Class number?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bill on June 30, 2010 at 1:20pm

Tom,
I don't know for sure about pictures, but I would expect that they are okay. I've gotten pretty familiar with the OCS website, but it doesn't explicitly allow or prohibit photos. It does make clear that letters can be freely exchanged with LO's, which to me implies that it is not a problem.
I got a letter from William today and he is also in group "B". He advised me to add that to the address; 20-10-B. I asked him about John in a letter I sent out today.
He is sore all over and frustrated, because they can can only eat with a spoon clenched tightly in the left hand. He had a whole chicken on Saturday and eating that with a spoon is quite a challenge. However, he seemed to be in good spirits and adjusting well.
William is NUPOC, but going the submarine route. If John is NUPOC and going surface he probably will go to SWOS next. Below is a good web site for the various NUPOC career paths.
http://www.navy.com/navy/careers/nuclear-energy/surface-warfare-nuc...
Best wishes to you and your LO's,
Bill

Permalink Reply by John Russell on July 1, 2010 at 12:08pm

My son is also in class 20-10-B, OC Jonah Russell. We have sent him pictures mostly because he is a newlywed and his wife sent pics of their wedding. He says they have a really good/motivated class and thinks they will start earning extra privileges pretty soon. He was excited to be appointed the spiritual leader for the class and had 11 OC's attend the first bible study.

God Bless and sustain them all

Thomas Maher said:

Quick question
Does anyone know if it's permitted to send regular 3x5 photos along with the letters?
Tks
Prayers and best wishes to everyones LO's

Permalink Reply by Thomas Maher on July 1, 2010 at 9:05pm

Bill
Thanks for the heads up Bill. I was looking for a letter today from John but didn't get one. I decided to send a picture with each mail until I hear otherwise. I wish I could see William eating a whole chicken with a left-handed fork. I'm sure it would be a definite winner on Americas Funniest videos. I will feel better when communications get more regular. For me not knowing is the hardest thing.
God Bless

Permalink Reply by Thomas Maher on July 1, 2010 at 9:29pm

John
Thanks for the reply. I decided to keep sending our John random photos from over the years that might evoke a fond memory or a reminder of friends and family. We received an email, but as of yet no letters. Congratulations on Jonah being elected spiritual leader, what an honor for him. It was great to hear the news about the motivated class and possible extra privileges. That is very comforting, and I can’t wait to pass it along.
Best to you and yours
Thomas

Permalink Reply by Bill on July 2, 2010 at 6:25am

Tom,
It wasn't a fork. It was a spoon! It is their so called "War Spoon". They won't earn the privilege of getting to use a fork until sometime later. I suppose they are feeding them all the same, so your son John probably had his own chicken to conquer with a War Spoon.
Best wishes to all,
Bill

Permalink Reply by Thomas Maher on July 3, 2010 at 7:21pm

Yesterday we received our first letter form our son John.
It was tempting not to wait but open it before his Mom came home,
but I resisted the urge and realized I was enjoying just staring at the envelope
with Dept. of the Navy seal on it.
It was great hearing a little about what it was like and to what stage things had
progressed. The letter was dated on 6-25 so I am sure it’s been a very full week
for them all since then ! He said his voice like most everyone else’s was almost entirely gone.
Looking forward to more frequent communications is an understatement.

Permalink Reply by John Russell on July 6, 2010 at 10:49am

Tom,

We know the anxiousness you are feeling and we all gather together to share any information. We have not heard from our son in a while but we have received a few letters that are from the first week or there abouts. He's a newly wed so besides missing his bride tremendously he says the class is progressing well.

They have their first RLP on Wednesday so they are all working hard for that. He did say time was starting to go by a little faster. His wife has been in touch with a husband and wife who both just recently graduated from OCS together and they have been giving her the play by play on what to expect and the timing of everything so that helps.

God Bless, John

Thomas Maher said:

Yesterday we received our first letter form our son John.
It was tempting not to wait but open it before his Mom came home,
but I resisted the urge and realized I was enjoying just staring at the envelope
with Dept. of the Navy seal on it.
It was great hearing a little about what it was like and to what stage things had
progressed. The letter was dated on 6-25 so I am sure it’s been a very full week
for them all since then ! He said his voice like most everyone else’s was almost entirely gone.
Looking forward to more frequent communications is an understatement.

Permalink Reply by Thomas Maher on July 6, 2010 at 3:38pm

John

Thank you for the reply. It does help knowing others are going through the same sense of emotions and experiences. Jonah, I’m sure misses all of you very much. I can’t imagine being a newlywed and also being away from all your family and friends. It’s a good thing he is so spiritually grounded. We wish all the OC’s the best on the upcoming RLP inspection this week. (I had no Idea it was so soon...I read somewhere that it happened during the fourth week). I know from what I’ve read though that it can be very difficult and quite a hurdle to get past. We will keep only good thoughts .....Which includes finding more than junk mail and bills in the mailbox this evening.
God Bless
Thomas

Permalink Reply by John Russell on July 7, 2010 at 11:31am

Good morning Tom,

I am reading a book that Jonah gave me before he left called "Seal of Honor". Jonah is headed to Bud's after OCS. It describes the fourth week "MTT", this is the first of the more serious inspections.

