to give the different tests, like vision, hearing or blood work.  It was pretty much an intense sports physical with really unfriendly people and doctors who had worked there since the 1960s.  It was a small group and we finished around 10 a.m.  The day before it went to 2 p.m. and they didn’t even get through everybody.

I passed both the ASVAB test and the medical exam, so I was on to the interview.

Recruiting Battalion OCS Board Interview
The board only meets once a month, so I had to get everything ready for the board on June 19th.  I had to wear a suit and look professional, which unfortunately meant I had to shave my sideburns (every time I went into the recruiting office I was reminded of that).  I arrived there at 10 a.m. and the interview was scheduled for 11 a.m.  I was there with two other applicants, one was prior service from the same recruiting office as me and a female applicant from another recruiting office.  We waited in the conference room until the board was ready for us, which turned out to be 12:30 p.m.

When they were finally ready, they set the order of the interviews. I was second, the prior service guy was first and the female applicant was last.  I was a little nervous and I had spent quite a bit of time beforehand preparing for the interview by reading over the questions that are in USAREC Requlation 601-9.  The prior service guy came back within 5 minutes and told me to wait 5 minutes and go in.  I waited, walked to the room and knocked three times like I was instructed.  I sat down and was asked 5 questions and was out of there within 5 minutes, about 30 minutes less than I expected.  The female applicant was also only in there for 5 minutes.  10 minutes after that, we all found out that we were being recommended for OCS.  It was much easier than I thought it was going to be.

Usually, after the interview, the applicant would go back to MEPS to swear in and sign their contract.  MEPS was closed that day, so I had to go back to MEPS the next day.  This MEPS experience was much more pleasant.  I met with a counselor who went over my contract, I had to sign a few things and I was all set.  I had my ship date and my OCS class date and found my recruiter to go home.

Since I have to wait a month to go basic training, I am part of the future soldier’s program.  This would normally mean I would meet with other future soldiers at the recruiting office once a week.  Instead, because I moved to Michigan the weekend after I signed up, I just have to call the future soldier’s recruiter once a week and check in.

That was the whole process of applying for Army Officer Candidate School.  This does not guarantee that I will become an officer, it just guarantees me a spot in OCS (as long as I make it through basic training).  I still have a long way to go before I get commissioned.

You can also follow me on feedly to find even more sites that I’m reading.

I figured I have more free time now than I will in the next year, so I updated the design of votemcconkey.com. I hate using other people’s things, I created my own WordPress theme. It doesn’t work in IE6, so if you’re still using that outdated browser, install a new one.

There will be more tweaks to come, but it’s good enough for now.

Tags: blog, design, update

I had about a month to put together my packet, which added a little stress to the process.  The board meets once a month and I was trying to make it to the last battalion review before I moved from Chicago.  Here are the details of my OCS packet:

Personal Letter
A letter, handwritten and typed, is required explaining why I want to be an officer in the United States Army.  I wrote a short, one page letter in an essay format.  My recruiter gave me an example letter to follow, it pretty much just had to include duty, honor and country.  It was a pretty simple essay.

Letters of Recommendation
3-6 letters of recommendation are required.  I received 3 letters of recommendation from my supervisors at Norvax.

PT Score
I was not aware I would have to do this.  APFT is the army physical fitness test.  It is a three-event physical performance test.  It includes push-ups, sit-ups and a 2 mile run.  In order to get into OCS, I will have to pass a full APFT with a 60% in all three categories.  For my age and my height, the required number of push-ups in 2 minutes is 40, the required number of sit-ups in 2 minutes is 50 and the 2 mile run must be completed in 16:36.  Luckily I had started working out a month before.  I thought the first APFT I would have to do is before Basic training, which is a 1-1-1 test, 13 push-ups in 1 minute, 17 sit-ups in 1 minute and a 1 mile run in 8:30.

Resume
I included my updated resume.

Initial Active Duty Assignment
This is a form with my top 10 choices of where I want to be stationed.  My top choices are:

1. Germany
2. Italy
3. Japan
4. Korea
5. Hawaii
6. Washington D.C.
7. California
8. Washington
9. Alaska
10. Colorado

DA 61
This is the application for OCS.  It includes my branch preferences.  Officers do not get to pick the job they’ll be doing.  An applicant picks his or hers top 10 choices, but the Army will pick their branch based on the Army’s needs.  My top 4 choices are:

1. Military Intelligence
2. Signal Corps
3. Aviation
4. Military Police

Security Clearance
This was a lengthy questionnaire asking where I have lived in the past 7 years, where I have worked in the past 7 years and who I have known in the past 7 years.  Officers have to be able to get security clearance.

Other Documents
High School transcripts
College diploma and transcripts
Social Security card
Birth certificate

In my next post, I’ll go over the last steps of applying to the Army’s Officer Candidate School, including taking the ASVAB test, the medical exam and the battalion board interview.

Tags: ocs, applying, u.s. army