Officer Candidate School - United States

United States

In the United States Armed Forces, Officer Candidate School (OCS) or the equivalent is a training program for recent college graduates and non-commissioned officers, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen to earn commissions as officers. The courses generally last from ten to seventeen weeks and include classroom instruction in military subjects, physical training, and leadership.

People may earn a commission in the United States Armed Forces through OCS or OTS, by staff appointment, through Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), or through one of the four military academies.

  • The Officer Candidate School of the United States Navy is located at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. It has been based there since the fall of 2007 after relocating from NAS Pensacola, Florida. In the 1990s, OCS had departed Newport to combine with Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) at Naval Air Station Pensacola. On its return, it brought the tradition of USMC drill instructors (a la "An Officer and a Gentleman") from NAS Pensacola. Upon completion, graduates are commissioned in the rank of Ensign (ENS) in the U.S. Navy.
  • The Officer Candidates School of the United States Marine Corps is at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. All Marine officers are initially trained at OCS, with the exception of those who come from the United States Naval Academy. Entrance to OCS is obtained through the Platoon Leaders Class and Officer Candidates Course programs. Candidates who enter the Platoon Leaders Class attend either two six-week sessions or one ten-week session during college. Those who enter the Officer Candidates Course attend one ten-week session after graduation from college. Naval ROTC midshipmen in the Marine Option also attend for one six-week session prior to commissioning. Graduates are commissioned as Second Lieutenants (2ndLt) in the U.S. Marine Corps.
  • The Officer Candidate School of the United States Army is a 12 week long program held at Fort Benning, Georgia for both prior service and non-prior service candidates. Candidates with no prior military service will first attend Basic Combat Training. There are also National Guard Officer Candidate Schools that allow a National Guard soldier to train without deviating from the "one weekend a month, two weeks a year" training program; this is called 'Traditional', as it is the original method for the National Guard, and takes 18 months to complete. In addition, National Guard soldiers do have the option to attend the Federal course (if offered), or to attend an accelerated eight-week program which happens in conjunction with other states. Both Federal and state programs are accredited by the U.S. Army Infantry School. Upon completion of either OCS programs, graduates are commissioned as Second Lieutenants (2LT) and then attend the rest of their Basic Officer Leadership courses. In 2006, the officer commissioning programs changed, making the entire process, 'Basic Officer Leadership Course', occurring in two phases (BOLC-A and BOLC-B). Phase A is the original commissioning source (OCS, ROTC, USMA, Direct). BOLC B is the Officer Basic Course which trains the new officers into their Basic Branch skills and includes three weeks of basic soldiering skills.
  • The Officer Training School of the United States Air Force is located at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. There are 2 programs offered at OTS. The first is Basic Officer Training (BOT), for those seeking a commission to the USAF. It is a 13-week long program consisting of 2 parts. In the first part, officer trainees will learn military skills, USAF history, and other classroom and skill courses needed for serving in the Air Force. In the second part, trainees are given ranks from Officer Trainee O-1 (2d Lt) to Officer Trainee O-6 (Col), and will learn how to be a leader and be given the opportunity to lead other Officer Trainees. Graduates are commissioned as Second Lieutenants (2d Lt) in the U.S. Air Force. The other program is Commissioned Officer Training (COT), a 5 week introductory program to the USAF for those who have already been directly commissioned in the USAF, primarily as chaplains, doctors and lawyers. Trainees in COT range in rank from O-1 to O-5 and will report directly to their respective units after training.
  • The Officer Candidate School of the United States Coast Guard is at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, where it has been located since August 1998. Prior to August 1998, Coast Guard OCS was located at the Coast Guard Reserve Training Center (RESTRACEN) in Yorktown, Virginia. OCS is a 17 week long program, the longest of the 5 military services. Graduates are commissioned in the rank of Ensign (ENS) in the U.S. Coast Guard and may report to Coast Guard cutters, sectors, or directly to flight training.

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