Jonah did share they had 6-8 drop out the first week.

We are planning our trip to Newport and it looks like it's not cheap to stay near the base.

Have you heard anything from your son yet?

Talk later, JR

Thomas Maher said:

John

Thank you for the reply. It does help knowing others are going through the same sense of emotions and experiences. Jonah, I’m sure misses all of you very much. I can’t imagine being a newlywed and also being away from all your family and friends. It’s a good thing he is so spiritually grounded. We wish all the OC’s the best on the upcoming RLP inspection this week. (I had no Idea it was so soon...I read somewhere that it happened during the fourth week). I know from what I’ve read though that it can be very difficult and quite a hurdle to get past. We will keep only good thoughts .....Which includes finding more than junk mail and bills in the mailbox this evening.
God Bless
Thomas

Permalink Reply by Thomas Maher on July 9, 2010 at 9:01am

John
We did get our 2nd letter from our son John, but it was much shorter than the first. His spirits were good though. He said" It's really impossible to describe OCS because things can change here so quickly. He mentioned that a few new guys rolled up into their class, and one had misplaced his drill practice rifle. He said you would not believe the”S@#* Storm” that was brewing. Fortunately, it was found and all learned a valuable lesson from the experience. The letter was dated Friday June 25th. I’m sure much has transpired since then. I believe Saturday will be the end of their 3rd week, that’s 25% completed! Hope they can earn more privileges, and will be able to communicate more regularly
We hope to attend his graduation ceremony, and we are trying to work out scheduling concerns with work, family and pet issues.
Since the class started on Sunday June 20th, if they went straight through, is graduation at the end of the 12th week which is the week of September 6th, or after the 12th week, which is the week of September 13th. We’re trying to get a head start on travel and care arraignments. I need to take my own advice that I gave to John. When there is a big unknown in front of you; do like you would if you had to eat an elephant.... just one bite at a time.
Take care and God Bless our LO's and their families

Thomas

John Russell said:

Good morning Tom,

I am reading a book that Jonah gave me before he left called "Seal of Honor". Jonah is headed to Bud's after OCS. It describes the fourth week "MTT", this is the first of the more serious inspections.

Jonah did share they had 6-8 drop out the first week.

We are planning our trip to Newport and it looks like it's not cheap to stay near the base.

Have you heard anything from your son yet?

Talk later, JR

Thomas Maher said:

John

Thank you for the reply. It does help knowing others are going through the same sense of emotions and experiences. Jonah, I’m sure misses all of you very much. I can’t imagine being a newlywed and also being away from all your family and friends. It’s a good thing he is so spiritually grounded. We wish all the OC’s the best on the upcoming RLP inspection this week. (I had no Idea it was so soon...I read somewhere that it happened during the fourth week). I know from what I’ve read though that it can be very difficult and quite a hurdle to get past. We will keep only good thoughts .....Which includes finding more than junk mail and bills in the mailbox this evening.
God Bless
Thomas

Permalink Reply by Bill on July 17, 2010 at 10:23am

I've not gotten a call or letter from my son William for a couple of weeks now, nor has his girlfriend, which means he must be really busy or having so much fun he forgot about us.

I'm not sure of the timing of the big MTT, or RLP inspection that they have to go through to advance from inductee to OC. I too had thought it was the fourth and not the third week. Hopefully, all our LO's got through that and were not rolled into H company. Getting through that is supposed to bring more privileges, like phone calls and frees up a bit more time for writing letters. One way or the other I would expect to be hearing something in the next couple of days.

I have been checking into hotels for graduation. First of all there is the issue of when it is assuming there are no delays due to rolling. It is my understanding that there is a Thursday evening meet and greet and the ceremony on Friday morning. By my reckoning that would put it on the 9th and 10 of Sept. based on the June 20 start date and counting 12 weeks.

Back to hotels. It looks like the best bargains are a bit (about 2 miles) out of Newport. I checked the Choice hotel website and found a Rodeway Inn starting at $60 and a Econo Lodge for $63. I think those are AAA rates. Otherwise, you are looking at hotels that start at over $100 a night. I don't mind the sea breeze being salty, but not the price of my hotel room.

Best wishes to all of you and your LO's and hoping we hear from them soon.

Permalink Reply by Bill on July 17, 2010 at 4:50pm

Got a call from my ex, to let me know that William just called and was able to speak to her for a while. He got through the major RLP on the second try. A few did not make it. But I guess for those who did the class is now "secured" and they will be getting email privileges. She said his voice is a bit hoarse and he hasn't had much chance to sleep, but he's looking forward to the next phase.

Best wishes to all of you and your LO's.

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