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Navy ODS Tips and Insights
Started by Natya
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Huh, interesting. It sounds like they shifted some people around since last year. I'm encouraged by the fact that they put Medical Corps folks in charge, instead of line officers. (Although I wonder if this ends up deepening the staff corps-line corps divide...)
It has been a while since I went through ODS (June/July 2001, back when it was OIS), but I'd like to recommend a couple more items to bring.
1. Instead of the standard combination lock, bring the kind with four dials on the bottom. Makes it easier to get in and out of your footlocker, and easier to keep it locked all of the time.
2. Black socks. Unless they are really anal about what kind of socks you wear, it's nice to have enough you aren't cleaning them all of the time, and you can pick out some that are comfortable.
Yeah, back when I went only 1 day of off base liberty. Thanks to those guys who put their empty beer bottles in the mailbox.
1. Instead of the standard combination lock, bring the kind with four dials on the bottom. Makes it easier to get in and out of your footlocker, and easier to keep it locked all of the time.
2. Black socks. Unless they are really anal about what kind of socks you wear, it's nice to have enough you aren't cleaning them all of the time, and you can pick out some that are comfortable.
Yeah, back when I went only 1 day of off base liberty. Thanks to those guys who put their empty beer bottles in the mailbox.
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I think it's 78% male to 22% female.
I just finished ODS a week ago and my company had 44 people, 16 of whom were female.
More general notes:
I was scared to bring a lot of stuff there for some reason, and as a result ended up buying a ton at the exchange.
Things I wish I had brought: shoe polishing stuff, rags, cleaning supplies, a sheet, extra towel, briefcase
I slept on my bed the whole time with the scratchy wool blanket and wished I had an old sheet with me. It takes forever for the towels to dry, and occasionally you might want one to iron on if the ironing board you grab looks nasty. I was happy I brought my own iron. Bring one that has the water reservoir and can do steam.
I also ended up buying more comfortable black and white socks than the kind they give you and the kind of shirt stays that loop around your foot.
For the ladies- ignore what the website says about only tall athletic socks. Bring normal ones for PT as well as a few long pairs for firefighting training and the wet trainer. Also, we were told to buy hair gel, hair spray, hair bands that match the color of your hair (the exchange has lots of hair-colored kinds), and a spray bottle to wet your hair before putting it up.
That's all I can think of for the moment! Feel free to ask me any specific questions.
More general notes:
I was scared to bring a lot of stuff there for some reason, and as a result ended up buying a ton at the exchange.
Things I wish I had brought: shoe polishing stuff, rags, cleaning supplies, a sheet, extra towel, briefcase
I slept on my bed the whole time with the scratchy wool blanket and wished I had an old sheet with me. It takes forever for the towels to dry, and occasionally you might want one to iron on if the ironing board you grab looks nasty. I was happy I brought my own iron. Bring one that has the water reservoir and can do steam.
I also ended up buying more comfortable black and white socks than the kind they give you and the kind of shirt stays that loop around your foot.
For the ladies- ignore what the website says about only tall athletic socks. Bring normal ones for PT as well as a few long pairs for firefighting training and the wet trainer. Also, we were told to buy hair gel, hair spray, hair bands that match the color of your hair (the exchange has lots of hair-colored kinds), and a spray bottle to wet your hair before putting it up.
That's all I can think of for the moment! Feel free to ask me any specific questions.
We didn't wear boots at ODS. I think the Army folks wore them at OBLC.
Are you also Miska002?
The middle one in the summer fills very quickly. Sign up now.
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Short enough that it is NOT touching the collar
That is for men. For women, it must be short enough that it does not extend below the bottom of the collar.
I recently received my selection letter for the Medical Service Corps. I am an infectious disease scientist (just recently received my Ph.D.) and have been doing post doctoral research for under a year.
I'm entering as a microbiologist, however, which is a fairly tiny field (about 50 total) in the Navy.
Some quick questions:
How much money should we expect to spend during ODS? I saw a uniform list and the total was over $1000. Do we get an allowance that pays for this?
Based on what I have been reading it seems like we get off base privileges the last 3 weekends of ODS? What about during the week at night?
Also, is it OK to bring an iMAC instead of a laptop?
Thanks in advance👍
You'll spend about 1500 on uniforms and 500 on food. You may get reimbursed for the food, and you get a 300 one time uniform allowance
the last week we were able to go off base during the week. don't expect to go off base every weekend the last 3 weeks - a couple groups got that particular privilege taken away
can't say about the laptop. don't expect to get on the internet on a personal computer in the barracks; when you're allowed to go to the coffee shop you'll get internet there, but at King Hall you'll have to use the computer lab. Also, note that thumb drives are no longer allowed on DoD computers (this includes the computers at King Hall)
You are paid as an active duty officer while at ODS. There is a small allowance for uniforms, but it's something like $400; you'll spend much more than this at the uniform shop.
Off-base liberty policies depend on the class. In general, liberty privs increase as you progress, unless your company or class do something stupid along the way.
Don't bring an iMac. Your room is kept to exacting standards during the day, which includes leaving nothing on your desk except for the books that are there when you arrive and a small family photo. Everything else must be stowed in your footlocker when you are not in your room. Unless you want to unplug, stow, then re-place, re-plug, etc. multiple times per day, it doesn't make sense to bring a non-laptop computer.
Thanks for the responses SilverHorse84 and blee.👍
My situation may be different, but once out of ODS I am going to be stationed in Bethesda. I'll be working at Bethesda Naval Hospital as a clinical microbiologist (possibly NRC as doing biodefense research, though). How long do you have once you graduate to report for duty?
About the pay -- I'm being commissioned as an O-3. Is my pay at ODS going to be O-1 or O-3?
Thank in advance!
-CMOJ
You should get paid as an O3 if that's what you're commissioned as.
You'll have to ask someone official about they number of days to reporting. It varies by location (i.e. they look at where you're coming from and going to and judge the days from there)
Check out this Facebook profile. A previous ODS class made a profile and posted all of their photos.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tango-09070/108129873637
The NWU has been rolling out in different times depending on what region you are located in. By October 2010, all the regions should be conforming with the new uniforms. Digital camo is sick though.
I am currently applying for HSCP for Pharmacy, anyone else???
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If you go to the ODS website. Under uniform requirements for ODS it says to the current requirements (***Discontinued when NWU begins). Then it lists about $600 worth of NWU uniform pieces, so I guess that means they are switching over.
You have to carry a water bottle everywhere...we quickly learned that it's tough to fall asleep if your bladder is full 😉
Also, they tell you if you're falling asleep to get up and stand at the back of the class. Not many people are talented enough to sleep while standing.
If you're hooked on caffeine, you may want to wean yourself off before you go. Don't want to have to deal with withdrawal headaches along with everything else 😳
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I live in Michigan so I spent all but the last month training on the treadmill. My advice is to start now and start slow, and never run with your treadmill less than 2% incline. They say 1% is what you need to counter the help from the motor-driven belt but I always feel like even at 1%, when I get outside I'm sucking wind. So notch it up to 2%, slow your pace and get used to the feel, and then work your way back up. Try to get your speed training days up to above a 7.0mph pace for 1.5-2 miles and get your long training days to about an hour. No way you will fail the pft at that level.
Khaki, not tan.
As in "where the f*** were all the Khaki when the sailor decided to weld the oxygen tank to his forehead?"
When will they release the dates for 2011?
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You may drive there. I'm pretty sure there's a mileage limit beyond which the Navy will not reimburse you, however.
Feel free to leave some of your stuff there, but don't count on being able to get to it for the first few weeks. As things loosen up, you might find it convenient to have a car around.
